A lawyer once asked Jesus who was his neighbor, and Jesus told him this
story:—“Once a man went from Jerusalem to Jericho, and on the road he
met a party of thieves. They stripped his clothes from him; they wounded
him, and at last went away, leaving him lying half dead. A little while
after a certain minister passed that way; he saw the man, but he crossed
the street and went on. Then there came a Levite; he stopped and looked
at the poor man, and then he too crossed the street and went on his way.
Then there came a Samaritan; he stopped and looked at the poor man, and
his heart was filled with pity. The man was nothing to him, not even
one of his own nation; but he bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine
on them to soothe the pain; then he lifted the man to his own horse and
took him to a place where he could be cared for. In the morning before he
went on his journey, he took from his pocket some money, and gave it to
the host, and asked him to have the sick man taken care of. If he had to
spend money, when he came that way again he would pay the bill.”
“Now,” said Jesus, “which of these three people do you think treated the
poor man like a neighbor?”
“Why,” said the lawyer, “the one who took care of him.”
“Then,” said Jesus, “see that you follow his example.”
[Illustration: THE GOOD SAMARITAN.—Luke x. 33.]