Love without Limits

Luke 10:25–37 ESV

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Subject: What does it mean to be a neighbor?

Complement: Being a neighbor means the believer is willing to extend love and sacrifice toward all, especially those different from us.

Exegetical Idea: Jesus teaches that true neighborly love transcends cultural, social, and religious boundaries and expresses itself through sacrificial action.

Homiletical Idea (Big Idea): We love like Jesus when we love without limits.

Introduction:

In Luke 10, Jesus is approached by a lawyer—an expert in the Law—who stands up to test Him, asking, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answers by pointing him back to Scripture: "What is written in the Law?" The man answers correctly: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind—and love your neighbor as yourself. But then the deeper issue surfaces. Wanting to justify himself, the lawyer asks, "And who is my neighbor?" He wants to know: Where does my responsibility end? Who do I have to love... and who can I avoid?

Tension: We’re good at loving people who are easy to love—family, friends, people who are just like us. But Jesus doesn’t let us off the hook. He tells a story that doesn't just inform us—it exposes us. It forces us to ask: What does real love look like when it’s inconvenient, uncomfortable, and costly?

And hear me today — this message is not just about recognizing neighbors; it's about becoming one.

Transition: Jesus doesn’t waste any time getting to the heart of the matter. He tells a story about a man who’s been beaten, robbed, and left half-dead. But the tragedy isn’t just what happened to the man—it’s what didn’t happen next. People saw him... and passed by. If we’re going to love like Jesus, first, we have to See the Hurt Others Ignore.

See the Hurt Others Ignore (vv.30-32)

Luke 10:30–32 ESV

30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

Jesus says, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers." That road was dangerous, and the man was left half-dead. A priest came by, then a Levite. Two religious leaders—people who knew the Word, who taught the law. And yet they walked on by.

Illustration:

It’s like seeing a car broken down in the rain, and you drive past, thinking, “I’ve got somewhere to be.” The priest and Levite had somewhere to be, but they missed an opportunity to live out what they preached.

Application:

It’s easy to stay comfortable when you don’t look too closely. It's easy to stay undisturbed when you train your heart not to notice. But love that looks the other way isn’t love at all. Real love sees. Real love stops. Real love cares.

The truth is—there may be people all around you right now who are hurting. They’re bleeding emotionally. They’re breaking silently. And the tragedy isn't just their pain—the tragedy is when we, the Church, walk by as if we don’t see.

Let me press you right here: Are you so comfortable that you’ve stopped noticing? Are you so busy that you've turned a blind eye to the brokenness around you?

If you want to love like Jesus, you have to be willing to see like Jesus. You have to be willing to care enough to be inconvenienced.

So here’s the invitation—no, the challenge—for this week: Start every morning with this simple prayer: "Lord, give me eyes to see and a heart to act. Lord, help me notice who needs Your love today through me."

Not just eyes to glance—but eyes to really see. Not just a heart that feels pity—but a heart that moves in compassion. Because when you ask God to open your eyes—He’ll start showing you people you used to overlook. And when He shows you—He’s not just calling you to notice, He’s calling you to do something.

Transition: Seeing the need isn’t enough. Feeling sorry isn’t enough. Jesus says a Samaritan came down that same road—and when he saw the man, he crossed every line that others had drawn. He crossed ethnic lines, religious lines, historical hatred lines—and moved toward the one in need. To love like Jesus, we have to Cross the Lines Others Draw

Cross the Lines Others Draw (v.33)

Luke 10:33 ESV

33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.

That word compassion in Greek is splagchnizomai—it’s gut-level mercy. This Samaritan—a man considered unclean, an outsider—did what the insiders refused to do.

Context Note:

Jews and Samaritans didn’t mix. There was ethnic hatred, religious division, historical resentment. But love crossed the line.

Illustration: If it were a modern story, the Samaritan could be someone from the other side of the political aisle, or a member of a marginalized community we avoid.

Application:

Sometimes without even realizing it, we draw invisible lines around our love. We decide who’s reachable and who’s not. We determine who's worthy of our time and who's not. But the call to love your neighbor doesn't come with fine print or exceptions. Jesus never said, "Love the ones who look like you." He never said, "Serve the ones who vote like you." He simply said, "Love your neighbor." And sometimes, your real neighbor is the one you’re least comfortable loving.

Let me ask you: Who have you silently written off? Who have you pushed to the margins of your heart? Who is God calling you to embrace—even if they're nothing like you?

And hear me: this isn’t just a feeling—it’s a step you’ve got to take. So here's the challenge this week: Make one intentional connection. Step across the line you normally wouldn't cross. Invite a coworker to lunch that you don’t usually speak to. Strike up a real conversation with that neighbor you usually avoid. Support a community cause that doesn't benefit you personally—but advances the Kingdom beyond your comfort zone.

Because when you stretch beyond what's easy, you start living more like Jesus—who didn't just sit with the saints but sought out the sinners. You start loving more like Jesus—who didn’t just dine with the clean but welcomed the broken. You start neighboring the way Heaven intended. And every step you take toward someone else—is a step closer to the heart of God.

John 4:9 ESV

9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

Transition: But it didn’t stop there. The Samaritan didn’t just cross the line, wave, and keep moving. He got involved. He gave his oil. He gave his wine. He gave his own transportation. He gave his own money. Loving his neighbor cost him something. And if we’re going to love like Jesus, we have to be willing to Love Until It Costs You Something.

Give What It Takes to Make It Right (vv.34-35)

34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’

The Samaritan doesn’t just feel compassion—he acts. He bandages the wounds, pours oil and wine, sets the man on his animal, brings him to an inn, and pays for his care. That’s not just kind—it’s costly.

Word Study: “Oil and wine” were ancient medicine—costly to carry. “Two denarii” was two days’ wages. And then he says, "I’ll come back." He commits to follow up.

Application:

Neighboring will cost you. It will cost your time, your energy, and yes, sometimes your resources. It's one thing to say, "I love people" when it's convenient—but true neighboring is tested when it's inconvenient. When you're tired. When your plans get interrupted. It’s in those sacred, unplanned moments that God often does His greatest work—not just through you, but in you.

And here’s the real: You can’t love like Jesus if you’re only living for yourself. You can't be a neighbor from a distance. You can't bind up wounds with your hands in your pockets. Love moves. Love gives. Love gets involved.

So let me press you right here: Don’t just wait for the moment—prepare for the moment. Budget generosity into your life. Build it into your rhythms. Take a portion of what God blesses you with each month and set it aside—not just for tithes and offerings—but for divine opportunities. For that sister who needs groceries. For that brother who needs a bus pass. For that family who needs a meal. Train your heart to say, "Lord, what You give me is never just for me."

When you budget for generosity, you’re not just managing money—you’re managing mercy. You’re setting yourself up to love on purpose. And when the moment comes—you won’t have to check your account or check your heart—you’ll be ready to show up like Jesus showed up for you.

Illustration: Think about the people who invested in you—mentors, family, spiritual leaders. They didn’t just pray from a distance. They showed up. That’s love in action.

Philippians 2:3–4 ESV

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Conclusion:

Jesus ends by asking, "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor?" The lawyer answers, "The one who showed mercy." Jesus responds, "You go, and do likewise."

This is more than a moral lesson. It’s a call to kingdom living. It’s a summons to display the radical, boundary-breaking, burden-carrying love of Christ.

At the heart of Jesus’ teaching on neighboring is not just a call to do better — it’s a call to be different. Because the truth is, none of us naturally love like this. None of us are the Good Samaritan in our own strength. We were the ones lying broken on the side of the road. We were the ones passed by. We were the ones left for dead. And yet Jesus — the ultimate Neighbor — didn’t pass us by. He saw us. He came to us. He lifted us. He loved us at the greatest cost to Himself. He poured out His oil and wine — His blood and His Spirit — to heal us and save us. And now He says, “Freely you have received; freely give.” We love — because He first loved us. We stop — because He stopped for us. We care — because He carried us.

So when we neighbor like this, we’re not just obeying a command — we’re bearing witness to a Savior who crossed every barrier to bring us home.

Hoop Close:

Let me tell you about a Neighbor who didn’t just walk past… but walked with us. There’s a story of a man who fell deep into a ditch. He cried out for help. A politician passed by, made a promise to fix the system—but kept walking. A philosopher passed by, wrote down an explanation of how the man got there—but kept walking. A religious leader passed by, said a prayer from a distance—but kept walking. But then, a stranger—a Good Samaritan—saw him, had compassion on him, got down in the dirt with him, bandaged his wounds, and carried him to safety.

And that, my brothers and sisters, is just a glimpse—because I know a Neighbor even better than that! He saw us wounded—left for dead in sin… but He didn’t cross over to the other side! He crossed the great divide! He stepped down from glory! He came through forty-two generations! He wrapped Himself in flesh! He touched the untouchable! He healed the broken! He comforted the cast down! He embraced the rejected! He lifted the fallen! And when the price was too high for us to pay—He paid it all on Calvary!

Oh, but He didn’t stop there! He poured out His blood like oil… His Spirit like wine… He laid His life down—nobody took it—He laid it down willingly! They stretched Him wide, hung Him high, and He died—but early Sunday morning, He got up with all power in His hands! And before He ascended, He said, “I’m coming back again!” Coming back for the broken… coming back for the wounded… coming back for those He loved!

That’s love without limits! That’s mercy without measure! That’s grace that won’t give up and won’t let go!

So if Christ loved you like that—can't you love your neighbor? If Christ carried you when you couldn't walk—can't you help carry somebody else? If Christ covered you when you were exposed—can't you cover your brother and sister? Go and do likewise! Go and be the hands and feet of Jesus! Go and love with no strings attached! Because if He loved you enough to save you—surely you can love somebody enough to serve them!