The Good Samaritan
An expert in the law once tried to test Jesus by asking, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus asked him what the Scriptures said, and the man answered rightly: love God with everything you have, and love your neighbor as yourself. Wanting to justify himself, the man pressed further: "And who is my neighbor?"
Jesus answered with a story. A man was traveling the dangerous road from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him, stripped him, beat him, and left him half dead on the roadside. A priest happened to walk by, saw the man, and crossed to the other side of the road to avoid him. A Levite, a fellow religious worker, did the same.
Then a Samaritan came along -- someone from a group that Jews of the time despised and avoided. But when he saw the wounded man, he was moved with compassion. He knelt down, bandaged the man's wounds, and put him on his own donkey, taking him to an inn to recover. He paid the innkeeper to care for the man and promised to cover any further costs on his way back.
Jesus turned the question around: "Which of these three was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert answered, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him simply, "Go and do likewise" -- showing that true neighborliness crosses every boundary of prejudice and convenience.
Read the Bible passage
See the full scripture text this story is based on.
- 10:25And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
- 10:26He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
- 10:27And he answering said, 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.
- 10:28And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
- 10:29But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
- 10:30And 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.
- 10:31And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
- 10:32And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
- 10:33But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
- 10:34And 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.
- 10:35And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
- 10:36Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
- 10:37And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
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