Translation of Luke 10:25-37 in NLT:
25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
27 The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”
29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by.
32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.
34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.
35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
Flash Fiction Story:
On a rainy Wednesday in New York City, Clara rushed down the sidewalk, balancing a latte and her work bag, trying not to get wet. She was passing 5th Avenue when she noticed a man slumped against the wall of a building, a bloodied cut on his forehead and an unmistakable look of distress. Fearful of being late, she hesitated but ultimately hurried past, blending into the wave of umbrellas.
A businessman followed shortly after. He slowed his pace just enough to catch a glimpse of the man but, concerned about his meeting, pulled out his phone upon moving and continued walking without further pause.
Minutes later, Sara, a high school student from the nearby arts school, came along. Seeing the man, she stopped and crouched down, offering her hands-on first-aid knowledge she had learned in school. She used her scarf to wipe away the blood and called an ambulance. Managing to communicate with him, she learned his name was Tom and that he had lost his job and had been jumped in the area.
When the ambulance arrived, Sara handed over $20, telling the paramedic, “Please make sure he gets lunch once he’s better.” The paramedic nodded, impressed by her generosity.
The following week, Tom, the now-recovering man, and Sara met again. This time, he was clean and smiling, carrying a bouquet of flowers in gratitude.
Analysis of the Story and Verse:
Both the modern story and the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan explore the themes of compassion, prejudice, and the definition of “neighbor.” In the parable, a Samaritan, typically despised by Jews of that time, is the one who shows compassion to the beaten man, not the religious figures expected to act with love. Similarly, in the flash fiction story, the high school student, typically viewed as inexperienced or even naive by adults, proves to be the one who genuinely helps, disregarding societal roles and expectations.
The key message in both is that acts of true kindness often come from unlikely sources, and they challenge the reader to consider who they deem their “neighbor.” Both the parable and flash fiction demand introspection about how people value others based on superficial attributes like status, race, or age.
In modern terms, the flash fiction story depicts a busy, often individualistic society and contrasts it with the pure, uncalculating generosity of Sara, echoing the teachings of Jesus: it’s our deeds of love and mercy that make us neighbors, not just proximity or shared identity. Both narratives encourage action over complacency, urging that one should "go and do the same" — be a neighbor by actively showing love and compassion.
