The Good Samaritan (But Not the Way You Think)

Jeremy Duncan

Feb 22

Written By Kevin Borst

Sunday, February 22, 2026

Scriptures: Luke 10:25-36

Summary: In the first sermon of our new series, Parables of Grace, Jeremy looks Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan First, Jeremy examines the lawyer who approaches Jesus, showing how Luke portrays the man attempting to politely trap Jesus. Jesus shifts the focus around scripture regarding treating one’s neighbour. Jeremy reframes “eternal life” as the life of the age to come—not just life after death, but the kind of life we can step into right now. He shows how the Jesus upends tribal expectations through the characters of the priest and Levite and the Samaritan. Last, Jeremy posits that the parable leaves behind the question of “Who is my neighbour?” and instead, makes us ask, “Who will I choose to be a neighbour to?”
Lawyers: The religious lawyer who approaches Jesus uses scripture to trap him. Jeremy makes a case that scripture is always interpreted, not simply quoted, and Jesus invites us to reflect on how we read rather than assuming our understanding is neutral or self-evident.
Tests: The lawyer follows up by asking how to inherit “eternal life.” Jeremy argues that “eternal life” could better be understood as participating in the age to come right now. This kind of life is not about earning something later, but embodying God’s intent for human flourishing in the present.
Stories: Jeremy challenges simplistic readings that villainize the priest and Levite and instead highlights how the story exposes tribalism and inherited status. He helps us recognize how easily we internalize boundaries that excuse us from responsibility toward others.
Neighbours: Jeremy argues that Jesus moves the question away from “Who is my neighbour?” and toward, “Who will I choose to be a neighbour to?” J encourages us to expand our sense of shared value and belonging, suggesting that participation in God’s life begins with widening the circle of who we see and treat as worthy of care.
Community is shaped by the conversations we share. These questions and reflections are a tool to help you meaningfully engage with the themes of this week's teaching.
Connect: Connect by sharing about your first encounter the Bible—specifically regarding how you were taught to read it, or how you understood how other people read it. For example, were you told that the Bible was plain and clear, divinely inspired, highly debated, elusive, or ancient and primitive?
Q: How did you first learn how to read and interpret the Bible?
Share: Share your thoughts on Jesus asking the religious lawyer, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” when the man asked him what is needed to inherit eternal life.
Q: What’s important about the fact that Jesus inquired about how the expert in the law interprets the scriptures? And what does this tell you about how Jesus thinks about the scriptures?
Reflect: Reflect on how your own assumptions, experiences, or identities might influence how you interpret Scripture. Feel free to answer one or both of the following questions:
Q: What effect might your “tribe,” class, social status, or other identity markers have on the way you come to scripture?
Q: How does acknowledging interpretation change the way we disagree with one another?
Engage: Engage with the idea of “eternal life” being understood as a reality we get to be a part of on this side of eternity. Jesus replies to the religious lawyer’s clarifying question about inheriting eternal life—especially the part about “loving thy neighbour,” by telling him the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Q: What changes for you if you think about God’s kingdom as not merely being some place we wait for in the afterlife, but something you might participate in today?
Take away: What is your takeaway from the message or today’s conversation?
Prayer from the sermon:
God of grace and peace,
as we begin this season,
we come aware that there is bitterness in us that needs loosening,
assumptions that need softening,
boundaries we have drawn that you never asked for.
So, would you slow us down.
Quiet the noise of our certainty.
Interrupt the stories we tell ourselves about who belongs and who does not.
Give us courage to let your Spirit examine us.
Where we are defensive, make us curious.
Where we are guarded, make us generous.
Where we have limited our love, stretch it wider.
Teach us what it means to live,
not someday,
but here, now,
in the life of your kingdom.
Wake us up to the grace that is already moving toward us,
and the grace you long to move through us.
In the strong name of the risen christ we pray,
Amen.
CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 32
MUSIC Curated by Clint Siebert
Brooke Ligertwood - Ancient Gates
Austin Stone Worship - How Deep The Father's Love For Us
The McClures - Reign Above It All
Royal Anthems - Turn Your Eyes

A PRAYER FOR JUSTICE
Written by Scott Wall
This first Sunday of Lent coincides with Human Trafficking Awareness Day here in Canada — a day our global partner, International Justice Mission, has invited Christian communities to join in prayer and calls for justice.
Which is so appropriate given that Lent is a season when we intentionally look outward and consider the deepest fractures in our world.
A season when we turn inward to consider the ways we may be numb to or disconnected from the sorrow all around us.
So, I invite you join me in a moment of reflection and awareness.
Let us pray.
God of all —
You are the one that the ancient poet said “works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed” (Psa 103:6 NIV11)…and it’s to you we turn.
Together we celebrate the ways that, right now, around the world advocates and officials and lawmakers and front-line workers are courageously giving their energy and tenacity to free others from the grip of injustice, violence, and exploitation.
We ask that you would strengthen their hands and hearts.
We pray that “justice would roll on like a river, (and) righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24)
Together today we acknowledge and repent of the ways we insulate ourselves.
The ways we choose a willful ignorance to the ways that injustice is right here in our communities.
The ways we neglect our vulnerable neighbours.
Even as we pray that “justice would roll on like a river, (and) righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
Together we reflect on the ways you’ve invited us to lend our hands to the work of justice-making.
Some of us do this in our professions — some of us do this in our generosity — some of us do this in our local advocacy — some of us do this by lending our voice and our bodies to the cause of the forgotten ones.
This Lent, open our hearts and our hands to be instruments of your healing and peace.
So that “justice would roll on like a river, (and) righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
Amen.

SERIES BUMPER
Parables of Grace