Possibly, the love story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37 has its antecedent in 2 Chronicles 28:14-15. There, the troops of the northern kingdom, which will become Samaria, bandaged and returned the injured southern kingdom troops to Jericho. Was this incident in the mind of Jesus when he spoke to the expert in the law?

For Jesus, love stops.
Notwithstanding the Samaritan’s intentions and focus, when he saw the injured man he stopped. The needs of his neighbour, whom God put in his path, overrode his own business.

For Jesus, love risks.
The violent thieves could still have been close by when the Samaritan went over to the injured man. If they assaulted and robbed one man, why wouldn’t they do it again? He put his security at risk.

For Jesus, love acts.
The Samaritan bandaged the man’s wounds, poured oil on them and placed him on his donkey. Such practical action, responding to the person’s plight, lay at the centre of his love.

For Jesus, love is characterised by generosity.
The settling of the injured man into the inn and the advance payment for his care reflects thoughtfulness, experience and great generosity.

For Jesus, love follows through.
The Samaritan was planning to return. For him, his actions on the road required a determination to complete what he started, as best he could. He had assumed a responsibility that needed to be fulfilled.

It is good for us to see how Jesus, in his ministry, displayed the type of love necessary for us to contemplate on our own living and loving and assess how much we reflect it.