What is the message of the Good Samaritan?

The message of the Good Samaritan is to have compassion for your enemies, and that it is possible for enemies to be good neighbors. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, a man headed from Jerusalem to Jericho is attacked and robbed, then left in the streets to die.

A priest and a Levite pass him by, but a Samaritan stops to help him. The Samaritan takes him to safety and even pays for his medical care. This may seem unremarkable, as the Samaritans were considered the worst enemies of the Jews. An act of kindness and compassion regardless of creed is what makes this story so significant.