In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coinsand gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
The power of the parable depends on the lawyer's - and our own - disdain for the other: Samaritan, Muslim, Catholic, liberal, conservative or whatever.
Jesus can make a sacrament even of our bigotry.
Again, Jesus does not deny the difference. The priest is different from the Levite and both are very different from the Samaritan.
Two do not recognize their neighbor and do not love their neighbor. The Samaritan - despite his religious affronts and error - personifies what the second great commandment means.
Love God. Love neighbor. "On these two commandments depend all the laws and the prophets." (Matthew 22)
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