In this sermon, we looked at how the Church is called to be a light in the midst of suffering. In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus uses a parable to illustrate what it means to love your neighbor as yourself. In this parable, a man who was beaten by robbers and left for dead was passed up by two religious leaders. The only person willing to stop and show compassion for the dying man was the most unlikely candidate: a Samaritan. Not only were Samaritans considered to be social outcasts, but this Samaritan man was already in the middle of his own difficult journey. Nevertheless, the Samaritan was willing to set aside his personal agenda, comfort, and resources in order to bridge the gap between death and life for this beaten man. Through the example of the Samaritan’s sacrificial love, we see what it looks like for the Church to be the light of the world in the midst of suffering.
