The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: S. Luke
“ He thought,” says Isidore, “ that the neighbour of a righteous man must be righteous, and the neighbour of an exalted man one of high degree. Show me some one so great as to be worthy to be compared with me.”
But the answer of Christ proved the contrary, as is clear from a consideration of the passage. For when this lawyer heard Christ commend the answer he had given, his purpose changed, and his aversion turned into love and reverence for the Lord. Hence he earnestly asked, Who is my neighbour ? that by loving him he might fulfil the law.
Hence, “ willing to justify himself,” means that he wished to show his love for that which was right, that he was anxious out of an awakened conscience to understand and learn the law of God, in order that he might fulfil its precepts. Toletus, Jansenius, and others.
And who is my neighbour? There was much questioning amongst the scribes concerning this, and much error. For because it is written, Lev. xix. 18, “ Thou shalt love thy friend ” (Heb. rea), they inferred the contrary, “ thou shalt hate thy enemy,” i.e. the Gentile, every one not a Jew : an error which Christ corrected, S. Matt v. 43.
Hence the scribes thought that the Jew alone, as a worshipper of the one true God, and of the same religion and race, could be a friend, or a neighbour, and even of their countrymen only those who were faithful in their observance of the law, were to be loved or to be held in honour.
Well, therefore, might this lawyer ask, Who is my neighbour? I love all my countrymen who walk uprightly, and regard them as my neighbours, but are there others whom I ought to love? Christ answers that all men are our neighbours, because they partake of the same life, the same grace, the same salvation through Christ, the same sacraments, the same vocation and calling, and are journeying with us to the same eternity of happiness.
Every man, therefore, is our “rea,” our friend and our fellow; or in the Greek πλησίον, near to us, from πελάζω, I draw nigh, which is more forcibly rendered in Latin by “ proximus,” because we are “proximi,” next or nearest to each other in a direct sense of the life we live in common with them, and the blessings which we enjoy.
Cicero and the Latins understood vicinissimus, i.e. neighbour in the strictest sense. Hence Isidore (lib. x. etymol.) We call him the nearest to us, who is next of kin ; and Cicero (lib. ii De legibus ), “Whatever is best, that we must look upon as next or nigh unto God.” But now all men are our neighbours by creation, redemption and calling in Christ.
Figuratively. The word “neighbour” is suggestive of the tenderest affection and love, such as that of brother for brother, or of a son for his father, for no one comes between them, inasmuch as there is no nigher relationship ; yet there are degrees of this love, for we must love our father more than our brother, and our brother more than any more distant relation, for amongst our nearest of kin one is nearer to us than another, and therefore more to be loved.
Ver. 30. — And Jesus answering said. Taking up or continuing His discourse. Euthymius. i.e. answering the lawyer, and explaining fully and clearly to whom “ neighbour ” applied.
A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho , and fell among thieves. A Jew, S. Augustine says ; and an inhabitant of the holy city. Bede.
The parable is founded on incidents of at that time frequent occurrence, and is therefore a true history. For, as S. Jerome observes , between Jerusalem and Jericho was a place infested with robbers, called in the Hebrew tongue Adommim, or rather Addammim, i.e. red or bloody, because of the blood which was shed there. So Adrichomius describes Adommim as a place infamous even in later times for robberies and murders, terrible to behold, and so dangerous that no one dared to pass through it without an escort.
There the Samaritan met with this man who, like many another traveller, had been grievously wounded by robbers. The place itself lay four leagues to the west of Jericho, and was situated on the confines of Judah and Benjamin. A fort had been built there, and garrisoned with soldiers, for the protection of travellers. Close by was a large cavern, and the country round was hilly, so that robbers could see from afar the approaching wayfarer, and lie in ambush to attack him. Hence in Joshua xv. 7 the place is called the going up to Adommim.
Which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him , and departed, leaving him half dead. Stripped him of his raiment, money, and all that he had, and left him half dead by the wayside, where he would have died of his wounds had no one come to succour him. For it is the custom of robbers, in order to avoid detection, to murder their victims. The Syriac version makes the meaning clear. “They wounded him, and left him when there was scarce any life remaining in him.”
Ver. 31. — And by chance there came down a certain priest that way : and when he saw him , he passed by on the other side. By chance, humanly speaking, but really by the providence of God, for all things are foreordained by Him. Passed by on the other side, “ The priest, terrified at his appearance, turned away from him, and went by on the other side. Christ here draws attention to the perversity of the priests of that day, who were zealous in carrying out all the outward observances of the law, but were utterly wanting in true religion and in showing mercy and pity. For this priest left his fellow-countryman and neighbour in his direst distress without even a word of consolation or comfort.
Ver. 32. — And likewise a Levite , when he was at the place , came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. The Levite amongst the Jews, like the deacons in the Church, assisted the priest in his ministrations. He was therefore of one mind with the priest, for as the priest so is the Levite, as the prelate so the deacon, as the master so the servant, as the teacher so the disciple. And so he also passed by on the other side.
Ver. 33. — But a certain Samaritan, as he tourneyed , came where he was : and when he saw him , he had compassion on him. A Samaritan, one of an entirely different race and religion, and therefore, as a heretic and schismatic, more hateful to the Jews than any other of the Gentiles. Yet this despised Samaritan had pity on the poor traveller who had been abandoned by both priest and Levite. Hence we learn that not only our friends but also our enemies are our neighbours, and Christ holds up this Samaritan as an example of kindness and love, because he had compassion on one who was hateful to himself and his people.
Ver. 34. — And went to him, and bound up his wounds , pouring in oil and wine . Went to him, got off the horse or the ass on which he was riding, and poured into the wounds the oil and wine which he carried with him as refreshment for the way.
The order is inverted. He first, in accordance with the practice of the physicians of that day, washed the wounds with wine ; for wine (1.) removes the coagulated blood ; (2.) arrests corruption ; (3.) closes the wound and strengthens the nerves against the effects of
Then he anointed the wounds with oil — (1.) To sooth their smart ; (2.) to allay the pain ; and (3.) to help forward the cure.
Hence S. Gregory says (lib. xx. chap . 8, Moral), By wine we may understand the gnawings of conscience ; by oil the healing influences of religion — and so mildness must be mingled with severity if we would heal the wounds of the soul, and rescue sinners from the power of sin. But S. Chrysostom considers the wine to be the blood of the Passion, the oil the unction wherewith we are anointed, i.e. the unction of the Holy Spirit. Interlinear Gloss.
And set him on his own beast . On his ass. Syriac.
Allegorically. S. Augustin explains the beast to mean the flesh of Christ, and to be set thereon, to believe in the incarnation. S. Ambrose says, He places us on His beast whilst He bears our sins ; and Theophylact, He made us to be His members and partakers of His body.
him to an inn. εἰς πανδοχεῖον, in stabulum. Vulgate.
The resting-place built for the accommodation of all — the stabulum, where travellers stopped or stood to rest.
And took care of him. Providing everything which his case required.
Ver. 35. — And on the morrow when he departed , he took out two pence — i.e. not two pence in the ordinary signification of the words, but sufficient to supply the wants of the wounded man until his return. S. Augustine says, “The two pence are the two precepts of love, which the apostles received for the evangelising of the world, or the promise of this life, and of that which is to come.”
And gave them to the host, &c. Learn hence how great was the love of the Samaritan, for he provided everything that was needful for the poor traveller's cure.
Allegorically . The traveller is Adam wounded, and all but dead in trespasses and sins. For Adam went from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell from grace into the power of Satan. For the thieves are the evil spirits who tempted Adam and Eve to sin, and corrupted the souls of all with the lust of concupiscence. The priest and Levite represent the ancient law, which was unable to remedy the consequences of Adam's fall.