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THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S “A certain m an” (who may stand for th e first Adam and representative o f " all men) goes from Jerusalem (th e city of God) to Jericho (th e city of judg m en t). It is down hill all th e way,—: a perilous road infested by robbers. A man sta rts in life w ith his back toward God and his face hellw ard (Rom. 3 :2 3 ): “ F o r a l l h a v e s in n e d a n d c o m e s h o r t o f t h e g l o r y o f G o d .” - Jesu s pictures th e man as falling among thieves, stripped, wounded and left to die. The devil is a highway rob ber. He allows none to pass w ithout robbing them ; even though they may be his own children, he loves to give them a deadly wound. “A certain p riest” by chance (or b e t ter, by providence, for th ere is no such th ing as chance in God’s dealings w ith m en ), eith er on his way to or from Jerusalem— perhaps going up to tak e his tu rn in the temple service—p e r ceived th e man and passed by. The law demanded th a t he should help lift e v e n ' his neighbor’s beast if it fell into a pit. Love demanded th a t he should help his neighbor in h is extrem ity. The law of love is always th e same (Prov. 21:13) “ W h o s o s t o p p e t h h is e a r s a t t h e c r y o f t h e p o o r , h e a l s o s h a l l c r y h im s e lf b u t s h a l l n o t b e h e a r d .” B u t th e man m ight be dead and so defile him. He must inove on. E ither he was preoccupied w ith his own though ts; or he pretended not to see him ; or th e perf&nctory performance of his service was more to him th a n mercy;. (1 John 3 :1 8 ): “ M y l i t t l e c h i ld r e n , l e t u s n o t lo y e in w o r d , n e i t h e r i n to n g u e ; b u t i n d e e d a n d i n t r u t h . ” “Likewise a Levite” came and looked upon him and left him. He followed in th e steps of th e priest. It would not do fo r him to recognize a call which his superior had overlooked. The priest perhaps left him to th e Levite, and the Levite left him to his fate. The priest may symbolize the law, which is inef fectual to help the sinner. It is power less. It can only say, “Get up and go ahead.” The law knows no pity, no
mercy. The Levite represents th e forms and ceremonies of a merely religious life. They, too, are powerless to help! They can lift no one who has fallen. There is no life in them ; no touch of sympathy. (Matt.. 2 3 :23 ). “A certain S am aritan” — not by chance, bu t guided, as are th e steps of a good man, by th e Lord,— came where he was. “He saw him .” He did not pass by on th e other side; he stopped. He saw w hat th e p riest and the Levite missed,— an opportunity to bestow a blessing. (Luke 7 :1 3 ). H e sympathized w ith him . The word used is “ compassion”— said to be one of th e strongest words in th e Greek lan guage to rep resen t deep yearning of soul. The h ea rt of our Lord is ever drawn out to the helpless one. He stooped down. Dismounting from th e beast, he got down beside th e man, into living, loving touch. The man was not hjs friend, b u t ra th e r his enemy. No doubt, if able, h e would have des pised even th e proffered help from a Samaritan. (1 Thess. 5 :1 5 ). He succored him. He washed away th e blood, poured oil intp his wounds and wine into his mouth. He bound w ith tender touch th e bleeding wounds and m inistered to his every need. (Psa. 147 :3 ). He sub stitu ted him . . He lifted him to his own place on th e beast and took his place on th e road. Having begun a good work, he prosecutes it to the end. He will not leave him where he will be in fu rth e r danger. (Prov. 19 :17 ). He supplied h is needs. He conveyed him to th e inn, p u t him into th e safe keeping of th e host, and made provision for the fu tu re. He left nothing undone which could be done. He made full paym ent and promised to come again and settle any unsettled account. This is th e Lord’s picture .of a neigh borly act. It silenced th e scribe and should in stru ct us. P ity th e man who
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