The Last Person You’d Expect

Luke 10:33–35

“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.
He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.
Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.
The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper.
‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’”
—Luke 10:33–35

Attention: The Most Generous Gift

French philosopher and activist Simone Weil once said,
“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.”

Isn’t that true?

Your most precious resource isn’t time. It’s not money. It’s not even energy.
Your most precious resource is attention.

We can’t always control our circumstances. But we can choose where we direct our focus—what we give our attention to. And that attention shapes everything: our relationships, our priorities, our peace (or lack of it).

In this story Jesus tells, we see someone give the kind of undivided, inconvenient, generous attention that changes everything. The Samaritan doesn’t just notice the man in the ditch—he sees him. He stops. He cares. It's a radical act of attention.

Unlikely Heroes

And here’s the kicker: the most surprising part of the story is who stops. It’s the Samaritan. That would’ve been shocking to Jesus’ original audience.

In their minds, Samaritans were heretics, outsiders—the last people you’d expect to be the hero. It would be like telling a crowd at a political rally that the hero of the story is a “Good Democrat” in a room full of Republicans—or a “Good Republican” in a room full of Democrats.

Jesus intentionally makes “the other” the one who shows compassion.

The lawyer asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
And Jesus responds with a story that flips the question on its head. It’s not about who deserves your love, it’s about how you choose to love.

When Jesus finishes the story, he asks, “Who was a neighbor to the man in the ditch?”
And the lawyer can’t even say the word Samaritan.
He just mutters, “The one who showed him mercy.” Five words, when one would’ve done.

Hidden Influences

This story reminds me of something we often forget: the most powerful, world-changing influences are often the people behind the scenes—those who pay attention.

Everyone knows the name Martin Luther King Jr.
But few people know the name Alberta Christine Williams King—his mother.

If you visit his childhood home in Atlanta, you'll hear stories about MLK and his father, Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. But that house? It belonged to Alberta first. She grew up there. She gave birth to her children upstairs. She poured her life into them.

Alberta was an activist, a teacher, a woman of faith. She was not allowed to teach once she married—so she turned all her strength and spirit toward raising her children. Tragically, she was shot in the back while playing the organ at church.

We remember MLK.
We remember Billy Graham.
But we rarely remember the quiet, faithful people behind them.

People like Alberta. People like the Samaritan.
People like you.

Real Compassion in a Curated World

In today’s world, compassion is often curated online. We post outrage. We perform caring.

But Jesus isn’t asking us to perform.
Jesus is asking us to see.
To stop.
To act.
To give our attention—not to every injustice on the planet—but to the person God has placed right in front of us.

Here’s the truth:
You don’t have to fix everything.
You only have so much water in your bucket. If you try to fight every fire, you’ll burn out.

Even Jesus didn’t heal everyone before he ascended into heaven.

So, what do you do?

You ask:

• What’s mine to do?

• What’s mine to say?

• What’s mine to care about?

“Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.”

That’s enough.

Final Thought

You don’t have to become the next Martin Luther King Jr.
You don’t have to be the next Billy Graham.

You just need to be someone who stops.
Someone who pays attention.
Someone who sees.

Because attention really is the rarest and purest form of generosity.

Closing Prayer

God of mercy,
You’ve been so merciful to us.
When we were at our worst, You came to our rescue.

Help us to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with You.
May we not pass by,
May we stop.
May we love.

Thank You for stepping into the ditch with us, and into this world, to bring us back to You.
Amen.