Live Like the Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37

St. John’s United Church of Christ
Charlie Schmunk
February 15, 2026

In Jesus’ story, the first person to come across the injured man was a priest and he immediately crossed over to the other side of the road.  If that injured man was dead or had some kind of disease and the priest touched him, the priest would then be considered soiled or dirty.  He would have to be ceremonially cleansed and quarantined for at least a week.  There was no way he was going close to that man.

The temple assistant at least walked over and looked at the man but he also chose not to help him.  Helping him would have been inconvenient and messy.  No thank you!  He, too, crossed the road and left the injured man lying there.

We are all familiar with the phrase ‘Good Samaritan’.  It’s not only the character in Jesus’ parable but it describes people who care for strangers in need.  There are many news stories about Good Samaritans who go to extremes to save other people.  To us, all Samaritans are good but that was not the case when Jesus told this story.  The Jews at that time considered all Samaritans very bad and look at what that ‘bad’ man did.

First, he took the time to stop and help the injured man.  The Samaritan was travelling, he was going somewhere, he had plans.  Instead, he stopped and gave first aid to the man and then took him to an inn where he could be cared for.

Second, he did this at his own expense.  He used his own supplies to give first aid and paid for the inn.  He also said that if that wasn’t enough money, he would be back to pay the rest.  Did you notice that he didn’t mention anything about being getting the money back?

Third, he risked his life to help this man.  For one thing, the thieves could still be there waiting for someone to stop.  Also, he took a Jewish man to a Jewish inn in a Jewish town.  Picture this, a hated Samaritan leading a donkey with a beaten Jew on his back down the street to the inn.  He could have been accused of beating the man himself and been killed.

Fourth, he trusted the innkeeper to care for the injured man.  He made sure the man was settled and comfortable and that all expenses were paid.  Only when he was satisfied that everything was taken care of, did he continue his own journey.

The term ‘Good Samaritan’ always reminds me of a couple of stories I heard a number of years ago.

The first one is called The Brick.

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar.  He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.  Suddenly, a brick smashed into the Jag’s side door!  He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.  The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting.  “Just what are you doing?  That’s a new car!  That brick you threw is going to cost me a lot of money.  Why did you do that”?

The young boy was crying.  He said, “Please, mister, I’m sorry but I didn’t know what else to do.  I threw the brick because no one else would stop.  My brother rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.  Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair?  He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me”?

The driver followed the boy to his brother and lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair.  He used his handkerchief to wipe the boy’s scrapes and cuts.  A quick look told him that everything would be okay.  He watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

The damage on the car was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to get it repaired.  He kept it there to remind him that you shouldn’t go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention.

This one is called Kyle’s Friend.

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school.  His name was Kyle.  It looked like he was carrying all of his books.  I thought to myself, “Why would anyone bring home all of his books on a Friday?  He must really be a nerd.”

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.  As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward Kyle.  They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.  His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.  He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him.  So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses.  As I handed him his glasses, I said, “Those guys are jerks.  They really should get lives.”  He looked at me and said, “Thanks” and gave me a grateful smile.

I helped him pick up his books and discovered that he lived near me and had been going to a private school.  He seemed like a pretty cool guy.  I invited him to come play football with me and my friends.  He said yes.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.  Kyle was valedictorian of our senior class.  At graduation, he had to give a commencement speech.  He said, “Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.  Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach…but mostly your friends…I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.”  He began telling the story of the first day we met.  He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.  He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his mom wouldn’t have to do it later and was carrying all his stuff home.  He said, “Thankfully, I was saved.  My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable…” 

I never knew.

Never underestimate the power of your actions.  You don’t have to go to extremes to be a Good Samaritan.  You don’t know what one small gesture can do to change a person’s life.

Now I’m going to ask an elder to please bring the mic around.  I would like to hear some of your stories, whether you did something for someone else or someone did something for you.

(Congregation stories) 

Closing Prayer:

Lord Jesus,
You teach us in your parable that there are two kinds of people,
Those who bend down to help and those who look the other way.
Which kind of people will we be?
We say, “Yes, Lord, I will love you and love my neighbor.”
But then we ask:
The migrant…is she my neighbor?
Those in poverty…are they my neighbors?
Victims of war across the world…are they my neighbors?
One who faces racism… is he my neighbor?
Those disabled or elderly…are they my neighbors?
You remind us:  Yes. All of us neighbors.
Show us how to love, Lord.
May we open our eyes.
May we emerge from our comfortable isolation.
May we build a world of compassion and dignity.
Lord Jesus, who was neighbor to all,
Help us to persevere in love.
Help us to restore dignity to the suffering.
Help us to build a society based not on exclusion, but on community.

Amen.