IN THIS FAMILIAR PARABLE, the priest and Levite – both well-versed in the Mosaic law – did not stop to help the injured man. Sadly, we Christians today – called to be a royal priesthood – often behave likewise. We know that God has commanded us to love our neighbour as ourselves, but our knowledge often does not translate into action. Like the priest and Levite, we choose to walk away to avoid personal costs and inconvenience. We quite easily rationalise our omission and produce respectable excuses for our inaction. Ironically, the Samaritan – a man from the people group whom the Jews most despised and hated – stopped and cared for the badly beaten man.¹⁴ The Samaritan had many reasons not to do so, but he chose to show mercy and compassion. His actions wonderfully reflected God’s character.¹⁵ Pastor John Piper highlights Jesus’ use of this parable as a warning to His followers: “[Jesus] warned us that when we hear the commandment ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’, we should not try to justify our lovelessness by narrowing down who the neighbour is”¹⁶. In other words, Jesus shifted the lawyer’s (and our) focus from “Who is my neighbour?” to “Am I a neighbour?” According to theologian Klyne Snodgrass, this parable emphasises that every disciple of Christ is to have mercy, compassion and love toward persons in need, and not set boundaries regarding who we are to help.¹⁷ As we carry out Jesus’ instruction – “You go, and do likewise” – we will show mercy, compassion and love as a neighbour to others and reflect God’s character through our actions as Jesus’ disciples.

¹⁴ Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary of the Bible – ebook (Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 2011), 1012.
¹⁵ Exodus 34:6; Psalms 86:15; 103:8; 145:8.
¹⁶ John Piper, What Jesus Demands from the World (Crossway, 2006), 264.
¹⁷ Klyne R. Snodgrass, Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus, 2nd Edition. (Eerdmans, 2018), 361.