Luke 10:25-36 Meaning: Who Is My Neighbor?
25Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”
27He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
28He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.”
29But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
30Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion,
34came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’
36Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?”
25And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
25And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial of him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26And he said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.
28And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29But he, desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?
30Jesus made answer and said, A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31And by chance a certain priest was going down that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32And in like manner a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion,
34and came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on them oil and wine; and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35And on the morrow he took out two shillings, and gave them to the host, and said, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, I, when I come back again, will repay thee.
36Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved neighbor unto him that fell among the robbers?
25And lo, a certain lawyer stood up, trying him, and saying, `Teacher, what having done, life age-during shall I inherit?'
26And he said unto him, `In the law what hath been written? how dost thou read?'
27And he answering said, `Thou shalt love the Lord thy God out of all thy heart, and out of all thy soul, and out of all thy strength, and out of all thy understanding, and thy neighbour as thyself.'
28And he said to him, `Rightly thou didst answer; this do, and thou shalt live.'
29And he, willing to declare himself righteous, said unto Jesus, `And who is my neighbour?'
30and Jesus having taken up the word , said, `A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and having stripped him and inflicted blows, they went away, leaving him half dead.
31`And by a coincidence a certain priest was going down in that way, and having seen him, he passed over on the opposite side;
32and in like manner also, a Levite, having been about the place, having come and seen, passed over on the opposite side.
33`But a certain Samaritan, journeying, came along him, and having seen him, he was moved with compassion,
34and having come near, he bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine, and having lifted him up on his own beast, he brought him to an inn, and was careful of him;
35and on the morrow, going forth, taking out two denaries, he gave to the innkeeper, and said to him, Be careful of him, and whatever thou mayest spend more, I, in my coming again, will give back to thee.
36`Who, then, of these three, seemeth to thee to have become neighbour of him who fell among the robbers?'
25And behold, a certain lawyer stood up tempting him, and saying, Teacher, having done what, shall I inherit life eternal?
26And he said to him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27But he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thine understanding; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28And he said to him, Thou hast answered right: this do and thou shalt live.
29But he, desirous of justifying himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30And Jesus replying said, A certain man descended from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into [the hands of] robbers, who also, having stripped him and inflicted wounds, went away leaving him in a half-dead state.
31And a certain priest happened to go down that way, and seeing him, passed on on the opposite side;
32and in like manner also a Levite, being at the spot, came and looked [at him] and passed on on the opposite side.
33But a certain Samaritan journeying came to him, and seeing [him], was moved with compassion,
34and came up [to him] and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine; and having put him on his own beast, took him to [the] inn and took care of him.
35And on the morrow [as he left], taking out two denarii he gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, Take care of him, and whatsoever thou shalt expend more, I will render to thee on my coming back.
36Which [now] of these three seems to thee to have been neighbour of him who fell into [the hands of] the robbers?
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus answers the lawyer's question 'Who is my neighbor?' with a parable that turns the question upside down. See what it means to love your neighbor.
Context
Luke 10 begins with Jesus sending out seventy-two disciples to prepare towns for his visit. They return rejoicing. Then a lawyer stands up. He is an expert in the law of Moses, and he wants to test Jesus. His question sounds sincere: what must I do to inherit eternal life? But his motive is to see if Jesus will contradict the Scriptures. Jesus turns the test back on him, sending him to the law itself. The lawyer answers correctly: love God completely, and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus agrees: do this and you will live. But the lawyer, wanting to show he has kept this command, asks a question that limits the command: who is my neighbor? Jesus answers with a story that shatters every limit. He shows that neighbor is not a category we define. Neighbor is anyone whose need we see.
Key Words
Three Greek words open up this passage. First, the lawyer asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. The word for inherit (klēronomeō) pictures a son receiving the family legacy. It is a gift, not a wage you earn. Yet the lawyer treats it as something he must accomplish. He wants to earn what can only be received.
Second, the command to love uses the verb agapaō. This is not a warm feeling or a passing emotion. It is a deliberate choice to seek the good of another, even when it costs you. The Samaritan in the story shows exactly this kind of love.
Third, the word neighbor (plēsion) literally means the one who is near. The lawyer wanted a definition that let him exclude people. Jesus took that word and turned it into an action: the one who shows mercy becomes the neighbor.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians in different traditions have all found deep truth in this passage. Those in the Reformed tradition often emphasize that the parable exposes our inability to keep the law perfectly, pointing us to Christ who is the true neighbor to us. Catholic and Orthodox traditions stress the call to active mercy as an essential part of faith, not an optional extra. Evangelicals frequently focus on the radical inclusion of the Samaritan: the one we despise may be the one who shows us what love looks like. Anabaptist readings highlight the costly, personal care that Jesus commands. All agree on one thing: the parable leaves no room for us to draw lines around our love.
A common misunderstanding
Some treat this parable as a simple moral lesson: be kind to strangers. In fact, the parable is set within a conversation about eternal life. The lawyer wants to justify himself by limiting love. Jesus does not give him a wider category of people to love. He shows him that the real question is not who counts as your neighbor, but whether you will become a neighbor to the person right in front of you. That changes everything.
Living This Out
This week, you will see someone in need. Maybe it is a coworker who is overwhelmed. Maybe it is a stranger on the street. Your first instinct may be to decide whether they deserve your help. Jesus invites you to set aside that calculation. Instead, ask: what would it look like for me to become a neighbor to this person? It might mean stopping your busy schedule. It might mean spending time or money. It will almost certainly cost you something. But that is what love looks like when it walks down the road.
Main takeaway: Your neighbor is not someone to define; your neighbor is anyone whose need you are in a position to meet with the mercy God has shown you.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
The good Samaritan saw a hurt man and helped him. He did not walk away. Jesus wants us to help people who need us, even if they are different from us.
For ages 9, 12
A lawyer tried to test Jesus by asking who he had to love. Jesus told a story about a man robbed and left hurt. A priest and a Levite passed by, but a Samaritan stopped and took care of him. Samaritans and Jews did not like each other. Jesus said the one who showed mercy was the true neighbor. Your neighbor is anyone who needs you.
Questions People Ask
What does 'inherit eternal life' mean in Luke 10:25?
The lawyer uses a phrase that sounds like a gift: you inherit something, you do not earn it. Christians across traditions understand eternal life as a gift from God through faith, but the lawyer treats it as something to achieve by doing. Jesus meets him on his own terms and then shows how impossible it is to love perfectly.
Why did the priest and the Levite pass by the wounded man?
The commentators note that the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was dangerous and known for robberies. The priest and Levite may have feared ritual defilement, or they may simply have been unwilling to get involved. The parable does not give their reasons. It only highlights their failure to show mercy.
Why is the Samaritan the hero of the story?
Jews and Samaritans had a deep ethnic and religious hostility. By making a Samaritan the one who shows compassion, Jesus shocks his hearers. He says that the person you least expect may be the one who truly obeys God's command to love.
Does Jesus teach that we are saved by good works in this passage?
This question has been debated across traditions. Jesus says 'Do this and you will live.' The lawyer's question was about inheriting eternal life. Some Christians see the law as a mirror that shows our failure and drives us to grace. Others see the passage as a call to active love as the fruit of faith. All agree that love for God and neighbor is the heart of God's command.
What is the one thing Jesus wants us to learn from the Good Samaritan?
That the question 'Who is my neighbor?' is the wrong question. The right question is 'Will I be a neighbor to the person in need?' Love does not draw boundaries. It crosses the road and gets involved, even at personal cost.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study