Back to: Karnataka Board Class 6th English Guide and Notes
Table of Contents
Introduction
The story of the Good Samaritan, also known as the parable of the Good Samaritan, is a parable narrated by Jesus and recounted in the Bible’s Gospel of Luke. This narrative is told by Jesus to illustrate the idea of “loving thy neighbour.”
The message of the Good Samaritan parable is that you should be compassionate towards everyone and treat everyone like your neighbour, even if they come from a different background or hold different beliefs than you. There’s also a point made about hypocrisy, with the ‘holy’ men strolling by someone who really needs their support.
The Jew And The Samaritan
A man was walking from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was suddenly accosted by two thieves who thrashed him and took everything he owned, including the clothing on his back. The man was lying on the side of the road, bleeding. When a priest spotted the wounded man, he intervened. Instead of helping the injured man, the priest swiftly backed away and proceeded on his way. Then another man came along and spotted the victim, who was covered in blood, laying in the mud. Because of his dreadful situation, the man feared to touch him and walked away.
Eventually, a good Samaritan appeared on the site of the incident. He approached the man and gently washed him with water, as well as gave him some water to drink. He used a little alcohol to disinfect the wounds and speed up the healing process. The Samaritan rode his donkey and dragged the man back to town.
Despite the fact that the injured man was a Jew, the Samaritan helped and rescued him. For hundreds of years, Jews and Samaritans had been rivals. The Samaritan offered the innkeeper some money and requested him to provide a clean bed and proper care for the man until he recovered his strength.
After reciting the parable, Jesus Christ asked his apostles (disciples) which of the three men was the genuine neighbour of the robbed man. An expert in Jewish law instantly said that the robbed man’s genuine neighbour was the one who saved him. Then, Jesus taught them to go out and do the same, that is, to help their fellow humans.
Conclusion
The lesson that we learn from the parable is non – discriminatory compassion, reaching out to those in need, and being a truly good neighbour to everyone you encounter.
