Jews Vs. Samaritans: Origin of Conflict

The Good Samaritan by Jacob Jordaens Wikimedia public domain

We all know the phrase ‘good samaritan’. In our day and age, it means someone who selflessly helps another with no expectation of reward. But Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan was more than just a tale of a charitable act toward a stranger. Choosing a Samaritan for the hero of this parable was a shocking — even unbelievable — answer to the question “Who is my neighbor?”

The reason is that the Jewish people had a longstanding and...