The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

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St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, Sermon 68 (on Luke 10:25–37) Source: trans. R. Payne Smith, 1859. Public domain. Full text: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_luke_07_sermons_66_80.htm

On the pride behind the lawyer's question:

He does not ask in order that he may learn, but as the Evangelist said, "wishing to justify himself." For observe how from self-love as well as pride he shamelessly called out, "And who is my neighbour?"... He exalts himself therefore, and breathes forth proud things, and boasts himself in vain imaginations.

On how the parable is woven:

Very skilfully therefore does the Saviour of all weave the parable of him who fell into the hands of thieves, saying, that when he was lying half dead, and in the last extremity of evil, a priest passed by, and in like manner a Levite, without feeling towards him any sentiment of humanity, or dropping upon him the oil of compassionate love; but rather, their mind was unsympathizing and cruel towards him. But one of another race, a Samaritan, fulfilled the law of love.

On God who weighs deeds, not professions:

But he learnt of Christ, that as he was destitute of love towards his neighbours, the bare profession only of being learned in the law profited him in no way whatsoever. For God over all looks at works rather, and gives not praise to bare and merely fictitious professions.

On the emptiness of titles without love:

You have seen, O lawyer, and it has been proved by the parable, that it is of no avail whatsoever to any man, to be set up by empty names, and to pride himself upon unmeaning and ridiculous titles, so long as the excellence of deeds does not accompany them. For the dignity of the priesthood is unavailing to its owners, and equally so is the being called learned in the law, to those who are so reputed, unless they excel also in deeds.

On the crown of love, and God who accepts every nation:

For lo! a crown of love is being twined for him who loves his neighbour: and he proves to be a Samaritan. Nor is he rejected on this account: for he who was foremost among the disciples, even the blessed Peter, testified, thus writing, "In truth I perceive that God is not a respecter of persons: but in every nation, whosoever fears Him, and works righteousness, is accepted by Him." For Christ, Who loves our virtues, accepts all who are diligent in good pursuits.

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St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On the surpassing power of love, which would abolish every division among men:

Yet observe how, almost to the same extent of obedience he requires the performance of each command. For of God he says, with all your heart. Of our neighbor, as yourself: Which if it were diligently kept, there would be neither slave nor free man, neither conqueror nor conquered, (or rasher, neither prince nor subject,) rich nor poor, nor would the devil be even known, for the chaff would rather stand the touch of fire than the devil the fervor of love; so surpassing all things is the constancy of love.

On the danger of the unarmed traveller, and the armed malice that waits for him:

First, we must needs pity the ill fortune of the man who fell unarmed and helpless among robbers, and who was so rash and unwise as to choose the road in which he could not escape the attack of robbers. For the unarmed can never escape the armed, the heedless the villain, the unwary the malicious. Since malice is ever armed with guile, fenced round with cruelty, fortified with deceit, and ready for fierce attack.

On the oil and the wine as the blood of the Passion and the chrism:

He poured in wine, that is, the blood of His passion, and oil, that is, the anointing of the chrism, that pardon might be granted by His blood, sanctification be conferred by the chrism. The wounded parts are bound up by the heavenly Physician, and containing a salve within themselves, are by the working of the remedy restored to their former soundness.

On the inn as the Church, the refuge of the weary:

For the Inn is the Church, which receives travelers, who are tired with their journey through the world, and oppressed with the load of their sins; where the wearied traveler casting down the burden of his sins is relieved, and after being refreshed is restored with wholesome food. ... For without is every thing that is conflicting, hurtful and evil, while within the Inn is contained all rest and health.

On showing mercy without dispute, to Jew or Gentile alike:

If you see any one oppressed, say not, Surely he is wicked; but be he Gentile or Jew and need help, dispute not, he has a claim to your assistance, into whatever evil he has fallen.

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St. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335–395)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On the three faculties of the soul, summed up in the great commandment:

Now the soul is divided into three faculties; one merely of growth and vegetation, such as is found in plants; another which relates to the senses, which is preserved in the nature of irrational animals; but the perfect faculty of the soul is that of reason, which is seen in human nature. By saying then the heart, He signified the bodily substance, that is, the vegetative; by the soul the middle, or the sensitive; but by saying the mind, the higher nature, that is, the intellectual or reflective faculty.

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St. Basil the Great (c. 330–379)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On the seed of divine love implanted in our nature:

The love of God cannot be taught. For neither did we learn to rejoice in the presence of light, or to embrace life, or to love our parents and children; much less were we taught the love of God, but a certain seminal principle was implanted in us, which has within itself the cause, that man clings to God; which principle the teaching of the divine commands is wont to cultivate diligently, to foster watchfully, and to carry on to the perfection of divine grace.

On loving God as akin to us and as our greatest benefactor:

If then God is good, but all things desire that good, which is wrought voluntarily, He is by nature inherent in us, and although from His goodness we are far from knowing Him, yet from the very fact that we proceeded forth from Him, we are bound to love Him with exceeding, love, as in truth akin to us; He is likewise also a greater benefactor than all whom by nature we love here.

On the second commandment, which fills up the first:

The love of God then is the first and chief command, but the second, as filling up the first and filled up by it, bids us to love our neighbor. ... For nothing belongs so much to our nature as to communicate with one another, and mutually to need and love our relations. Of those things then of which in the first place He gave us the seed, He afterwards requires the fruits.

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St. Maximus (c. 580–662)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On the threefold love commanded by the Law, against the threefold temptation of the world:

To this end then the law commanded a threefold love to God, that it might pluck us away from the threefold fashion of the world, as touching possessions, glory, and pleasure, wherein also Christ was tempted.

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Theophylact of Ohrid (c. 1055–1107)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On the neighbour defined by shared nature, not by rank:

Now our Savior defines a neighbor not in respect of actions or honor, but of nature; as if He says, Think not that because you are righteous you have no neighbor, for all who partake of the same nature are your neighbors. Be you also their neighbor, not in place, but in affection and solicitude for them.

On the oil and wine as the human and divine natures of the Saviour:

Intercourse with man is the oil, and intercourse with God is the wine which signifies divinity, which no one can endure unmixed unless oil be added, that is, human intercourse. Hence he worked some things humanly, some divinely. He poured then in oil and wine, as having saved us both by His human and His divine nature.

On the beast as the Lord's own body, which receives every nation:

He placed us on His beast, that is, on His body. For He has made us His members, and partakers of His body. ... But now in every nation he that fears the Lord is accepted by Him, who is willing to believe and to become part of the Church.

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Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Questions on the Gospels, II.19; and Exposition on the Psalms Source: St. Augustine, Questions on the Gospels (Quaestiones Evangeliorum), Book II, qu. 19; and Expositions on the Psalms. Public domain.

The allegory of the wounded man (Questions on the Gospels, II.19):

A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho; Adam himself is meant; Jerusalem is the heavenly city of peace, from whose blessedness Adam fell; Jericho means the moon, and signifies our mortality, because it is born, waxes, wanes, and dies. Thieves are the devil and his angels. Who stripped him, namely, of his immortality; and beat him, by persuading him to sin; and left him half-dead, because in so far as man can understand and know God, he lives, but in so far as he is wasted and oppressed by sin, he is dead; he is therefore called half-dead. The priest and the Levite who saw him and passed by, signify the priesthood and ministry of the Old Testament which could profit nothing for salvation. Samaritan means Guardian, and therefore the Lord Himself is signified by this name. The binding of the wounds is the restraint of sin. Oil is the comfort of good hope; wine the exhortation to work with fervent spirit.

The same reading carried to the inn and the two pence (Exposition on the Psalms):

He slighted us not: He healed us, He raised us upon His beast, upon His flesh; He led us to the inn, that is, the Church; He entrusted us to the host, that is, to the apostle; He gave two pence, whereby we might be healed, the love of God, and the love of our neighbour.

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St. Ambrose of Milan (c. 339–397)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On the Samaritan who came down from heaven:

Now this Samaritan was also coming down. For who is he that ascended upon into heaven, but he who came down from heaven, even the Son of Man who is in heaven.

On the neighbour made near by compassion:

Now when He came He was made very near to us by His taking upon Himself our infirmities, He became a neighbor by bestowing compassion.

On the two pence as the two covenants stamped with the image of the King:

But the two pence are the two covenants, which bear stamped on them the image of the eternal King, by the price of which our wounds are healed.

On compassion as the bond of our common nature:

For relationship does not make a neighbor, but compassion, for compassion is according to nature. For nothing is so natural as to assist one who shares our nature.

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St. Gregory the Great (c. 540–604)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On the wine of correction and the oil of mercy, which must be mingled:

In the wine he applies the sharpness of constraint, in the oil the softness of mercy. By wine let the corrupt parts be washed, by oil let the healing parts be assuaged; we must then mix gentleness with severity, and we must so combine the two, that those who are put under us be neither exasperated by our excessive harshness, nor be relaxed by too much kindness.

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Origen (c. 185–254)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On eternal life preached by the Creator in the Law and the Prophets:

From these words it is undoubtingly gathered, that the life which is preached according to God the Creator of the world, and the Scriptures given by Him, is life everlasting. ... For what else did he wish us to do in seeking eternal life, but what is contained in the Law and the Prophets?

On the two pence as the knowledge of the Father and the Son:

The two pence seem to me to be the knowledge of the sacrament, in what manner the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father, which is given as a reward by the Angel to the Church that she may take more diligent care of the man entrusted to her whom in the shortness of the time He Himself had also cured.

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St. Bede the Venerable (c. 673–735)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain.

On the wounds that violate the perfectness of our nature:

But sins are called wounds, because the perfectness of human nature is violated by them. And they departed, not by ceasing to lie in wait, but by hiding the craft of their devices.

On entering the Church through Baptism into Christ's body:

And lightly He brought him placed on His beast, since no one, except he be united to Christ's body by Baptism, shall enter the Church.