The Good Samaritan: Teen Sunday School Lesson (Ages 14-17)
Ages 14-17 · 60 minutes · free lesson plan · Luke 10:25-37
Teens explore the parable of the good Samaritan, see how Jesus turns 'Who is my neighbour?' into a call to act with mercy, and plan one practical act of mercy for the week.
Memory verse
And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. (Luke 10:37, KJV)
Lesson objectives
- Explain how Jesus answered the question 'Who is my neighbour?' in the parable of the good Samaritan.
- Identify the excuses we use to pass by people in need and the costs of showing mercy.
- Choose one specific act of mercy to do this week.
The full lesson plan
Would You Stop? (8 min)
Say: Welcome! Today's story starts with a question that someone asked Jesus.
Icebreaker (5 min). Read each situation aloud. Teens stand if they would stop and help right away. They stay seated if they would hesitate. No one has to explain unless they want to.
- A stranger's car is broken down on a hot day.
- A classmate drops all their books in a crowded hallway.
- Someone you don't get along with is crying alone.
- A person you have never met asks for directions and seems lost.
Ask: What made some of these harder than others? (Sample answers: I was in a hurry. I didn't know them. I don't like them. I thought someone else would help.)
Say: Helping gets harder when people are inconvenient, unknown, or someone we avoid.
Say: Now let's hear how Jesus answered a man who wanted to know exactly who he had to help.
Read the Story (8 min)
Say: We're going to read this passage straight from the KJV, so listen for every person who appears.
Setup: Pair teens and hand out Bibles. Assign four readers: verses 25-29, 30-32, 33-35, and 36-37. Read Luke 10:25-37 aloud (4 min).
Quick retell in order (2 min). Ask the group to fill in each step:
1. A lawyer stands up to test Jesus and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life.
2. He answers from the law: love God and love your neighbour. Jesus says, 'this do, and thou shalt live.'
3. Wanting to justify himself, he asks, 'And who is my neighbour?'
4. Jesus tells of a man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, fell among thieves, and was left half dead.
5. A priest and a Levite each see him and pass by on the other side.
6. A Samaritan has compassion, bandages him, pours in oil and wine, and takes him to an inn.
7. He pays two pence and promises to repay more.
Say: Notice that Jesus ends with a question, not an answer. Let's see why.
The Question Behind the Question (10 min)
Say: The lawyer asked who counts as his neighbour, and that question was a way to set limits.
1. The question was a loophole. Verse 29 says he wanted 'to justify himself.' If you can define who counts, you can define who doesn't.
2. Jesus flips the question. He doesn't answer 'Who is my neighbour?' He asks, 'Which of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour?' (v. 36). The neighbour is the one who acts with mercy.
3. Mercy costs something. The Samaritan gave his time, his oil and wine, his own animal, his money, and a promise to come back. The text says he had compassion first, then he acted.
4. The hero is the outsider. Background: Jews and Samaritans had long-standing hostility (see John 4:9). The priest and Levite were religious men, and the text only says they passed by on the other side. Jesus wants us to feel that sting.
Say: We can all find reasons to keep walking.
5. Pointing to Jesus. The lawyer asked what he must do to inherit eternal life, and Jesus shows how high that standard is. None of us loves perfectly. Many Christians have also seen in the Samaritan a picture of Jesus, who came to us when we were helpless. Mercy received is what lets us give it.
Say: Now let's practice crossing the road.
The Other Side of the Road (10 min)
Setup before class: Write one scenario per index card, enough for each group of 3-4.
- A new student eats lunch alone every day.
- Your friends mock a classmate in a group chat.
- A neighbour's family is struggling after a loss.
- A teammate was left out and is quitting the team.
- A coworker or classmate is clearly overwhelmed and behind.
Steps (10 min total):
1. Form groups of 3-4. Each group draws a card (1 min).
2. List the excuses the priest or Levite in this situation might use: busy, awkward, not my job, someone else will (2 min).
3. List what mercy would cost: time, comfort, money, reputation (2 min).
4. Write one realistic action and the first step, like the Samaritan's: see, feel, go, help, follow up (3 min).
5. Each group shares in 30 seconds (2 min).
Safety: Any teen may pass. If a situation involves danger, harm or abuse, mercy means getting a trusted adult or emergency help right away.
Say: Mercy often looks like small, practical steps.
Go and Do Wristband (8 min)
Setup before class: Put cardstock strips, markers, scissors and tape on tables.
Steps (8 min total):
1. Take a strip and write 'Luke 10:37' on the outside, plus a symbol such as a heart or road (2 min).
2. On the inside, write one name or group of people you will show mercy to this week (2 min).
3. Next to it, write one specific action and when you will do it (2 min).
4. Trim the strip if needed, wrap it around your wrist, and tape it closed (1 min).
5. Tell a partner your plan, or just show the strip if you'd rather not say (1 min).
Safety: Scissors only with supervision, and use round-tip if available.
Say: Wear it as a reminder that love is something we do.
Talk It Through (10 min)
Say: Let's talk honestly. There are no wrong answers, just honest ones.
Split into groups of 3-4, then share highlights.
1. Why do you think Jesus made the hero a Samaritan? (He wanted to challenge prejudice and show mercy can come from the last person we'd expect.)
2. What do you think made the priest and Levite pass by? (The text doesn't say. Common reasons: fear, busyness, convenience, thinking someone else will help.)
3. Which part of the Samaritan's help costs you the most: time, money, or comfort? (Answers vary. Honesty is the goal.)
4. Who are the people at school or online that are easy to walk past? (The lonely, the unpopular, the annoying, the people who are different.)
5. How does knowing that Jesus showed mercy to us change how we treat others? (We've received what we couldn't earn, so we can give freely and not out of guilt.)
Say: Mercy begins when we notice the person in front of us.
Go and Do Likewise (6 min)
Say: Jesus ended his story with a command, not a theory.
Memory verse (2 min). Write Luke 10:37 on the board. Say it together three times. Then erase one word at a time and repeat until they can say it from memory.
Prayer (3 min). Invite teens to pray aloud or silently using these points:
- Thank God for the mercy he has shown us.
- Ask God to soften our hearts toward people we tend to avoid.
- Pray for courage to act on the plan on our wristband.
- Pray for people in our community who need help.
Say: Go and do likewise. See you next week, and bring your stories.
Dismiss (1 min).
Materials
- KJV Bibles (one per pair)
- Index cards (scenario cards)
- Markers and pens
- Cardstock strips, about 2 x 8 inches
- Scissors
- Clear tape
- Whiteboard or large paper
Teacher notes
- Adaptation: Use pairs or buddy groups for anyone who is quiet or uncomfortable in groups. Offer to write instead of speaking, and give written scenarios for anyone who struggles to process verbally.
- Safety: The craft uses scissors and tape, so supervise scissor use and have pre-cut strips ready for anyone who needs them.
- Some teens may feel left out or have been hurt by others. Do not shame anyone for walking past, and never force sharing.
- If time runs short, shorten the craft sharing or discussion, but keep the teaching and the memory verse.
Send it home with parents
Today we studied Luke 10:25-37. A lawyer asked Jesus who his neighbour was, and Jesus told the story of a Samaritan who stopped to help a wounded man when a priest and a Levite passed by. Jesus asked which one was the neighbour and told us to go and do likewise. Teens made a wristband with one person to show mercy to this week.
- Who is someone at school or online that is easy to ignore, and what could you do for them?
- What makes it hard to stop and help, and what would help you do it anyway?
- How has someone shown mercy to you?
At dinner, each person shares a time someone showed them mercy. Then the family picks one neighbour, relative or classmate to help together this week.
Do the act of mercy written on your wristband, then tell a parent or leader how it went.
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