Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.” We’ve all heard the parable of the Good Samaritan many times. So many times, I’m afraid, that after a while Jesus’ true intention behind it gets diluted or forgotten altogether. What seems to often remain is this: the empathetic story of an unlikely savior contrasted with two of society’s elite that just couldn’t be bothered with the plight of one of their own countrymen. A priest and a Levite are the first to pass by the scene; but after each man disregards his moral duty, the Samaritan steps up: he’s a man with little reason to care or incentive to act, and yet he demonstrates a level of kindness for a man who ordinarily wouldn’t have given him the time of day. As you probably know, for religious and ethnic reasons, the Jews and the Samaritans had little to do with one another, but that division is set aside in one man’s hour of need. This is the popular interpretation, and is by no means a
