The Parable of the Good Samaritan for Mission

The Parable of the Good Samaritan & the Mission of Christ

(Luke 10:25–37)

Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan reveals the radical love of God through the actions of one considered an outsider. In a world shaped by prejudice and exclusion, the Samaritan becomes the embodiment of mercy—crossing boundaries of race, religion, and geography to care for a wounded stranger.

Rev. Bill Sanders’ Cotton Patch Gospel study reimagines this parable in the context of Georgia, America, showing that the Gospel of Christ is not confined to ancient lands but must be lived out in our present-day realities. Just as the Samaritan incarnated compassion on a dangerous road, we are called to embody Christ’s love in our own communities—especially among the marginalized and mistreated.

Mission, then, is not abstract. It is incarnational. It is the Word made flesh in our thoughts, actions, and relationships. When we live the Gospel here and now—like the Samaritan did—we reveal the presence of Christ among us.