life?” Jesus answered: “What is written in the law? how readest thou?” He replied: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”
Jesus said to Him: “Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live.”[1] But the doctor, wishing to justify[2] himself, said: “Who is my neighbour?”
Then Jesus replied with the Parable of the Good Samaritan:
“A certain man[3] went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers [4], who also stripped him; and having wounded him, went away, leaving him half-dead[5]. Now it happened that a certain priest went down the same way, and seeing him passed by. In like manner also a Levite[6], when he was near the place, and saw him, passed by. But a certain Samaritan, being on his journey, came near him, and seeing him, was moved with
- ↑ Thou shalt live. Or obtain eternal life.
- ↑ To justify. Our Lord told him to love his neighbour as himself. “This do, and thou shalt live.” The doctor evidently felt in his own heart that he had not properly and fully practised this command, and therefore he wished to justify himself by saying that it was a disputed point among the Jews as to who was their neighbour.
- ↑ A certain man. Namely a Jew from Jerusalem.
- ↑ Robbers. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho (Fig. 8o; see Map) is a very deserted one, and passes through deep defiles which, to this day, are infested by robbers.
- ↑ Half dead. They surrounded him, took from him all that he had, even his clothes, and because he offered resistance, wounded him so severely that he lay half-dead. He could not stir, and unless help came he must soon die.
- ↑ A priest and a Levite. A Jewish priest, followed by his assistant, a Levite (Old Test. XXXIX). These two were returning from Jerusalem, where they had accomplished the time assigned to them for serving in the Temple, and were now on their way back to Jericho, of which town they were inhabitants. The poor despoiled man lay on the road, the blood pouring from his many wounds. He had become so weak that he could not even cry out for help; but when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, which told him that help was at hand, hope revived in his heart. The priest heard the poor man's groans, and saw his bleeding condition, but he who was but just returning from the service of the merciful God had no compassion for this poor, dying man, and went on his way. The Levite too, in his turn, passed by, unmoved. Both of them knew and preached the divine law: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself’, but neither of them practised what they taught, or showed love towards their fellow-countryman and fellow' believer. The poor, wounded man had well-nigh given up all hope, when the Good Samaritan rode up.
