Sample Worksheet

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

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Material Overview

Mercy, compassion, and the meaning of neighbor

Subject Religious Studies
Subject Area Biblical Studies

Grade/Level 5th Grade

Type Worksheet

Difficulty Standard

Learning Setting Homeschool

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Teacher Context

Teacher Lesson Scope

This worksheet practices identifying the core events of the Parable of the Good Samaritan and applying the concepts of mercy, compassion, and neighboring. Students should have prior exposure to the parable in Luke 10:25-37. The exercises progress from vocabulary and comprehension questions to deeper reflective application.

Instructor Guidance and Adaptation Notes

  • Pacing: This worksheet is designed for approximately 45 minutes of independent work. If students find the reading or writing challenging, the instructor can read the passages aloud and discuss the short-answer questions verbally.
  • Deepening the Lesson: For an extension, have students act out the parable with family members or write a modern-day version of the story.
  • Sibling Adaptation: Younger siblings can focus on drawing a picture of what it looks like to help someone, while older students can write a longer essay comparing historical relations between Jews and Samaritans.

Printable Student Copy

Student Version

Name:
Date:

Directions: Read each question carefully. For matching and multiple-choice questions, select the best answer. For fill-in-the-blank questions, write the correct word in the space. For short-answer questions, write your thoughts in complete sentences.

  1. Match the term "Compassion" to its correct definition by choosing from the options below:
    A. A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.
    B. Actively withholding help from someone in need because of their background.
    C. Expecting a reward before helping another person.
    D. Feeling happy about someone else's difficult situation.

  2. Match the term "Mercy" to its correct definition by choosing from the options below:
    A. The act of judging someone quickly based on their appearance.
    B. Kind or forgiving treatment of someone when it is in one's power to punish or harm them, or showing active kindness to those in distress.
    C. Waiting for someone else to help before taking action.
    D. Helping only those who belong to your specific group or community.

  3. Match the term "Neighbor" as redefined by Jesus in the Parable of the Good Samaritan:
    A. Only the people who live directly next door to your house.
    B. People who share the exact same beliefs, background, and culture as you.
    C. Anyone who is in need of help, regardless of their background, culture, or differences.
    D. People who have promised to help you in return.

  4. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, which two characters walked past the injured man without helping him?
    A. The Samaritan and the innkeeper
    B. The priest and the Levite
    C. The soldier and the merchant
    D. The shepherd and the farmer

  5. Why was it surprising to Jesus's listeners that the Samaritan was the one who helped the injured traveler?
    A. Samaritans and Jews historically did not get along and avoided each other.
    B. Samaritans were known for being poor and having no money to help.
    C. Samaritans lived too far away to travel on that road.
    D. Samaritans did not know how to care for wounds.

  6. What did the Good Samaritan do after bandaging the injured man's wounds?
    A. He left him by the side of the road to find his own way home.
    B. He took him to an inn, cared for him, and paid the innkeeper to continue his care.
    C. He asked the priest and the Levite to come back and help.
    D. He took the man's belongings as payment for his help.

  7. Complete the sentence based on Luke 10:27: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as .

  8. When the expert in the law asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?", Jesus answered not with a simple definition, but by telling a story called a .

  9. Explain how the Good Samaritan demonstrated compassion in a practical, hands-on way. Use details from the story to support your answer.

  1. Read the following scenario: A new student at homeschool co-op drops their books, and several papers scatter across the floor. Other students walk past. Describe one practical way you can show mercy or compassion in this situation, and explain how this connects to being a good neighbor.

Teacher Copy

Answer Key

  1. Match the term "Compassion" to its correct definition by choosing from the options below:
    A. A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.
    B. Actively withholding help from someone in need because of their background.
    C. Expecting a reward before helping another person.
    D. Feeling happy about someone else's difficult situation.

  2. Match the term "Mercy" to its correct definition by choosing from the options below:
    A. The act of judging someone quickly based on their appearance.
    B. Kind or forgiving treatment of someone when it is in one's power to punish or harm them, or showing active kindness to those in distress.
    C. Waiting for someone else to help before taking action.
    D. Helping only those who belong to your specific group or community.

  3. Match the term "Neighbor" as redefined by Jesus in the Parable of the Good Samaritan:
    A. Only the people who live directly next door to your house.
    B. People who share the exact same beliefs, background, and culture as you.
    C. Anyone who is in need of help, regardless of their background, culture, or differences.
    D. People who have promised to help you in return.

  4. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, which two characters walked past the injured man without helping him?
    A. The Samaritan and the innkeeper
    B. The priest and the Levite
    C. The soldier and the merchant
    D. The shepherd and the farmer

  5. Why was it surprising to Jesus's listeners that the Samaritan was the one who helped the injured traveler?
    A. Samaritans and Jews historically did not get along and avoided each other.
    B. Samaritans were known for being poor and having no money to help.
    C. Samaritans lived too far away to travel on that road.
    D. Samaritans did not know how to care for wounds.

  6. What did the Good Samaritan do after bandaging the injured man's wounds?
    A. He left him by the side of the road to find his own way home.
    B. He took him to an inn, cared for him, and paid the innkeeper to continue his care.
    C. He asked the priest and the Levite to come back and help.
    D. He took the man's belongings as payment for his help.

  7. Complete the sentence based on Luke 10:27: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as .

  8. When the expert in the law asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?", Jesus answered not with a simple definition, but by telling a story called a .

  9. Explain how the Good Samaritan demonstrated compassion in a practical, hands-on way. Use details from the story to support your answer.

  10. Read the following scenario: A new student at homeschool co-op drops their books, and several papers scatter across the floor. Other students walk past. Describe one practical way you can show mercy or compassion in this situation, and explain how this connects to being a good neighbor.

Answers and Explanations

  1. A. A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.
    Explanation: Compassion involves both feeling sympathy for someone else's suffering and desiring to take action to relieve that suffering.

  2. B. Kind or forgiving treatment of someone when it is in one's power to punish or harm them, or showing active kindness to those in distress.
    Explanation: Mercy is characterized by showing forbearance, forgiveness, or active kindness and assistance to those who are in distress or subject to one's power.

  3. C. Anyone who is in need of help, regardless of their background, culture, or differences.
    Explanation: In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus expands the definition of neighbor beyond cultural and geographic boundaries to include anyone in need.

  4. B. The priest and the Levite
    Explanation: According to the parable in Luke 10, both a priest and a Levite passed by the injured man on the other side of the road without offering assistance.

  5. A. Samaritans and Jews historically did not get along and avoided each other.
    Explanation: First-century Jews and Samaritans experienced deep-seated cultural, religious, and historical hostility, making the Samaritan's act of mercy highly unexpected.

  6. B. He took him to an inn, cared for him, and paid the innkeeper to continue his care.
    Explanation: The Samaritan went beyond immediate first aid by transporting the man to an inn, looking after him overnight, and paying the host to ensure his ongoing recovery.

  7. yourself
    Explanation: Luke 10:27 concludes the greatest commandment with the instruction to love your neighbor as yourself.

  8. parable
    Explanation: Jesus frequently used parables, which are simple stories used to illustrate moral or spiritual lessons, to answer difficult questions.

  9. The Samaritan demonstrated compassion by physically tending to the man's immediate needs: he bandaged his wounds, poured oil and wine on them, put the man on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and paid for his ongoing care.
    Explanation: Compassion requires active effort; the Samaritan did not just feel bad for the victim but took concrete, costly, and physical steps to heal and protect him.

  10. Answers will vary. A complete response should describe a concrete action, such as stopping to help the student pick up their books and papers instead of walking past. It must explain that this connects to being a good neighbor because it shows active care and mercy to someone in immediate need, welcoming them into the community regardless of whether they are already friends.
    Explanation: Being a good neighbor means taking practical action to help others in distress, mirroring the actions of the Samaritan when others choose to walk by.