Jesus continues: “By coincidence a priest was going down on that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the opposite side.

The man to whom Jesus tells this story certainly knows that many priests and Levite temple assistants live in Jericho. To return from the temple, they must travel down a road some 14 miles (23 km). That route can be dangerous, with robbers lurking along it. If a priest and a Levite find a fellow Jew in distress, should they not help him? In his story, Jesus relates that they did not.