Jesus illustrates this in Matthew 8:3. Leprosy was the most feared disease in New Testament culture. Lepers were required to live outside the city and cry out “Unclean! Unclean!” whenever anyone approached them, so that no one else would be infected or made unclean. Yet Jesus showed such compassion to one leper who asked to be made clean; He reached out His hand and touched him. We know Jesus could heal simply by speaking words, but by deliberately touching this man, He was setting an example for us. We must be willing to make personal touches which can change a life, even when it’s messy or difficult.

4. Giving up own comfort for others:The Samaritan was on a journey, with an intended destination. He put the man on his own beast, willing to give up his own comfort, and changed his plans to meet the need at hand.

Jesus also gave up His comfortable place in heaven, laying aside His glory to bring salvation to us (Philippians 2:1-11). We are called to imitate His attitude. Whether it’s giving up our worldly comforts, or stepping outside of our comfort zone, a gospel-centered good Samaritan is willing to suffer for the sake of proclaiming Christ.

The apostle Paul is a wonderful example of a man willing to give up all worldly comforts in order to spread the gospel. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, he describes the relationship between affliction and comfort, explaining that God expects us to leverage our uncomfortable experiences to bring comfort to others. Paul experienced burdens so harsh that he despaired of life! Yet he used those experiences to comfort and serve the people to whom he was sent to share the gospel. He gave up a comfortable life as an honored Pharisee, trading his position of earthly success for a life spent traveling, tent-making, and preaching. He did what was necessary to care for those who needed to hear about Christ.

5. Give generously: In Philippians 4:15-19 Apostle Paul is reminding us a very important Biblical lesson of sharing our earthly blessings to meet others’ needs. Remember as a Christian, you are not supposed to keep on focusing and increasing your earthly possessions, instead the Bible teaches to share it to meet others needs and your needs will be taken care of by your father in heaven at the right time.

When the Samaritan arrived at the inn, he opened his wallet and covered the expense of the man’s room and board, as well as his own extra expenses incurred by a detour in his journey. He himself took care of the man – bathing and bandaging his wounds, getting food for him to eat, and settling him into a bed to rest. Not only did he pay for the current expenses, but he reached deeper into his pocket and paid for the future care of the man, committing to whatever expense might be incurred until the man was back on his feet. The Samaritan shared what he had. He gave his best. He was willing to invest his own resources to meet the needs.

6. Involve others: Samaritan recognized that he could not care for the injured man by himself. He had to continue his journey. He did what was right at the time, meeting the immediate needs of the man, but also gave thought to what would happen to the man after he left. He recruited the help of the innkeeper. He wisely involved others.

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 reminds us that as Christ-followers, we are dependent upon one another. Even though we are one through the Spirit of God who indwells us, we possess different gifts, abilities, talents, and passions. God uses each one of us in different ways, to accomplish His kingdom purposes, and to grow each of us into spiritual maturity. Just as the Samaritan was wise enough to recruit the gifts and resources of the innkeeper to continue the ministry of meeting needs in the injured man’s life, so we are to involve others as we learn to pray for, serve, and share Christ.

7. Showing Mercy: In Matthew 5:7, Jesus is teaching about how important it is to be merciful in our walk of life. We receive mercy when we ourselves are merciful (Matthew 5:7). The most merciful thing we can do is be willing to speak the eternal, powerful, life-giving words of the gospel into the hearts and lives of those in spiritual need. As we show mercy in our conversations, our actions, and our deeds, we will present a true picture of God’s love for the unbeliever.

If we can summarize all deeds of the Samaritan into a single word, that word is “mercy”… Mercy is showing kindness and favor when it is not earned or deserved. Mercy is given as a gift. It is not giving someone what they may deserve, or what we feel is their “due.” To show mercy is to act in compassion, putting the needs of someone else ahead of our own.