Luke 10:25-37
The Story of the Good Samaritan
Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan in response to a question about loving one's neighbor.
Setting and Context
The parable begins when a lawyer asks Jesus about eternal life and then asks, "Who is my neighbour?" Jesus answers with a story that moves the question away from boundary-drawing and toward active mercy.
The Story
A man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho is beaten, stripped, and left half dead. A priest and a Levite see him and pass by. Their religious identity does not result in mercy toward the wounded man.
A Samaritan sees the man and has compassion. This detail would have been uncomfortable for many hearers because Jews and Samaritans had deep hostility. Jesus makes the outsider the example of neighborly love.
The Samaritan binds the man's wounds, places him on his own beast, brings him to an inn, and pays for his care. Jesus ends by asking who proved to be neighbor to the wounded man, then commands, "Go, and do thou likewise."
Meaning and Importance
A wounded man is ignored by religious passersby, but a Samaritan stops, has compassion, and cares for him. Jesus uses the story to show that neighbor-love is active mercy.
The Good Samaritan teaches that love is not an abstract category. It is mercy in motion. Jesus refuses to let the lawyer limit the command to love; instead, He shows that the true neighbor is the one who acts with compassion.
Biblical Art Connected to This Story
Key KJV Verses
Luke 10:33
“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,”
Read Luke 10Luke 10:34
“And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”
Read Luke 10Luke 10:37
“And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”
Read Luke 10What This Story Teaches
- Neighbor-love is shown in mercy, not merely defined in words.
- Jesus overturns easy assumptions about who acts righteously.
- Compassion becomes costly, practical action.
Questions about Good Samaritan
Where is the Good Samaritan in the Bible?
The parable of the Good Samaritan is found in Luke 10:25-37.
What does the Good Samaritan teach?
It teaches that love for neighbor is shown through compassionate and costly mercy.