In the end the lawyer answered his own question. He said, The one who showed mercy on him. But that is clearly the one he had in mind as the answer to the question. Put yourself in your neighbor's shoes. The parable also teaches us a lesson of humanity, the neighborhood and brotherhood of man.
Mankind is divided into groups with differing customs, languages, and names.
But such distinctions are superficial and temporary. Jesus did not see humanity as a group of factions, but as a unit. As Christians we are not to serve the letter of the law but its spirit. Another lesson for Christians concerns the showing of mercy and the sacrificing of self. We should train our eye to see the needs of others, to read their woes.