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What happens in the parable of the good Samaritan in the Gospel According to Luke?

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St. Luke the Evangelist — St. Luke St. Luke, illuminated page from the Beatus Apocalypse, Mozarabic, 975; in the Gerona Cathedral, Spain.

In the Gospel According to Luke, specifically in Luke 10:30–37, Jesus tells the parable of the good Samaritan to illustrate a moral lesson about compassion.12

The story follows a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho who is attacked by robbers, beaten, and left for dead. Although the victim was likely a Jew, a priest and a Levite both pass by without stopping to assist him.1

The narrative takes a turn when a Samaritan—a member of a group that historically held hostile relations with Jews—encounters the injured man. Unlike the others, the Samaritan stops to provide aid. Today, the term "Good Samaritan" is used to describe someone who generously helps those in distress, and the concept is reflected in legal protections known as Good Samaritan laws.1