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The Pretty Good Samaritan

Album: 26: Back on the Air

Episode: 343

Lesson/Theme: Treating others with kindness.

Bible Verse: Luke 10:30-37

Characters: Connie

Writer: Marshal Younger

Sound Designer: Mark Drury

Original Air Date: January 27, 1996

Last Air Date: May 18, 2009

Description:
Connie has assigned a project to her Sunday school class: They must come up with original presentations of Bible stories. Brenda decides to do a puppet show of the story of Jesus and the 10 lepers. Charles plans to use popsicle sticks to present the story of the good Samaritan. They start on their projects, not realizing that they’ll both have opportunities to act out those stories in real life that week. Charles’s turn comes when he is assigned to sit next to Glenn in study hall. Glenn is terribly obnoxious. He nearly drives Charles crazy, and even gets Charles in trouble. But the next day, Charles is faced with a dilemma, Glenn has decided that Charles is the best friend he’s made since moving to Odyssey. Glenn invites Charles to his birthday party that Thursday after school. Later, on the bus, Charles tells Brenda to invite him somewhere, anywhere!, so he won’t have to go to Glenn’s party. Brenda does, and Charles is relieved, until that Friday when he discovers that no one showed up for Glenn’s party. Charles feels terrible about it, so terrible, he relates himself to the bad guys in the good Samaritan story. That Sunday, Brenda gives her presentation of Jesus and the 10 lepers. Then Connie provides the class with a treat, homemade ice cream. Everyone enjoys it, except Charles, who decides to make amends with Glenn. When Charles leaves, Brenda realizes that Connie isn’t there either. She rushes out to Connie’s car to thank her for the ice cream. Connie tells Brenda that she was the only kid to do so, just like in the story of the 10 lepers. As for Charles and Glenn, they have a nice game of catch. Charles realizes that even though he wasn’t exactly a good Samaritan, at least he was a pretty good Samaritan. And for now, that’s good enough.

Questions:
How should Charles have handled Glenn in study hall? Do you know anybody like Glenn? How do you treat that person? Why is it important to be a “good Samaritan”? Can you think of other ways to be one?