Study Guide: The Parable of the Good Samaritan
*This study guide can be used alongside the message preached on May 31, 2026 during the series Parables.
Pray
Lord, as I look at this story today, please open my eyes to the “neighbors” I’ve been walking past and give me a heart that is ready to stop, even when it’s inconvenient, to show Your love in action.
Read
Luke 10:25-37
Observe
vv. 25-29 | The Lawyer’s Question
A legal expert, well-versed in religious law, stood up to test Jesus. He asked what he must do to receive eternal life. Jesus, responding as a master teacher, asked him how he interpreted the scriptures. The lawyer correctly summarized the law: love God with every fiber of your being—heart, soul, strength, and mind—and love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. Jesus affirmed this answer but noted that the key was actually living it out. However, the lawyer wanted to limit his responsibilities. To justify his own behavior, he asked a follow-up question: "Who exactly is my neighbor?" He assumed he was already loving God perfectly, but he wanted a narrow definition of "neighbor" so he could feel like he had fulfilled that requirement as well. He didn't realize that true love for God is impossible to separate from how we treat every person we encounter.
vv. 30-35 | The Story of the Good Samaritan
Jesus responded with a story set on the dangerous, crime-ridden road between Jerusalem and Jericho. A traveler was beaten, robbed, and left for dead. Two religious leaders—a priest and a Levite—passed by the injured man. Both saw the need, but both made excuses to avoid helping, perhaps fearing for their own safety or ritual purity. Finally, a Samaritan came along. In that culture, Jews and Samaritans shared a deep, mutual dislike. Yet, when the Samaritan saw the suffering man, he felt immediate compassion. He didn't just feel sorry for him; he took action. He treated the man's wounds with oil and wine, put him on his own animal, and took him to an inn. He even paid the innkeeper in advance and promised to cover any extra costs, showing a selfless and sacrificial kind of care that went far beyond the minimum requirement.
vv. 36-37 | Applying the Lesson
Jesus ended the story by asking the lawyer which of the three travelers acted as a neighbor to the victim. The lawyer couldn't even bring himself to say the word "Samaritan," simply answering, "The one who showed mercy." Jesus then gave a direct command: "Go and do the same." This parable shifts the focus from "Who deserves my help?" to "To whom can I be a neighbor?" It teaches us that our neighbor isn't just someone like us or someone we like; it is anyone in need right in front of us. While we often fail to love this perfectly on our own, the message suggests that we first need to receive God's love and grace. Once we have His life in us, we are empowered to show that same radical, boundary-crossing mercy to the world around us.
Credit: Guzik, David. “Luke 10 - The Sending of the Seventy.” Enduring Word, n.d., https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-10.
Application
1. Shift Your Question from "Who" to "How"
The lawyer wanted to define "neighbor" narrowly so he could exclude certain people. We often do the same by deciding who is "worthy" of our time or help based on their politics, background, or lifestyle. Application means shifting your mindset from asking, "Who is my neighbor?" to asking, "How can I be a neighbor to this person right now?" This requires looking at every person in need as a priority rather than an interruption.
2. Move from Empathy to Action
The priest and the Levite might have felt bad for the victim, but they didn't stop. The Samaritan felt compassion, but he followed that feeling with tangible action. Think about the wine and oil in this story. Use the tools you have available to address the immediate crisis. Think about the animal with the Samaritan. Be willing to inconvenience yourself (the Samaritan walked so the man could ride). And finally, think about the Inn. Ensure there is a plan for long-term recovery, not just a one-time fix. Application involves looking at the "wounds" in your community—such as loneliness, financial hardship, or grief—and providing specific, practical relief.
3. Overcome "Prejudice" with Mercy
The most shocking part of the story was that a Samaritan helped a Jew. In that era, these two groups were social and religious enemies. Applying this today means being willing to show kindness to those who might consider you an enemy or those whom your social circle might look down upon. True mercy is "blind" to social boundaries. It recognizes that human suffering is more important than cultural divisions.
Pray (ACTS)
What is the ACTS prayer model?
A - Praise God for being the ultimate Neighbor who reached down to rescue you in your brokenness when no one else could or would.
C - Confess a time you acted more like the priest or the Levite, letting your busy schedule and prejudices keep you from seeing the needs of others.
T - Thank God for the gift of eternal life and for providing the resources we need to love Him and our neighbors with all our hearts.
S - Ask the Holy Spirit for the courage to stop for those in need today and the strength to show sacrificial mercy to everyone you meet.
Discuss or Reflect
Questions for personal reflection, spiritual insight, or group interaction.
The lawyer was looking for a "limit" to his responsibility when he asked, "Who is my neighbor?" In what areas of your life are you tempted to draw boundaries around who you are willing to help?
If you were the person lying on the side of the road, who is the last person in the world you would want to be rescued by? What does that reveal about your own biases?
We often identify with the "Good Samaritan" in the story. How does the story change for you if you imagine yourself as the man who was robbed and completely dependent on an enemy's mercy?
The priest and Levite were busy, religious people. What are the "good" or "spiritual" things in your life that sometimes become excuses for ignoring the needs of others?
The road to Jericho was notoriously dangerous. How do you distinguish between using healthy wisdom/boundaries and using "safety" as an excuse to avoid helping someone in a mess?
Which do you find more difficult: giving your money to a cause, or giving your personal time and "walking" so someone else can "ride"? Why?
If Jesus were telling this story in your city today, which two groups of people would he use to represent the "Jew" and the "Samaritan" to create the same level of shock?
The Samaritan provided "follow-up" care at the inn. How can we move beyond "drive-by" acts of kindness to ensure we are actually helping people get back on their feet?
In what ways can we as a community (or family) create a culture where we notice the "man on the road" instead of just passing by?
Jesus told the lawyer to "Go and do likewise" only after the lawyer admitted what mercy looked like. Why is it important to change our mindset before we change our actions?
How does receiving grace for your own failures make it easier (or harder) to show mercy to someone who "brought it on themselves," like the reckless traveler?
What is one specific "Jericho Road" you walk on regularly (work, school, your neighborhood), and what kind of suffering do you usually see there?