Why is Jesus called “the Good Samaritan” (Luke 10:25–37)?

If the priest in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) represents the law and the Levite represents the prophets, then it is not possible for the law or the prophets to bind our hidden wounds and restore us to our original nature according to which God created us. But the Good Samaritan, who can only represent the Lord Christ, came down to us, carried us in His body, blessed our nature in Him, and bestowed on us all true healing that renews our lives.

The scholar Origen says, “For the priest saw him—I think this means the Law. And the Levite saw him—that is, in my view, the prophetic word. When they had seen him, they passed by and left him. Providence was saving the half-dead man for him who was stronger than the Law and the prophets, namely for the Samaritan. The name means ‘guardian.’ He is the one who ‘neither grows drowsy nor sleeps as he guards Israel’ (Ps. 121:4). On account of the half-dead man, this Samaritan set out not ‘from Jerusalem into Jericho,’ like the priest and the Levite who went down. Or, if he did go down, he went down to rescue and care for the dying man. The Jews had said to Him, ‘You are a Samaritan and have a demon’ (John

764 St. Clement of Alexandria, Exhortation to the Heathen 11 (ANF 2:203).

765 St. Augustine of Hippo, Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 21.17 (NPNF I/7:144) amended.

8:48). Though he denied having a demon, he was unwilling to deny that he was a Samaritan, for he knew that he was a guardian.”⁷⁶⁶