Origin: Luke 10:25-37 in the Bible
Once upon a time, there was a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. Along the way, he was attacked by robbers who stole everything he had, beat him up, and left him lying on the side of the road, hurt and alone.
As the man lay there, he hoped for someone to help him. Soon, a priest walked by. The priest was an important and respected person in the community. But when he saw the injured man, he crossed to the other side of the road and continued on his way, ignoring the man’s cries for help.
Next, a Levite came along. Levites were also considered important in their community. But like the priest, the Levite saw the injured man and passed by on the other side, not stopping to help.
The injured man felt sad and lonely, wondering if anyone would ever come to his aid. But then, to his surprise, a Samaritan man came by. Now, Samaritans and Jews didn’t usually get along. They were from different backgrounds and didn’t often help each other.
But this Samaritan was different. When he saw the injured man, he felt compassion for him. He bandaged the man’s wounds, poured oil and wine on them to help them heal, and then lifted the man onto his own donkey.
The Samaritan took the injured man to an inn and cared for him throughout the night. The next day, the Samaritan gave some money to the innkeeper and said, “Take care of him. If you spend more than this, I’ll pay you back when I return.”
The Samaritan showed kindness and love to the injured man, even though they were from different backgrounds. He didn’t ask for anything in return; he simply wanted to help someone in need.
Jesus told this story to teach us about kindness and compassion. He said, “Go and do likewise,” meaning that we should also show love and help others, just like the Good Samaritan did.
And so, children, the story of the Good Samaritan reminds us to be kind and compassionate to everyone, regardless of who they are or where they come from. It teaches us to help those in need and to treat others the way we would want to be treated.
