"Go and Do Likewise" Sunday Recap

February 15, 2026

Are you actually a good neighbor?

And no, we’re not talking about Jake from State Farm or Mr. Rogers.

On our first Family & Friends Day, our Apostle Michael did what he always does grabbed the mic and started walking the text in a way that had the whole room locked in.

You know the routine… you come in thinking you already know the story, and ten minutes later you’re sitting there like, “Hold on… that was in the Bible this whole time?”

An entire room filled with family and friends went on a journey, uncovering a deeper revelation about compassion.

What felt like a familiar story at first quickly turned into a real spiritual doctors appointment with the cardiologist, challenging the way we see people and how we actually respond to them.

"Because real compassion isn’t just about being nice to the people we already rock with" - MGLewisJr.

It’s about having a heart that moves for whoever God places in front of you whether they’re familiar, inconvenient, or someone you never expected to cross your path.

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One of the biggest things we discovered is that the greatest acts of mercy often come from the most unlikely places.

• We tend to judge by the exterior.

• We overlook the marginalized.

• We dismiss the people the world labels as unimportant.

  
  

But God has always had a different pattern. Throughout Scripture, He consistently builds greatness out of the very people and places others overlook or despise.

And in Luke 10, Jesus takes a well-known story and flips the perspective. What looks like a simple parable becomes a mirror recalibrating our definition of what a neighbor really is and exposing the places where our hearts might be missing the mark.

“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭25‬ ‭(NIV‬‬)

While this might have sounded like a simple, innocent question on the surface, it really wasn’t.

This man wasn’t asking because he genuinely wanted to learn. He was being slick. A little sarcastic. His whole motive was to test Jesus.

In other words… really he tried it.

But Jesus wasn’t about to get caught up in the trap. Instead of falling for the setup, He flipped the whole moment and turned it into a lesson that exposed the man’s heart. And just like that, the conversation went from a question to a mirror.

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭26‬ (‭NIV‬‬)

Since this man was the so-called “expert,” Jesus didn’t just ask him to repeat what the Scripture said. He challenged how he understood it.

How are you reading it?

Jesus always knows the motives of the heart. And if we’re honest, that same issue still shows up today. There are still people trying to measure who does and doesn’t deserve grace, drawing lines and deciding who’s worthy of mercy and who isn’t.

But many times the problem isn’t the Word. It’s how we’re reading it.

Saved, sanctified, and church-raised… and yet sometimes we can become the biggest obstacle to the very people we’re called to love.

"We sometimes hold our families to standards we don’t consistently hold ourselves to.” —MGLewisJr

(It’s okay to say “ouch.” Let that sit for a second.)

At some point we have to stop filtering Scripture through our own opinions, experiences, and preferences. Because as our “expert” friend quietly demonstrates, you can’t really live out the Word if you’re constantly trying to place yourself at the center of it.

“Real transformation happens when we stop trying to read ourselves into the text…and finally allow the text to read us.” —MGLewisJr

The expert answers correctly: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭27‬ (‭NIV)‬‬

But here’s the catch: your heart, soul, strength, and mind are constantly under attack. You have to bring them to God daily because you cannot love others well if you secretly despise yourself.

“If you don’t love yourself properly, you can’t love others properly.” —MGLewisJr

You can’t talk about love without addressing the "you" in the mirror. You have to become whole if you’re going to love whole. Maybe the reason you can’t fall into alignment with your assignment is that you haven't resolved how you really feel about yourself yet. You simply cannot give what you do not possess.

“Wholesome wholeness produces real love.” —MGLewisJr

Bottom line: Heal first, love yourself rightly, and then you can truly love your neighbor.

So our expert in the law quotes Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 as a flex. But knowing Scripture is not the same as living it. Dysfunction will have you seeking the benefits of a Word you aren't actually walking in.

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” Luke 10:28 (NIV)

The takeaway? Just do the Word.

“But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” Luke 10:29 (NIV)

“Justification is the language of a defensive heart.” —MGLewisJr

This man wasn’t seeking understanding; he was trying to limit his own responsibility. He wanted justification for not living what he read. Whenever someone wants to justify themselves, they start narrowing the definition of obedience. But Jesus clocked it, and once again, had something for him.

In classic fashion, Jesus tells a parable.

• Sometimes parables are to teach, and other times they are to expose the matters of the heart.

  
  

• This instance was the latter. The setup was perfect and the mirror was about to be held up.

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭30‬ (‭NIV‬‬)

Notice the attack came while he was on his way. The enemy doesn't fight people who aren't going anywhere. An attack is often a sign of your momentum.

Speaking of movement you can’t go anywhere while holding on to what happened to you.

“Let go so we can go” —MGLewisJr

Love creates mobility where the engine has stalled. When you lack real love, you can’t "crank over" and move beyond the last time you were hurt.

“Time isn't the only thing that heals, decisions do too.” —MGLewisJr

“You can’t help what happened to you, but you can help how you heal from it.” —MGLewisJr

Interestingly, the text doesn’t just describe the attack it classifies the attackers. As Apostle opened this up, you could feel the room lean in.

Robbers don’t attack people who don’t have anything of value.

In other words, the enemy doesn’t waste energy on what has no worth. Sometimes when life feels like it’s coming at you from every direction, it’s not random. It’s the enemy trying to interrupt you while you’re on your way somewhere.

But the text says they didn’t just rob the man. They stripped him. That’s how the enemy works. He doesn’t just want to take things from you he wants to leave you exposed in shame, guilt, and regret.

Yet the Gospel gives us a different verdict. As Paul reminds us:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” - Romans 8:1

So even if you feel like life has left you exposed, remember this: you are still in Christ, and He covers what the enemy tried to uncover.

The man was left half dead. And as heavy as that sounds, there was still hope because he was still alive. As long as there’s breath in your body, God is not finished with your story.

Then Jesus introduces the priest the one you’d expect to stop. But instead, he sees the man and crosses the street.

*Apostle paused there, and the room felt it.

Because it forces the question: how can we pray for our families, speak in faith, declare blessings… yet see them hurting and still keep walking?

Next comes the Levite (the servant). But he’s so used to following the religious routine that he also walks past the broken man.

And that moment held up a mirror for all of us.

Sometimes the reason our families tune out our “church talk” is because we can get so busy doing ministry in the building that we miss the brokenness sitting right in our own homes. - MGLewisJr

Your first ministry is your family. If you’re "too anointed" to notice your brother or sister is broken, there is a heart issue that needs addressing.

“Holiness without mercy is hypocrisy” - MGLewisJr

The priest and the Levite both saw the man but they kept moving. Let that sit for a second.

Because seeing is not the same as stopping.

“Don’t let your “holiness” get so polished that it blinds you to real brokenness" -MGLewisJr

Then Jesus introduces someone unexpected:”

“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.” - Luke 10:33

Now in that culture, Samaritans were viewed as spiritually compromised. Mixed history. Complicated past. The kind of people the religious system kept at arm’s length.

But as Apostle reminded us, God has always had a pattern.

He often chooses the very people others overlook to demonstrate what real compassion looks like.

“Samaria is proof that God doesn’t avoid those who others reject—He invades.” - MGLewisJr

We see this divine necessity in John 4:

“And he must needs go through Samaria.” John 4:4 (KJV)

Most people avoided Samaria, but Jesus had to go. Why? Because there was a woman at a well, a city ready for revival, and a barrier that needed to be broken. If you feel walked over and unattended to, know that God will come straight through the "Samaria" of your life to find you.

The least likely candidate stepped up where the expected heroes didn't. God will use people with messed up stories to help your brokenness because they have nothing to prove. The Samaritan exemplified the very heart of the Law:

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 (NIV)

“He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.” Luke 10:34 (NIV)

God will often send help from the most unexpected places. The Samaritan took the man to an inn and paid for his stay. Sometimes, helping someone costs you. But the price you pay isn't about you—it’s about stopping someone else’s pain. You see true character by how someone treats those who can never repay them.

“The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’” Luke 10:35 (NIV)

You have a currency called compassion. Use it. Be intentional with how you treat those who are hurting. When you extend compassion to the broken, you’re not just helping them—you’re aligning yourself with the heart of God, who promises to honor every sacrifice made in His name.

“Compassion isn’t just an emotion, it’s an investment.” - MGLewisJr

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:36-37 (NIV)

The issue isn't "who qualifies as my neighbor?" The issue is: Will you become one?

According to Jesus, your neighbor is anyone you encounter who may be broken. This includes your family.

Sometimes family is the most difficult to reach, and it’s easier to minister to strangers. You may have to learn to live with an apology you’ll never receive, but you cannot change your position, your posture, or your response.

Stop screening the deserving and start becoming who God called you to be. The Good Samaritan isn’t just a model for how to treat others; he is the standard for the character we should possess.

So, back to our initial question: Are you a good neighbor?

You don’t have to answer that right now. But you can look at the Samaritan’s example and, from here forward, do what Jesus commanded:

Go and do likewise.