I just want to comment briefly on the fact that there are two offices that pass by the one who was robbed. The one is robbed, and he is there on the ground in need of mercy (according to Luke 10:37, where the man says,
The one who showed him mercy). So he is broken, he is there on the ground, and somebody needs to show him mercy. And what does Jesus use as the punch in the parable? He uses two offices. He says a priest walks by and does nothing. We would expect that the priest would care for him. Then He says the Levite goes by and he does nothing.What is the connection? In the mind of the original hearers, they would have understood that when the priest went by and was not showing mercy, that would be a surprise. There is a pastor walking, and he sees someone in need, and he doesn't help. That would be kind of a shock. The pastor is supposed to help! But then Jesus says that a Levite walked by and did nothing. To the original hearers, what they would have heard for the Levite is: The one who cares for the church, the one who shows mercy. The one who is set apart specifically for mercy in the church walks by and does nothing.1
Nathan Eshelman
31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.