The parable of the Good Samaritan is big. So many things happening here for sure. Let me point out a couple.

The point of the parable is to ask, “who is most neighborly?” So, who is? Obviously the one who takes on the man’s burden and helps him out. This is interesting and significant. The question, “who is my neighbor?” is meant to define it from a location point of view. Jesus answers it from the point of view of relation – the neighborly one is the neighbor (no matter of race, gender etc makes one not our neighbor). However, the idea is ultimately, are YOU neighborly? We are to be this scandalous with our grace, love and help. Are we?

Another point is that the Jews and Samaritans HATED each other. The Jews felt the Samaritans were half-breeds and Samaritans fought and robbed the Jews when they had a chance. This parable would have been hard to hear for sure – the half-breed (muggle for the HP fans) wins the story. He is more of a follower than the Jews. May this never be for us!