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25 The Greatest Commandment.[a]And behold, a lawyer came forward to test Jesus by asking, “Teacher, what must I do to gain eternal life?” 26 Jesus said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 Jesus then said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.”

29 The Parable of the Good Samaritan. But because the man wished to justify himself, he asked, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down[b] from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him and beat him, and then went off leaving him half-dead. 31 A priest happened to be traveling along that same road, but when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 A Levite[c] likewise came to that spot and saw him, but he too passed by on the other side.

33 “But a Samaritan who was traveling along that road came upon him, and when he saw him he was moved with compassion. 34 He went up to him and bandaged his wounds after having poured oil and wine on them. Then he brought him upon his own animal to an inn and looked after him.

35 “The next day, he took out two denarii[d] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Look after him, and when I return I will repay you for anything more you might spend.’

36 “Which of those three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 He answered, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”[e]

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 10:25 Jesus gives pride of place in his teaching to the commandment of love, which sums up the entire Law (see Mt 22:40); but love of God and love of neighbor are henceforth joined inseparably.
  2. Luke 10:30 Going down: Jericho lies in the deepest depression on earth, at 800 feet below sea level.
  3. Luke 10:32 Levite: a minister of the temple.
  4. Luke 10:35 Denarii: plural for denarius, a laborer’s daily wage.
  5. Luke 10:37 The scribe had asked who was his neighbor. Jesus responds with the example of the Samaritan who, without regard for national rancors and religious disputes, recognizes the neighbor in an unknown person who is in need of help. Hence, the person who loves will know immediately how to individualize who his neighbor is. It is not necessarily—as the Jews thought—a person of the same nation, race, or religion.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan(A)

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”(B)

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a];(C) and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b](D)

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”(E)

29 But he wanted to justify himself,(F) so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.(G) 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan,(H) as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 10:27 Deut. 6:5
  2. Luke 10:27 Lev. 19:18
  3. Luke 10:35 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see Matt. 20:2).