Luke 10:37

Shewed. Gr. poieo, literally, “to do” (cf. v. 25). Under the circumstances mere thoughts of mercy would have been of no value; it was deeds that counted. The lawyer saw the point of the story. It was an apt and effective answer to his question (see v. 29).

In this true-life narrative Jesus dismissed all the legalistic quibbling about who a man’s neighbor might be (see on v. 29). A man’s neighbor is simply anyone who needs his help.

True neighborliness had saved the life of one of the lawyer’s fellow men, possibly one of his personal friends. He could find nothing to criticize in Jesus’ reply to his question. Apparently he recognized in his inmost soul that Jesus’ definition of “neighbour” was the only true one. As a lawyer, he no doubt was able to appreciate more fully than others in the audience Jesus’ profound understanding of the true significance of the law (see on vs. 26-28); as a teacher, he must have appreciated the tactful way in which Jesus handled his question. At any rate his prejudice toward Jesus was removed (see COL 380).

Go, and do thou. In the Greek the stress is on the pronoun. The word “do” is from the Gr. poieo, the same word translated “shewed” in the lawyer’s reply to Jesus, above. The lawyer had said, “He that did mercy.” Jesus replied, “Go, and do thou likewise.” In other words, if you wish to know true neighborliness, go and pattern your conduct after that of the Samaritan. Such is the nature of true religion (see Micah 6:8; James 1:27). Our fellow men need to feel the clasp of “a hand that is warm” and fellowship with “a heart full of tenderness” (COL 388). God “permits us to come in contact with suffering and calamity in order to call us out of our selfishness” (COL 388). It is for our own eternal good to practice true neighborliness whenever we have the opportunity to do so (cf. Heb. 13:2).