5 Parable of the Good Samaritan Lessons

The Good Samaritan Parable is the example Jesus used when He was asked what the greatest commandment is. After describing that loving ‘the Lord Thy God’ with your whole being is the most important, the second is loving your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus used the Good Samaritan story to describe what it means to love your neighbor. The lessons from this parable still apply to us today.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan Summary:

At the time, Jewish tradition was not to associate with Samaritans. In the parable, a Jewish man was stripped, beaten, robbed, and left half-dead lying on the side of the road. The wounded man was ignored by a passing priest and Levite, both of whom should have been his allies, as religious leaders and fellow Jew.

The least likely person to help him was the Samaritan, but he was the first person who did the right thing and stopped to help the injured man, thus being a true neighbor. He brought him to safety and ensured the man’s wounds would be cared for.

What is the moral lesson of the Parable of the Good Samaritan?

The Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us several lessons, but the heart of the message is to love one another even if… Even if we’re busy, tired, late, don’t know them, or don’t like them or their religious belief – we are still called to love.

You’ll see that this message is inherent in all five lessons discussed below. Let’s take a closer look.

How does the Good Samaritan Parable relate to life today?

While the major message in the Parable of the Good Samaritan is to Love One Another Even If, we can apply several key practices to everyday life. Following are five takeaways to encourage your Christian journey.

1. Love Your Neighbor as Yourself Means Love ‘Everyone’

The Samaritan and the injured man were enemies by the world’s standard, but Jesus doesn’t ask anything of us that’s based on a worldly standard. He doesn’t care if we’ve allowed hate in our hearts. He made it very clear that His greatest commandment is to share God’s love:

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

John 13:34-35 NIV

He said we MUST love one another. By stopping to help the wounded man, the Samaritan showed the kind of love we are all called to show.

When we reach out in love and kindness toward those the world tells us to hate, we show our love for Jesus.

2. Helping the Person Who Needs Help is Helping Christ

Jesus described that when we help those in need (like the Good Samaritan did), we’re actually helping Him. When we see someone in need, we’re seeing a ‘brother or sister’ of Jesus. Wouldn’t we help Jesus’ family?

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 25:34-40 NIV

3. The Only Thing That Matters is What You Do

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Romans 12:10 NIV

The Good Samaritan likely had things to do and places to be. He had a life and obligations. He may have been inconvenienced to help the hurt man, but he wasn’t deterred.

He put his life aside for the moment and did what was required to make sure the poor man got the help he needed.

When God calls, do we listen? When he puts a circumstance in our path, do we walk around it, as the Jewish priest and Levite did, or take it on, as the Samaritan did? When there’s no ‘good answer’, do we let our obligations and worldly wishes get in the way of loving our neighbors as Jesus asks of us?

A good intention that is never acted upon is worth nothing. What pleases God is the action we take in the form of the help and support we give to those in need.

4. Don’t Let Labels Fool You

Most people would feel disappointed to see a priest walk past a person dying in the street. The label of ‘priest’ elevates that person to a high standard in our mind, so we would expect the priest to help someone who was hurt. A priest, by definition, is not necessarily a Christian.

In a similar way, someone whose ideas, culture, and race are different than yours is not, by definition, your enemy. It’s only by looking at the actions of someone that we get a glimpse of their true character.

Actions speak louder than any label, so don’t judge a person by their title or appearance. People are not always who they seem to be.

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

Matthew 7:15 NIV

5. Don’t search for a reward

There was no obvious benefit for the Good Samaritan to help the fallen man. Our human nature makes us more willing to be inconvenienced or help someone when there’s a reward at stake.

Maybe the reward is impressing someone or bringing attention to ourselves. Maybe we think our good deed could bring a financial reward.

When there’s something in it for you, your actions aren’t in the true spirit of the Good Samaritan parable. The best reward that comes from helping someone when there’s nothing in it for you is knowing that your actions are pleasing to God by caring for His people.

Our Good Samaritan actions are ways we show our love for Christ.

I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.

Jeremiah 17:10 NIV

Are you seeking deeper faith, a more meaningful life, or greater inner peace?

Embark on a journey of spiritual growth and self-reflection through the timeless teachings found within the forty parables of Jesus Christ. Grab your ebook, softcover, or LARGE PRINT. Read FREE with Kindle Unlimited! Learn more on Amazon (affiliate link). Read a Sample!

More Parables!

Do you love the parables as much as I do? You may enjoy reading life lessons on these others (listed below), these activities for adults and children, or this list of Parables and Meanings. More parable lessons are underway. See them all HERE!

Do you love journaling? Does writing down your personal reflections help you process your thoughts more fully? Perhaps these Christian writing journals will be helpful as you reflect on the life lessons of the parables.

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• The Parable of the Prodigal Son Life Lessons
• 5 Parable of the Good Samaritan Lessons
• The Cost of Being a Disciple Life Lessons

Image: Sarwer e Kainat Welfare from Pexels