The Parable of The Good Samaritan

Agape: God’s Love in Action

Today’s Targets:

To give an outline of the Parable of the Good Samaritan

To explain the love that inspires Christians to help people in need.

In your jotters answer these questions in full sentences.

1. What was the main message of The Parable of the Lost Son?

2. What was the main message of The Parable of the Debtor? (Remember what the Walker family did!)

Jesus told a story about the love that leads God to forgive and leads Christians to help

people in need:

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Background:

Samaritans were a group of people who did not get on with the Jews!

A Priest was a Jewish man who led the worship of God at the Temple in Jerusalem.

A Levite was a Jewish man who helped with practical jobs in the Temple.

Just then a religious teacher stood up with a question to test Jesus.

Religious Teacher: “Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?”

Jesus: “What’s written in God’s law? How do you see it?”

Religious Teacher: “That you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength- and that you love your neighbour as you love yourself.”

Jesus: “Good answer! Do this and you will live!” Religious Teacher: “And just how would you

define ‘neighbour’?

“There was once a Jewish man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.

“A Samaritan travelling the road came on him. When he saw the state the man was in, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him on to his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill- I’ll pay you on my way back.’

Jesus: “What do you think? Of the three men, who acted like a neighbour to the man attacked by robbers?”

Religious Teacher: “The one who treated him kindly”.

Jesus: “Go and do the same.”