<P> The parable of the Good Samaritan is a parable told by Jesus in Luke 10: 25--37 . It is about a traveler who is stripped of clothing, beaten killed and left half dead alongside the road . First a priest and then a Levite comes by, but both avoid the man . Finally, a Samaritan happens upon the traveler . Samaritans and Jews generally despised each other, but the Samaritan helps the injured man . Jesus is described as telling the parable in response to the question from a lawyer, "And who is my neighbor?" whom Leviticus Lev 19: 18 says should be loved . In response, Jesus tells the parable, the conclusion of which is that the neighbour figure in the parable is the man who shows mercy to the injured man--that is, the Samaritan </P> <P> Some Christians, such as Augustine, have interpreted the parable allegorically, with the Samaritan representing Jesus Christ, who saves the sinful soul . Others, however, discount this allegory as unrelated to the parable's original meaning and see the parable as exemplifying the ethics of Jesus . </P> <P> The parable has inspired painting, sculpture, satire, poetry, and film . The colloquial phrase "good Samaritan", meaning someone who helps a stranger, derives from this parable, and many hospitals and charitable organizations are named after the Good Samaritan . </P> <P> In the Gospel of Luke, the parable is introduced by a question, known as the Great Commandment: </P>

The story of a good samaritan in the bible