One of the most profound readings that I have read on the parable of the Good Samaritan is by one of my favorite Theologian, Karl Barth. He writes in Church Dogmatics I.2 -
“For the lawyer, who wants to justify himself and therefore does not know who is his neighbor, is confronted not by the poor wounded man with his claim for help, but by the anything but poor Samaritan who makes no claim at all but is simply helpful. It is the Samaritan who embodies what he wanted to know. This is the neighbor he did not know. All very unexpected: for the lawyer had first to see that he himself is the man fallen among thieves and lying helpless by the wayside;
And above all, he has to see that he must be found and treated with compassion by the Samaritan, the foreigner, whom he believes he should hate and is hated by God.
He will then know who is his neighbor is. He will then know the second commandment and consequently the first as well. He will then not wish to justify himself, but will simply love the neighbor, who shows him mercy. He will then love God, and loving God, will inherit eternal life.
But now the text takes a last surprising turn. In fact, the lawyer does not his own helplessness. He does not see that the priest and the Levite bring him no help and the Samaritan does. He does not really know his neighbor. Therefore he does not know either the second commandment or the first, although he can recite them so well. Therefore he does not love, he does do what he must do to inherit eternal life.
It is in virtue of the presence of my neighbor that I stand under, and in the order in which God receives the praise which is proper and acceptable to Him.”