Listen to Devotion

Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:30-37

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Have you ever heard of Mr. Rogers? He was the kind man on a popular kids’ TV show called Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. At the beginning of every show, he sang a little song that said, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” That was his way of saying, “I want to be kind to you.”

In today’s Bible story, Jesus tells us to be like Mr. Rogers—kind, caring, and ready to help anyone who needs it. To help explain what that means, Jesus told a story called the Good Samaritan.

Here’s how it went:

That doesn’t sound very neighborly, does it?

Then someone else came down the road—a Samaritan. Now, Samaritans and Israelites didn’t get along at all. In fact, they usually didn’t even talk to each other. But this Samaritan stopped. He helped the hurt man. He put bandages on his wounds, put him on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and paid for him to stay there until he felt better.

Was the Samaritan a good neighbor? Definitely! He helped someone who was very different from him. He showed kindness—even to someone who might not have done the same for him.

So what does Jesus want us to learn?

Being a neighbor doesn’t just mean living next door. It means seeing someone who needs help—and helping them. Even if they’re different from you. Even if you don’t know them. Even if it’s hard.

So the next time you’re out in your neighborhood, practice asking, “How can I be a neighbor today?”

Heavenly Father, help me notice people who need help. Help me be a kind and caring neighbor like the Good Samaritan. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

Questions for Elementary Age Children

Questions for Middle School and Above

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