Editing Parable of the Good Samaritan (section)

===Catholic view===
[[Thomas Aquinas]] states that there are three points to be noted in this parable: Firstly, the manifold misery of sinners: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem." Secondly, is shown the manifold pity of Christ to the sinner: "A certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was; and when he saw him he had compassion on him." Thirdly, the rule which is given for imitation: "Go, and do thou likewise."<ref>{{cite book|chapter=[[s:Ninety-nine Homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas Upon the Epistles and Gospels for Forty-nine Sundays of the Christian Year/Homilies for the Sundays From Trinity to Advent (Part 2)#45|Homily XXVI: The sinner succored]]|title=Ninety-nine Homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas Upon the Epistles and Gospels for Forty-nine Sundays of the Christian Year|year=1867|publisher=Church Press Company|first=Thomas|last=Aquinas|author-link=Thomas Aquinas}}</ref>

[[Justus Knecht]] gives the deeper interpretation of this parable, according to the Church Fathers, writing:

{{blockquote|Jesus Himself is the Good Samaritan, as proved by His treatment of the robbed and wounded human race. Sin and the devil are the robbers who have despoiled man of his robe of innocence and all supernatural gifts, and grievously wounded him in his natural gifts. Thus man lay, weak, helpless, and half-dead. He still, it is true, possessed his natural life, but he had lost the supernatural life of grace, as well as the prospect of eternal life, and was powerless to raise himself from the misery of sin by any effort of his own. Neither priest nor Levite, i. e. neither sacrifice nor law of the Old Covenant, could help him, or heal his wounds; they only made him realize more fully his helpless condition. Then the Son of God, moved by compassion, came down from heaven to help poor fallen man, living at enmity with God. He healed his wounds with the wine of His Most Precious Blood and the oil of His grace, and took him to the inn, His Church. When He left this earth to return to heaven, He gave to the guardians of His Church the twofold treasure of His doctrine and His grace, and ordered them to tend the still weak man, until He Himself came back to reward every one according to his works.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=[[s:A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture/XLII. The Doctor of the Law — The Good Samaritan|XLII. The Doctor of the Law — The Good Samaritan]]|title=A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture|year=1910|publisher=B. Herder|first=Friedrich Justus|last=Knecht|author-link=Justus Knecht}}</ref>}}