Luke 10:36-37 NKJV
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. Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
A lawyer came to Jesus with questions about eternal life. Jesus asked him what he saw in the Torah (also called the Law). The lawyer referred to the passage which instructed him to love God with all his heart, soul, strength and mind and his neighbor as himself. Jesus told him to follow it and he would live. The man asked "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus proceeded to tell him a story about a man who was attacked by thieves and beaten up as he was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. A priest and a Levite passed him by without helping him. Finally, a Samaritan saw the wounded man and administered first aid. He then proceeded to take the man to an innkeeper so he could rest and recover. He paid the expenses and told the innkeeper if he spent any more money helping the man, he would reimburse him when we was on his way back. Then Jesus asked the lawyer who was a neighbor to the wounded man. The lawyer said it was the one who showed mercy to the man. Jesus told him to conduct himself like the Samaritan. To me, he was saying, "Quit trying to figure out who your neighbor is that you are required to love as yourself, and be the kind of neighbor that would qualify." The Lord wanted him to have a disposition of unselfishness, showing mercy to those in need. That is a good lesson for us on the kind of attitude we should have toward others.
