NOTES for Luk 10:25-37
The parable of the Good Samaritan is usually read as a story about how we should treat those who need our help. It follows, then, that a neighbor is the one who has come into our field of vision with his problems. Yet Jesus puts the question somewhat differently, saying, "Who was a neighbor to the man who fell among robbers?" They answer Him, "The one who showed him mercy," that is, the one who was able to come to his aid at the needed moment, who shared his burdens and gave his time. It is interesting that the Savior sees this story not from the side of the good passerby, who actively shows himself when he encounters misfortune, but from the side of the victim, passively receiving care from the first person who happens along.
We rarely allow that we are weak and helpless; it is far more natural for us to see ourselves on horseback and fully armed. Against this background, how expressive is the example of our Lord's amazing humility.