The story of the Good Samaritan in the Bible teaches us a lesson. Before you read its focus, ask you parents or elder brothers and sisters to read it for you aloud in Luke 10:25-37.

Once upon a time, a teacher came up and tried to trap Jesus. He asked "teacher. What must I do to receive eternal life?”

Jesus answered to him, "What do the Scriptures say and how do you interpret them?”

The scripture say that "love the Lord our God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with your entire mind. And love your neighbors as you love yourself,” the man answered.

Having heard, Jesus replied, "You are right, so do this and you will live.”

The teacher wanted to justify himself, therefore he asked Jesus another question. "Who is my neighbour?”

Jesus humbly answered that ‘there was once a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. When robbers attacked him, he was beaten and stripped leaving him half dead.’

"It so happened that a priest was going down that road but when he saw the man, he walked on by on the other side. In the same way a Levites also came by the same route, looked at the man and still walked away.”

Jesus continued that unfortunately, a Samaritan who was travelling that way came upon the man. Seeing his conditions, his heart was filled with pity. He went to him poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them.

The Samaritan then carried the man onto his own animal (donkey) and took him to an hotel, where he took care of him.

The next day, the Samaritan took out silver coins that he gave to the hotel-keeper.  He then asked the keeper to take care of him and said "when I come back this way, I will pay you whatever else you spent on him.”

Having told this story to the teacher, Jesus concluded, "In your opinion, which one of these three men acted like a neighbour toward the man attacked by the robbers?”

The teacher in lowly voice answered, "The one who was kind to him.”

Against that answer, Jesus replied, "you should then go and do the same.”

It is good that you have read the story and heard from the Bible verse as well. I therefore ask you to act like the man who showed his kindness and helped the suffering man. Such actions will build your friendship.

Ends