The Good Samaritan

One day, an expert in religious law asked Jesus a question to test Him:

“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”

The man answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind—and love your neighbor as yourself.”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus said. “Do this, and you will live.”

But the man, wanting to justify himself, asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In response, Jesus told this story:

A man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and left him half-dead by the side of the road.

Soon after, a priest came walking down the same road. When he saw the injured man, he crossed to the other side and continued on his way. Then, a Levite—another religious man—passed by. He too saw the man but avoided him and walked away.

Finally, a Samaritan came along the road. Now, Samaritans and Jews did not get along and were often enemies. Yet when the Samaritan saw the injured man, he felt compassion.

The Samaritan knelt down, cleaned the man’s wounds with oil and wine, and bandaged them. Then, he gently placed the man on his donkey and took him to an inn, where he cared for him through the night.

The next day, the Samaritan gave two silver coins to the innkeeper and said, “Take care of him. If it costs more, I will pay you back when I return.”

Jesus finished the story and asked the expert in the law, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers?”

The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”

Jesus said, “Go and do likewise.”

The story of the Good Samaritan teaches us that being a neighbor is not about who someone is or where they come from—it’s about showing love, kindness, and mercy, even to those we might consider strangers or outsiders. It is a reminder that God calls us to love others selflessly, just as He loves us.

Bible Reference: Luke 10:25-37

The Crow and the Pitcher

One hot summer day, a crow was searching for something to drink. It hadn’t rained for months, so all the ponds and streams had dried up. Finally, the bird spotted a pitcher with cool water in a garden and flew down to drink from it. But when the crow put its head into...

Dan Wilkins and His Cat

Once upon a time, there was a poor orphan boy named Dan Wilkins who lived in a small village in the countryside. He was often very hungry. He had heard of a faraway place called London, where everyone was rich, and the streets were paved with gold. So, he decided to...

Lazy Luke

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Luke who lived with his mother in a small cottage. They were very poor. His mother earned a little money by spinning wool, but Luke was very lazy and did nothing to help. Eventually, his mother told him that she would throw him...