Read Luke 10:25–37 in your chosen translation. Everything below is original teaching commentary by Living Letters, not a Bible quotation. Suggested ages and timings can be adapted.
THE LEARNING GOAL
Identify the Samaritan’s acts of care and explain how Jesus redirects the question about a neighbor.
Open the conversation
Ask learners what someone might need after a minor, fictional playground accident. Separate safe help from actions requiring an adult.
Read and notice
A conversation about eternal life and the command to love leads to the question of who counts as a neighbor. Jesus answers with a story about a traveler who is attacked on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Read both the opening conversation and the ending so the story stays connected to its purpose.
A priest and a Levite see the injured man and pass by. A Samaritan sees him and responds with compassion. The story gives concrete details: he approaches, tends wounds, transports the man, and pays for continued care.
At the end, Jesus asks which person acted as a neighbor. The emphasis shifts from drawing a boundary around who deserves love to recognizing mercy in action. For children, practical help should include calling a trusted adult or emergency help when a situation is unsafe.
Explore together
Build a care chain using verbs from the story. Beside each, write a safe modern example, such as noticing exclusion, asking an adult for help, or sharing appropriate supplies.
Questions worth asking
Invite learners to answer from the passage first. Open a suggested answer when you are ready to discuss it.
1. What road is the traveler using?
Suggested answer
The road from Jerusalem to Jericho (verse 30).
2. Name two ways the Samaritan helps.
Suggested answer
Examples include tending wounds, transporting the traveler, taking him to an inn, and paying for care (verses 34–35).
3. How does Jesus’ final question change the discussion?
Suggested answer
It asks who acted as a neighbor to the injured man, focusing on mercy rather than simply defining a group (verses 36–37).
Inside the activity pack
- Word search
- Find six key words, then point to where they connect with the reading.
- Matching
- Connect four names, objects, or ideas with clues and references.
- Flashcards
- Review the same four connections aloud or with a partner.
- Missing words
- Complete a short review of the teaching notes. This exercise uses commentary, not a Scripture quotation.
Use one activity or all four. For younger learners, read instructions aloud and work together. For older groups, ask for evidence from the passage before showing answers.
Published November 10, 2026 · Living Letters · Editorial approach · Suggest a correction