There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." He replied to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live." But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead…
Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?" He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." (Lk 10:25-37)
Scholar of the law asks a question about eternal life. Jesus challenges him with laws. Jesus questions him with regard to laws. Since he was a scholar of the law he answered him correctly. Jesus tells him to live what he knows to be correct. Knowledge should lead one to action says Jesus.
The scholar wants to show that he is smarter by asking a practical question. Jesus answers him with a story. The story does not speak about the love of God. It only concerns about the love of the neighbour.
Neighbour is the one who is treated with mercy. It also implies that the neighbour is the one who is suffering and who is in need of assistance. This we see in the life of Jesus. Jesus always takes the side of the suffering, the sick, the needy. To prove one to be a neighbour is to show mercy.
