The parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke is one of Jesus’ most well-known teachings, yet its depth continues to challenge and surprise. It begins with a lawyer testing Jesus, asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus responds with a question, leading the man to rightly cite the commandments to love God and neighbour. But the man, seeking to justify himself, presses further: “And who is my neighbour?”
Jesus answers not with a direct response, but with a story—a parable that arouses the imagination in unpredictable ways. A man is beaten and left for dead. A priest and a Levite, religious figures expected to help, pass by. Then comes a Samaritan—someone from a group despised by the Jewish audience—who stops, tends to the wounded man, and ensures his care. This Samaritan goes beyond minimal compassion; his response is extravagant, inconvenient, and costly.
Many read this parable as a call to be kind to strangers, but it goes deeper. The Samaritan is more than a secularized saint—he is a symbol of the divine prophet, a Christ-figure who crosses boundaries, bears others’ burdens, and shows mercy when others turn away. In this reading, Jesus is not merely urging moral behaviour; He is revealing the radical nature of divine love—unexpected, boundary-breaking, and deeply personal. The Samaritan’s actions mirror God’s own compassion, which comes to us not because we deserve it, but because of who God is.
This parable also challenges our notions of religious identity and righteousness. The question is not “Who is my neighbour?” but rather, “Will I be a neighbour?” The divine call is not about defining boundaries of love but living love without boundaries.
Ultimately, Jesus says, “Go and do likewise.” This is an invitation not only to imitate the Samaritan, but to recognize the presence of Christ in the most surprising figures. The parable invites us to be open to a love that overturns expectations and reshapes our understanding of God and neighbour.
Fr Stephen Berecz
