Luke 10:18-39

¹⁸Jesus replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

¹⁹Yes, I have given you power to tread on snakes and scorpions, and to overcome all the enemy's strength, and nothing will harm you.

²⁰But don't take delight that the spirits do what you tell them—just be glad that your names are written in heaven.”

²¹At that moment Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and said, “I thank you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you hid these things from the wise and clever people and revealed them to children! Yes, Father, you were pleased to do it in this way.

²²My Father has handed over everything to me. No one understands the Son except the Father, and no one understands the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

²³When they were by themselves Jesus turned to the disciples and told them, “Those who see what you're seeing should be really happy!

²⁴I tell you, many prophets and kings have wanted to see what you're seeing, but they didn't see, and wanted to hear the things you're hearing, but didn't hear.”

²⁵Once an expert in religious law stood up and tried to trap Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “What do I have to do to gain eternal life?”

²⁶“What is written in the law? How do you read it?” asked Jesus.

²⁷“You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and your whole spirit, and your whole strength, and your whole mind; and love your neighbor as yourself,” the man replied.

²⁸“You're right,” Jesus told him. “Do this, and you will live.”

²⁹But the man wanted to vindicate himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰Jesus replied, saying, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He was attacked by robbers who stripped him and beat him, and left him for dead.

³¹It so happened that a priest was going the same way. He saw the man, but he passed by on the other side of the road.

³²Then a Levite came along. But when he got to the place and saw the man, he also passed by on the other side.

³³Finally a Samaritan man came along. As he passed by, he saw the man and felt sorry for him.

³⁴He went over and treated the man's wounds with oil and wine, and bandaged them. Then he placed the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn where he took care of him.

³⁵The next day he gave two denarii to the innkeeper and told him, ‘Take care of him, and if you spend more than this, I'll pay you back when I return.’

³⁶Which one of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers?”

³⁷“The one who showed him kindness,” the man replied. “Go and do the same,” Jesus told him.

³⁸While they were on their way, Jesus arrived at a village, and a woman called Martha invited him to her home.

³⁹She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching.