A Question Asked to Find a Limit
An expert in the law asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life. He answers correctly: love God, and love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27). But then, "wanting to justify himself," he asks: "And who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:29). Jesus answers with a story that removes any limit.
The Stranger Who Stopped
A man is beaten and left half dead. A priest passes by. A Levite passes by. Then a Samaritan, a man from a people the original listeners despised, sees him and is "moved with compassion" (Luke 10:33). He bandages the wounds, pays for his lodging, and promises to return.
Go, and Do the Same
Jesus does not answer "who is my neighbor." He asks: "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor?" (Luke 10:36). The question flips from who deserves my love to who I am willing to become for someone else. His final instruction is simple: "Go, and do likewise" (Luke 10:37).