Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
A Big Question
One day, a man who knew a lot about the law came to Jesus and asked him a question: "Teacher, what must I do to have eternal life?"
Jesus asked him, "What does the law say?"
The man answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. And love your neighbor as yourself."
"That's right!" Jesus said. "Do this and you will live."
But the man wanted to test Jesus. He asked another question: "And who is my neighbor?"
That's when Jesus told one of the most famous stories in the entire Bible. This story is called a parable — a short story that teaches a big lesson. And this parable changed the way people think about kindness forever.
A Man on a Dangerous Road
Jesus began His story: "A man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho..."
The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was long, winding, and dangerous. It twisted through rocky hills and steep cliffs with lots of places for robbers to hide. People called it the "Way of Blood" because so many travelers were attacked on it.
As the man walked along this lonely road, robbers jumped out and attacked him! They stole everything he had — his money, his clothes, everything. They beat him up badly and left him lying on the side of the road, half dead.
The poor man couldn't move. He couldn't call for help. He just lay there on the dusty road, hoping and praying that someone — ANYONE — would come along and help him.
Two People Walk By
Before long, someone DID come along. A priest — a religious leader who worked in God's temple — came walking down the road. Surely HE would help! A priest was supposed to love God and love people. This was his chance to do the right thing.
But when the priest saw the hurt man lying on the road... he crossed over to the OTHER side and walked right past. He didn't stop. He didn't help. He didn't even check if the man was alive. He just kept walking.
Then a second person came along — a Levite. Levites helped in the temple too. They were supposed to be godly people who cared about others. The Levite came close, looked at the hurt man... and did the exact same thing. He crossed to the other side and walked away.
Two religious men — two people who were SUPPOSED to care about others — both saw someone hurting and did absolutely nothing. How sad!
The people listening to Jesus' story probably expected the next person to be another Jewish leader who would finally help. But Jesus surprised everyone.
The Surprise Hero
The next person who came along was a Samaritan.
Now, this is important to understand: Jewish people and Samaritans did NOT get along. At all. They had been enemies for hundreds of years. They didn't eat together, didn't talk to each other, and definitely didn't help each other. Most Jewish people listening to Jesus would never have expected a Samaritan to do anything good.
But this Samaritan saw the hurt man on the road, and something happened in his heart. He felt compassion — a deep feeling of caring and wanting to help. He didn't think about whether this man was his friend or his enemy. He didn't think about whether helping was convenient. He just saw someone who needed help and he STOPPED.
Here's what the Good Samaritan did:
- He went to the hurt man (he didn't cross to the other side)
- He bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them to help them heal
- He put the man on his own donkey (the Samaritan walked!)
- He took him to an inn (like a hotel) and took care of him all night
- The next day, he paid the innkeeper and said, "Take care of him. If it costs more, I'll pay you back when I return."
The Samaritan didn't just do the bare minimum. He went above and beyond. He gave his time, his money, his donkey ride, and his energy — all for a complete stranger who came from a people group that hated Samaritans.
THAT is what real love looks like.
Who Was the Real Neighbor?
When Jesus finished the story, He turned to the man who had asked the question and said, "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers?"
The answer was obvious. "The one who showed him mercy," the man replied.
Then Jesus said four powerful words: "Go, and do thou likewise" (Luke 10:37).
In other words: go and do the same thing. Be like the Good Samaritan. Help people — ALL people. Don't walk past someone who is hurting. Don't pretend you don't see. Stop. Care. Help. Love your neighbor.
And who is your neighbor? EVERYONE. The kid at school who has no friends. The person in your neighborhood who needs help. Someone who looks different from you. Someone who speaks a different language. Someone you might not even like very much. EVERYONE is your neighbor.
You can read this parable in Luke 10:25-37 on Bible.eu →
What We Can Learn from the Good Samaritan
This parable is simple to understand but SO important. It shows us what real love looks like — not just saying nice words, but actually doing kind things for people who need help.
Remember This!
- Everyone is your neighbor. Your neighbor isn't just the person who lives next door. It's anyone you meet who needs help — at school, at the park, at church, or anywhere in the world.
- Don't just walk by. The priest and the Levite SAW the hurting man and chose to ignore him. Seeing a need and doing nothing is not what God wants from us.
- Actions speak louder than words. It's not enough to SAY you care. The Samaritan showed his love by actually stopping, bandaging wounds, and paying for the man's care. Real love is a verb — it's something you DO.
- Help people who are different from you. The Samaritan helped someone from a group that didn't like Samaritans. Kindness doesn't have borders. Help anyone who needs it, no matter who they are.
- You are never too young to be a Good Samaritan. You can help a classmate who dropped their books. You can sit with someone who is eating alone. You can be kind to someone who is sad. Small acts of kindness make a big difference!
Family Discussion & Activity
Discussion Questions
- ? Can you think of a time when someone was kind to you when you really needed it? How did it make you feel?
- ? Why do you think the priest and the Levite didn't stop to help? Have you ever been too busy to help someone?
- ? Who is someone at school or in your neighborhood who could use a "Good Samaritan" right now?
- ? What are some small things you can do this week to be a Good Samaritan to others?
Family Activity
Good Samaritan Week! As a family, challenge yourselves to do one act of kindness every day this week. Write each one down on a sticky note and put it on the fridge. Ideas: bake cookies for a neighbor, write an encouraging note to someone, help carry groceries, pick up litter at the park, or sit with someone who looks lonely at lunch. At the end of the week, count up all the kind things your family did and celebrate being Good Samaritans! You can also act out the parable together — take turns being the hurt man, the priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a parable?
A parable is a short story that teaches a lesson. Jesus loved to teach using parables because stories are easy to remember and understand. The Good Samaritan is one of the most famous parables Jesus ever told. He used stories about everyday things — like neighbors, roads, and travelers — to teach big truths about God and how we should treat each other.
Who were the Samaritans?
Samaritans were people who lived in a region called Samaria, between Judea and Galilee. In Jesus' time, Jewish people and Samaritans did not get along at all. They avoided each other and didn't even talk to each other. That's what makes the story so powerful — the person who helped was the one nobody expected to help!
Why didn't the priest and Levite help?
The Bible doesn't tell us exactly why. They may have been in a hurry, or afraid of getting dirty, or worried about their own safety. Some people think they didn't want to touch someone who might be dead because of religious rules. Whatever the reason, they chose to look the other way instead of helping someone who was hurting.
Where is this story in the Bible?
The Parable of the Good Samaritan is found in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, verses 25 through 37. It's one of the most well-known stories Jesus ever told, and it teaches us that everyone is our neighbor and everyone deserves our kindness and help.
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