Good Samaritan Parable: Lessons from Luke 10:30–37

“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.” (Luke 10:30, KJV)​

The Story On the Jericho Road

Jesus told this parable in response to a lawyer who asked, “And who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10:29, KJV). Instead of giving a definition, the Lord painted a picture. A man travels the dangerous road from Jerusalem to Jericho, is attacked by thieves, stripped, wounded, and left “half dead” on the roadside (Luke 10:30, KJV).

Two religious figures see him and do nothing. “By chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side” (Luke 10:31, KJV). Then, “likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side” (Luke 10:32, KJV). Those who knew the law of God best, and who should have embodied His compassion, chose distance over mercy.​

The Shock of the Good Samaritan

Into the story steps a surprising character. “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him” (Luke 10:33, KJV). For Jesus’ Jewish audience, “Samaritan” would not have sounded like “hero.” It would have sounded like “enemy,” “outsider,” or “unclean.” Yet this is the one whose heart is moved.​

The Samaritan’s compassion is not just a feeling; it takes costly, practical shape. He “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” (Luke 10:34, KJV). He then pays the innkeeper to continue the care: “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” (Luke 10:35, KJV). Mercy here means inconvenience, expense, risk, and long-term commitment.​

Redefining “Neighbor”

Jesus ends with a question, not an explanation. “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?” (Luke 10:36, KJV). The lawyer cannot even bring himself to say “the Samaritan”; he replies, “He that shewed mercy on him” (Luke 10:37a, KJV). Jesus answers, “Go, and do thou likewise” (Luke 10:37b, KJV).​

In this way, Jesus shifts the lawyer’s question from “Who qualifies to receive my love?” to “How can I be a neighbour to anyone in need?” Neighbour-love is not limited by ethnicity, religion, politics, or personal comfort. A neighbour is anyone whose need crosses your path and is within your power to help. The call is not to analyze whether a person deserves help but to reflect the Father’s mercy to those who are hurt and helpless.

The Shape of Christ-like Mercy

This parable also reflects the heart of Christ Himself. Like the Samaritan, Jesus approaches those who are spiritually “half dead,” stripped and broken by sin. He comes where we are, has compassion, and stoops to bind up our wounds. The oil and wine hint at healing and cleansing; the beast carries the weight the wounded man cannot bear. In the gospel, Christ bears our burden and pays our debt in full.

For believers, “Go, and do thou likewise” means that the mercy we have received becomes the mercy we extend. It looks like slowing down enough to see those in pain, crossing the road toward them instead of away from them, and offering practical, sacrificial care. It may involve giving time, resources, or emotional energy that no one will applaud here on earth—but which the Lord sees.

Walking This Parable Out Today

Applied today, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho runs through our neighborhoods, workplaces, and online spaces. The “wounded” may be the person drowning in debt, the single parent at the end of their strength, the immigrant who feels invisible, or the church member quietly crushed by depression. The question is not whether we can fix everything, but whether we will move toward them with mercy.

One simple practice is to pray each morning, “Lord, open my eyes to the person on the roadside today, and give me grace to act.” Then, when an opportunity comes—a phone call you could return, a meal you could provide, a ride you could offer—you treat it as a divine appointment, not an interruption. In doing so, you begin to live the story Jesus told, becoming a neighbor in a world that desperately needs the compassion of the Good Samaritan.

Continue in your study of the parables with me:

Matthew
Mark
Luke
John

Also for further study and deeper understanding check:

Discovering the Path of Salvation series by Stephen Luckett