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The Good Samaritan: Minnesota, Mercy, and Being a Neighbor

bible.fortt.com In this episode of Character Study, Jon Fortt and pastor David Tieche take up one of Jesus’ most famous—and most misunderstood—parables: the Good Samaritan. Jon frames the conversation around the word neighbor and why it has such sharp relevance today, especially amid modern debates about law, borders, responsibility, and who deserves care. He’s clear that the goal isn’t political positioning but faithful application: Jesus tells this story not to clarify opinions, but to confront hearts. David situates the parable historically and theologically, beginning with the “expert in the law” who tests Jesus. He points out that the question “Who is my neighbor?” isn’t innocent curiosity; it’s an attempt to limit obligation. David emphasizes that the lawyer already knows the right answer—love God and love your neighbor—but wants boundaries on how far that love must go. Jesus responds by telling a story that dissolves those boundaries entirely. As they walk through the parable, Jon highlights Jesus’ storytelling genius. The wounded man is anonymous—no backstory, no explanation, just human need. He’s “a situation,” not a character, stripping listeners of excuses to judge or disengage. David explains why the priest and Levite matter: these are religious professionals whose identities are built around faithfulness, yet they pass by. Their failure isn’t cruelty but avoidance—seeing suffering and choosing distance. The Samaritan, by contrast, is a shock to Jesus’ original audience. David unpacks the deep religious, ethnic, and historical hostility between Jews and Samaritans, making clear that this is not just an unlikely hero but a despised outsider. Jon draws modern parallels, suggesting that the Samaritan is meant to represent the kind of person religious insiders instinctively exclude. At the heart of the story is compassion. David lingers on the Greek word often translated “moved with compassion,” describing it as a gut-level response that leads inevitably to action. Jon presses the point: this isn’t pity that feels sad and walks away; it’s compassion that moves. The Samaritan doesn’t do the minimum—he risks himself, spends his money, stays involved, and even promises future care. Jon jokingly calls him the opposite of the “good enough Samaritan”—he goes too far. David connects this excess to God’s covenant love, which never stops halfway. God doesn’t rescue and abandon; He stays, guides, provides, and bears cost. The Samaritan, shockingly, mirrors God’s own character. Both note how Jesus ends the story with a reversal: the question is no longer “Who counts as my neighbor?” but “Who acted like one?” The episode closes on a sober challenge. Loving your neighbor isn’t about feelings, proximity, or identity; it’s about action. It requires seeing, moving, and bringing healing—and it will be inconvenient, risky, and costly. As David puts it, Jesus is asking whether the love of God is actually alive in us. And as Jon underscores, every encounter with human need forces the same question: will we pass by, or will we stop? “Go and do likewise.”