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The Good Samaritan

A family story · read aloud, then talk together.

“And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.”

— Luke 10:30–33 (KJV)

The story, in a household voice

One day a man was walking on the long road from Jerusalem down to Jericho. Robbers came and hurt him and took what he had. They left him on the road, and he could not get up.

A priest walked past. He saw the man — and he crossed to the other side of the road. A little later a temple helper walked past. He too saw the man — and he too crossed to the other side. Neither of them stopped.

Then a Samaritan came along. Samaritans and Jews did not usually help one another; they were strangers to each other. But this Samaritan saw the man, and his heart was full of pity. He knelt down. He cleaned the wounds. He lifted the man onto his own animal and took him to an inn, and paid the innkeeper to care for him until he was well.

Then Jesus asked: “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man?” And the answer was quiet and clear: the one who showed mercy. Jesus said, “Go, and do thou likewise.”

Three questions to talk about together

  1. Who is someone we walked past today — at school, at the shops, on the phone — that we could have stopped for?
  2. What did the Samaritan give up so he could help? (His time, his money, his safety.) What would we have to give up?
  3. Is there anyone in our week who is like the wounded man — hurt, tired, forgotten — that our household could show mercy to before Sunday?

More stories for the family: a small library of read-aloud Bible stories is being kept at /kids/bible-stories/.