The God Impulse By Jack AlexanderSample

Day Two

The Path of Mercy

Scripture: Luke 10:25–37

In Jesus’s parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 we find the sacrificial love that Jesus asks of each of us. In that parable, Jesus reveals a four-step pattern of love: 

1. See: The disposition of our hearts toward mercy. The Good Samaritan saw and “felt” mercy for the beaten enemy.

2. Go: Getting close enough to others to discover their needs. The Good Samaritan went to the beaten man in blessing and reconciliation.

3. Do: Courageously displacing ourselves in service. The Good Samaritan did what was just and right for the man.

4. Endure: The discipline of mercy keeps us engaged. The Good Samaritan was faithful, as he promised to return.

The first step—to see and feel—is the God Impulse. God’s first impulse toward his fallen creation was mercy (see Ephesians 2:4–5). Jesus said our first impulse toward our enemy should be mercy (see Luke 10:37). When we take this first, often difficult step, the ligaments between us, God, and our neighbors begin to reattach. 

This personal pattern of love that the Samaritan built for his wounded enemy is what we are calling a “bridge.” This bridge of care, service, and resource brought the man from the brink of death to life. The Samaritan’s promise to return confirms that this was more than a one-time “transactional” deed. And so when we seek to imitate God and show his mercy and truth to the world, we must try to look at God’s creation as God does—with overwhelming love and a willingness to bridge others as God has bridged us through Christ and the Holy Spirit.

The God Impulse is meant to be the lens through which we see people and life—the impulse to move toward a hurting world in compassion and love. The God Impulse first asks what we can give to people, not what we can get. Instead of trying to figure out how we can make people a positive part of our story, the God Impulse asks the question, “What is their story?” 

We can be relational, merciful, and faithful to God’s truth. It’s through this four- fold path of mercy that we can show the world the heart of God. 

Consider a person in your life who you find difficult to love. What would it look like to act out this four-fold path of mercy toward that person this week?