Matthew Poole and continuators on Luke 10:37

37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him, Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

It is certain that the Principal Scope of our Saviour in this History, or Parable, was to convince the Lawyer, that everyone is our Neighbour, to whom God offered us an opportunity of doing good, whether he be of our Nation, or Religion yea or no. Every object of our Mercy is our Neighbour, whom God requireth us to love as our selves, this was quite contrary to the common Doctrine of the Scribes and Pharisees, Interpreting the Law, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self, and excellently served our Saviours design, to shew this Lawyer that he understood not, much less observed the Law of God in that manner, as that he could justify himself from the Violation of it. He also by the by sheweth him, that the Samaritanes, whom the Jews so much abhorred, better understood the Law of God, then the Ecclesiastical Guides of those times, who yet pretend to be teachers of it to others, for some of them by the light of Nature discerned themselves obliged, to do good to every one that stood in need of their help, or if not by the light of Nature, yet by the light of Revelation in the Law of Moses, but the Scribes and Pharisees by their false Interpretation of the Divine Law, had taught People to omit a great part of their Duty, required by the Divine Law, and so could not hope to be justified or to obtain eternal Life, and Salvation from the observation of it.