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What is a Good Samaritan?

Tricia Christensen
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Updated: May 23, 2024
Views: 27,013
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The term good Samaritan derives from the biblical passage in Luke 10:30/33 of the New Testament. It is a description of how a man who is attacked by thieves is helped by a Samaritan, who was not even a person of the Jewish faith. Several people ignore the man before the Samaritan helps. This suggests the inclusion of gentiles into Christianity, a religion that will embrace not only the Jews but also all who believe in the one God and who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Since that biblical passage, which is a parable told by Christ according to Luke, a good Samaritan has come to mean any person who helps another without thought for reward. A person performing the Heimlich maneuver, for example, to save someone from choking to death could be described using this term. A person who risks her own life to save someone from a burning house or car is also a good Samaritan.

In most cases, the term does not apply to people paid to perform such acts. For example a doctor performing CPR at a hospital is not a good Samaritan, since he or she is paid to do so. A fireman who rushes into a burning building is heroic, but is also doing his job.

Some people disagree with this distinction, however, particularly in the second example. A fireman is risking his life every time he attempts to save someone under dangerous circumstances. Thus some would consider him or her a good Samaritan even though he or she might be paid for such risk.

For a time, people became somewhat leery of helping others in fear of getting sued by those they attempted to rescue. Especially in the US, for a while, a person who tried to help others was not always protected by the law, and this discouraged people from stepping in to help in a time of need. If a person performed CPR and cracked someone’s rib, for example, he could be sued even if he saved the person’s life. There are now good Samaritan laws in place in most places to protect people from lawsuits when they attempt to save or render help to a person in need.

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Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a PublicPeople contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.
Discussion Comments
By anon958089 — On Jun 24, 2014

A Good Samaritan can be any benevolent person believing in the Biblical description of a good Samaritan. I think it is time to integrate!

By anon324819 — On Mar 12, 2013

The whole point of the Good Samaritan parable was to point out to the "religious nut" who our neighbor really is. The scribe or Lawyer had asked, "who is my neighbor" after paraphrasing Leviticus 19:18, "love your neighbor as yourself". Jesus' response to the Lawyer's question actually answers two questions.

The first answer is that God loves everyone, but prefers "fruits of the spirit" over "religious nuts"! The second answer is everyone is our neighbor, regardless of color, creed, national origin, sex or religious preference. Whether our neighbor is hard to love, has hurt us in some way, is grouchy, arrogant or even evil, Jesus’ instruction in the parable to the religious nut is for us too – “Go and do the same.”

By BostonIrish — On Dec 22, 2010

@Renegade

The reason this parable was so counter-cultural was also because the Samaritan obviously had nothing to gain from the injured man on the side of the road. If he had been Jewish or an acquaintance, that would be understandable: he would have gained an ally and perhaps monetary help in the long run. But the fact that these two never would have normally interacted shows what a kind heart this Samaritan had, truly giving of himself without expectation of return.

By Renegade — On Dec 20, 2010

The good samaritan parable was told to emphasize the fact that Jesus was reaching out to the outcasts of his society and recognized their value. Samaritans were viewed with much hatred by the Jewish people of the day, and therefore this parable was very controversial at the time. Today, in our society, the application should be made toward people who may be viewed as societal outcasts. Love, forgiveness, acceptance, and tolerance, are all important morals which have come as a result of parables like this.

By serious — On Apr 29, 2010

Our faith in Jesus Christ produces "good works".

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a PublicPeople contributor, Tricia...
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