Loving the Unlovable by Holly D. Sands
What would happen if instead of just passing by strangers, we just stopped to listen to them? Pray with them? Show the love of Christ, instead of deeming them unworthy of our time or care?
The Other Side of the Road.
Jesus told a parable about this very thing in Luke 10:30-37:
“A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
This poor stranger was bloody, naked, and lying in a ditch. The priest didn't want to get involved in this man's life. When he saw him, he avoided him by walking on the other side of the road. Then a Levite came. He didn't just avoid him, he actually came and looked at him - deemed him unworthy of his help - and literally crossed the road to get away from him.
We have all been the priest or the Levite, haven't we? We see someone who is dirty, or begging, or someone we feel is underneath our class and we pretend we don't see them or hear them and cross the road to the other side. Sometimes we even try to ease our conscience and justify our lack of compassion by giving reasons why they don't deserve our help.
Moved to the Core.
Returning to the parable, Jesus describes what happens when a Samaritan sees the poor stranger. Jesus said, "when he saw him, he had compassion". What does that mean? The Greek word for compassion here is "splanchnizomai" and it means to be moved to your core with deep, gut-level compassion. This Samaritan didn't just feel bad for the stranger, it moved him to action. He bandaged the stranger's wounds, put him on his own animal, put him up in an inn and made future provision for him.
Now, if you know anything about the Bible or Jewish customs, you will know that the Jews hated the Samaritans. To a Jew, a Samaritan would be the unlovable one, yet Jesus spoke of him as the most loving.
"So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
You see, the question should not be: "Does that person deserve my love?", but rather "Will I be the one who stops and shows compassion?"
A Man Who Sees People.
I'm married to a man who sees people - who chooses compassion.
My husband has a way with people that I've watched for years now, and it still amazes me. The homeless person, the cashier, our waitress, the person in the drive-thru - all complete strangers. He sees them. It doesn't matter to him who they are or what they look like. He will strike up a conversation and ask, "How can we pray for you?" He will pray for them right on the spot and ask God to intervene in their lives. He will buy them food. He will give them money. This is the way he lives. He cares and they know it.
I watch what happens to people when he does this. They are truly taken aback because they aren't used to somebody just asking about them. What's hurting in their lives? What's the heavy weight they are carrying? And his compassion just melts them. By him turning the spotlight on them it's as if he's saying: "I see you. You're not invisible. Your life matters to God and to me.
Isn't that what every single person truly wants - to be seen, heard, loved, and truly cared for? The poor stranger in the parable wanted it - and needed it. The people in the portraits from the book Theo of Golden wanted it - and needed it. The strangers that we pass in our everyday lives, want it - and need it - even if they'd never say so.
It Starts With Stopping.
Loving the unlovable just requires us to stop. To notice. To ask and to actually listen for the answer. Then allow the Lord's compassion in you to move you into action.
The priest and the Levite were busy people with places to be and it's so easy to be them without ever meaning to. Let us keep in mind that every person that we are tempted to walk past was made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). In the book, Theo of Golden looked at portraits and saw people worth finding. How much more should we, knowing the God who made them?
We Were the One in the Ditch.
Remember, we were once the one in the ditch. Stripped, wounded, dead in our sin, with nothing to offer and no way to save ourselves.
There is a very beautiful verse in Ezekiel 16:6 that show God describing Jerusalem as a newborn thrown out into a field, unwanted and no one to pity her - but God stopped:
"And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, 'Live!'" (Ezekiel 16:6)
This is what God did for us in Christ. He saw us in our blood - helpless and lost, had compassion on us, and paid for our care with His own Son.
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
Once you realize that you are the one who has been picked up out of the ditch, it gets a lot harder to walk past somebody else lying in one.
Go and Do Likewise.
At the end of the parable, Jesus asked the lawyer which of the three was a neighbor to the man in the ditch.
He answered, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37).
So how do we love the unlovable? How do we "go and do likewise"?
- Mercy cannot be limited to those who look, smell, or act like us.
- Love must be demonstrated with real tangible effort.
- True, godly compassion is displayed by a willingness to be inconvenienced. Compassion that costs nothing usually isn't compassion.
So, this week, I want to challenge you to stop for that person you'd normally walk past. Look them in the eye, ask their name, and inquire how you can pray for them, and then actually pray, right there if they'll let you. I've seen it melt more hearts than I can count.
You may never know what that one small question does for that person. Heaven will reveal it all. But, just remember: everyone has a story to tell; you just have to stop long enough to ask for it.
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Holly D. Sands has walked with Christ since 1983. She writes at He is My Song, helping fellow believers walk faithfully through every season with biblical encouragement, sound doctrine, and honest reflection. She lives in South Carolina, where she and her husband, Shane Sands, are members of a local Baptist church. Shane's been called by God as an evangelist and leads United in Christ Jesus ministry. At home, they're joined by their idiot cat, Mister Bojangles, whose main contribution to the household is sleeping and eating treats.
© 2026 He is My Song. All rights reserved.
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