Free Bible lesson for kids · On the Way to Jerusalem
The Good Samaritan
A lawyer asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbour?” Jesus told of a man beaten by thieves. A priest and a Levite passed by, but a Samaritan stopped, bound his wounds and cared for him.
- Bible passage
- Luke 10:25–37
- Big idea
- Be a neighbour to anyone who needs help.
- Memory verse
And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
Luke 10:27 (KJV)- Ages
- Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
- Time
- About 45 minutes
- Included, free
- Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game
The story
A lawyer asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life. He knew the law: love God with all your heart, and “thy neighbour as thyself” (Luke 10:25–27). Then he asked, “And who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10:29). Jesus told of a man going to Jericho. Thieves robbed and hurt him and left him half dead (Luke 10:30). A priest and a Levite both saw him and passed by on the other side (Luke 10:31–32).
But a Samaritan had compassion on him (Luke 10:33). He bound up his wounds, set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn (Luke 10:34). The next day he paid the innkeeper and promised to repay whatever more it cost (Luke 10:35). Jesus asked who was a neighbour. The lawyer said, “He that shewed mercy on him.” Jesus said, “Go, and do thou likewise” (Luke 10:36–37).
Read it in the Bible: Luke 10:25–37 (KJV)
25And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30And 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. 31And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34And 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. 35And on the morrow when he departed, 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. 36Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
Questions to ask
Who passed by the hurt man without helping?
A priest and a Levite.
What did the Samaritan do?
He bound up his wounds, set him on his own beast, and took care of him at an inn.
What did Jesus tell the lawyer to do?
“Go, and do thou likewise.”
What this story teaches
- Love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind (Luke 10:27).
- We must be a neighbour to anyone who needs our help (Luke 10:36–37).
- True love does not pass by on the other side (Luke 10:31–33).
- Showing mercy means giving our time, care and money (Luke 10:34–35).
- Jesus wants us to go and show mercy too (Luke 10:37).
Jesus Showed Us Mercy
We were hurt by sin and could not help ourselves. While we were still sinners, Jesus came and died for us.
Romans 5:6–8
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Ask God to show us someone to help this week. |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next. |
| 10 min | Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “Be a neighbour to anyone who needs help.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say Luke 10:27 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone. |
| 10 min | Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions). |
| 5 min | Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week. |
- Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
- Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
- Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.
Game time
For kids · game · indoors · about 12 minutes
Good Samaritan Bandage Relay
You need: Rolls of crepe paper or toilet paper as bandages, a chair for the inn
- Each team chooses a “traveler”, who sits on the floor at the far end.
- One at a time, teammates run down and wrap one bandage around the traveler’s arm or leg.
- When the traveler is well wrapped, the whole team helps them up and walks them gently to the inn (the chair).
The Samaritan stopped to help. Jesus said, “Go, and do thou likewise.”
For youth group · activity · indoors · about 30 minutes
Neighbor Kits
You need: Zip bags, socks, snacks, water, toothbrushes, encouraging notes
- Set up an assembly line and pack care kits for people in need.
- Each person writes a note of encouragement for a kit.
- Give them through a shelter, or keep them in cars to hand out.
A neighbor is anyone who needs our help. Love your neighbor as yourself.
Pray
Ask God to show us someone to help this week.