One day, a man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” To answer this question, Jesus told a story. A man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers. They beat him, took his clothes, and left him lying on the road, half dead.
By chance, a priest was going down the same road. When he saw the injured man, he crossed to the other side and kept going. Later, a Levite, who also served in the temple, came to the place. He looked at the man and passed by on the other side as well.
But then a Samaritan, who was considered an outsider by the Jews, came along. When he saw the man, he felt compassion. He went over to him, bandaged his wounds, and poured oil and wine on them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day, the Samaritan gave the innkeeper some money and said, “Take care of him. If you spend more, I will repay you when I return.”
Jesus then asked, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked?” The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” This story teaches us that true neighbors are those who show kindness and compassion, no matter who they are or where they come from.