At that, Jesus’ inquirer asked: “Who really is my neighbor?” Instead of answering directly, Jesus told an illustrative story about a Jewish man who had been robbed, beaten, and left half dead. Along came two Jews​—first a priest and then a Levite. Both of them observed their fellow Jew’s condition but did nothing to help him. A Samaritan came by next. Moved with pity, he dressed the wounds of the injured Jew, took him to an inn, and provided for his further care.

Jesus asked his inquirer: “Who of these three seems to you to have made himself neighbor to the man that fell among the robbers?” Clearly, it was the merciful Samaritan. Jesus thus showed that true neighbor love transcends ethnic barriers.​—Luke 10:29

Jesus’ Fine Example

First-century Jews had strong feelings against the Samaritans, a people living in an area between Judea and Galilee. On one occasion Jewish opposers contemptuously asked Jesus: “Do we not rightly say, You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” (John 8:48) So strong was anti-Samaritan sentiment that some Jews even cursed Samaritans publicly in the synagogues and prayed daily that the Samaritans would not be granted everlasting life.

Knowledge of this deep-seated hatred doubtless prompted Jesus to give the illustration about the Samaritan who proved himself to be a real neighbor by taking care of the Jewish man beaten by robbers. How might Jesus have answered when the Jewish man versed in the Mosaic Law asked: “Who really is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29) Well, Jesus could have replied directly by saying: ‘Your neighbor includes not only your fellow Jew but also other people, even a Samaritan.’ Jews would, however, have found it difficult to accept that. So he related the illustration about a Jew who received a Samaritan’s mercy. Jesus thus helped Jewish listeners to draw the conclusion that true neighbor love would extend to non-Jews.