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T H E
K I N G S
B U S I N E S S
February, 1936
I think that when Jesus was telling this story, He was hoping that the man would understand that He, Jesus, was like the good Samaritan. He had come to seek and to save people who were lost.
come he describes as follow s: “The girls visited her regularly for some weeks, washing and mending, besides providing abundantly for her physical needs. On my next visit she was in great joy and said: ‘Them’s nice little gals you sent to see m e; they are so kind and good.’ “ ‘Yes, Granny, those little girls are your friends and are going to look after you as long as you live.’ “Tears started from her eyes as she ask ed with a tremulous voice, ‘And why will they do this for me?’ . “I replied: ‘Because they love Jesus, and for His sake they have learned to love you.’ “ ‘I never belonged to any church,’ she said, ‘and know very little about ’em.’ “ ‘Oh, never mind that, Granny. Jesus loves you; He wants you to be His child.’ “ ‘Does He want me?’ “ ‘Yes, Granny, He wants you. Don’t you think you could trust Him and take Him as your Saviour ?’ “ She waited a moment, and then said, ‘Yes, my Lord, I will, I will.’ “ In company witb others, on the first Sabbath of May, in 1899, at the age of 108, she publicly united with the Wesley Church, and for the first time in her life partook of the Lord’s Supper.”—Adapted from The Bottles o f Heaven, by Revilo. Jesus’ Story of a Good Neighbor L u k e 10:25-37 Memory Verse: “ Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matt. 22:39). Approach: After Jesus and His disciples came down from the mountain side, Jesus went right on with His work, and the dis ciples went with Him as He preached and strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.” The man knew that this was the answer, but he said to Jesus: “Who is my neighbor?” T o answer this question, Jesus told a story. Lesson Story: I think perhaps you have heard this story; and if you have, you can help me tell it. There was a man traveling along the dangerous road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Robbers fell upon him and stripped him and wounded him and left him half dead. After a while, a priest came by. The priest saw the wounded man, but, instead o f helping him, he cross ed over to the other side and went on. Soon a Levite, who was a man who helped in the temple, came by. He, too, looked at the man and crossed to the other side and went on. Next came a Samaritan. Now the Jews hated the Samaritans. The Sa maritan saw the wounded man. The Sa maritan knew that this man was a Jew, but, because the man was in trouble, the Samaritan bound up the Jew’s wounds, put him on his donkey, and took him to an inn to be taken care of. 'When Jesus finished the story, He asked the listener which one was the neighbor, and, of course, the man said it was the one who had helped the wounded man. taught and healed. One day a man came t6 Jesus and said something like this: “What must I do to get to heaven ?” Now in the Old Testament it is said: “ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
III. T h e E xhortation in th e T eaching (37). “Go, and do thou likewise.” The law yer’s question was answered, and he was given a new opportunity to fulfill the law by being a neighbor. W e must be most careful that we do not confuse this lesson with the gospel of our salvation. After all the neighborliness has been manifested, there still remains the first table o f the law, and it calls for obedience. As no one ever did or could fulfill this first com mandment, all are under the law’s condem nation. And for this judgment there is no relief except in the salvation purchased by the blood o f Christ on Calvary and now o f fered freely, as a gift, to all who will re ceive it by simple faith. Points and Problems 1. I do not think the story o f the Good Samaritan is a parable. It is not so called. On the contrary, our Lord refers to "a certain man” (v. 30), “a certain priest’ (v. 31), and “a certain Samaritan” (v. 33). These individuals see'm to be just as genu inely concrete as was the “ certain lawyer” (v. 25) whose questions called forth the matchless story. A parable need be only something that could happen. But this story is of something that did happen. 2. “With all thy heart . . . soul . . . strength . . . mind" (v. 27). These four terms do not indicate a fourfold division of human nature. “ Heart” stands for the whole man, being perhaps the most inclu sive psychological term in the Bible. “ Strength” may refer to physical strength. “Mind” , certainly points to “ spirit” which is the source of the intellect. Thus we might paraphrase the passage: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with your entire being, soul, body, and spirit.” This har monizes with the general teaching o f the Word, that man is a threefold being. 3. “ Went down from Jerusalem to Jer icho” (v. 30). Translate “was going down.” The Greek verb is an imperfect which describes the journey vividly as in progress. Certainly the writer knew his geography. From Jerusalem to Jericho was| “down,” a startling descent. 4. “Bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine” (v. 34). The two Greek verbs are technical medical terms, another of the many literary evidences which prove that the writer was Luke, the beloved phy sician. 5. Two things were accomplished by our Lord in His telling of the story of the Good Samaritan: First, He put the lawyer where he belonged, among the sinners, by showing him the real meaning o f just one commandment of the law, “ Thou shalt love . . . thy neighbor as thyself.” But second, in the very story used to condemn the lawyer, our Lord enshrines a perfect allegory of salvation by grace. See the helpless sinner in verse 30, the failure o f religion to help him (vs. 31, 32), and the picture o f grace in the Samaritan who provides both for present and future needs, all without cost to the injured man (vs. 34, 35). So our Lord does for us. Golden Text Illustration W. F. Wilson, pastor of the Wesley Methodist Church of Hamilton, Ontario, tells of making a call, in 1897, in the home o f an old woman commonly called “Granny,” who was 106 years o f age. Finding her in real want, the pastor asked some of the little girls in his church to take a supply o f dainties to “ Granny.” The out-
Object Lesson S eeing or S aving
Objects: A telescope and a piece of rope. (I f a telescope cannot be secured, an imi tation one can be made easily by rolling wrapping paper in sections.) Lesson: No ship ever goes on a sea voyage without taking these two objects. The sailor uses the telescope in order that he may see for a great distance. If . he should see something on the water which looked like a person, he would take his telescope in order to be able to tell what it was. If it proved to be a person, the ship would draw near, a rope such as this one would be thrown overboard, and the person would be rescued. The sailor could see with the telescope, but he would use the rope to rescue the drowning person. This telescope and rope can remind us o f Christ’s parable o f the good Samaritan.* The priest and the Levite were like this telescope. They could see the poor man in, trouble, but that was all they did. They may have felt very sorry for Him, but their feeling sorry did not help him. He needed some one to lift him and take him to the inn where he could regain his health. This rope reminds me of the good Sa maritan. He was not as proud and well- dressed, perhaps, as the other two, but his pity caused him to do something. He lift ed the poor man, and, placing him on his own donkey, took him to the inn and cared for him. As we journey along the pathway o f life, we shall see many who have been robbed by sin. It is not enough to use the teles cope on them and feel sorry. They need the rope o f salvation to lift them. Christ is the only One who can help them. The best way to be a good neighbor is to tell of Christ and His power to save from sin. “ Throw out the life-line I Throw out the life-line! Some one is drifting away; Throw out the life-line! Throw out the life-line! Some one is sinking today.” Slum Workers That Last A test o f any good thing is its enduring quality. Jane Addams of Hull House, Chi cago, some time ago in an interview with a newspaper reporter, when she was asked upon whom she relied for volunteer un salaried workers—“ creedless altruists, or church members,” was quoted as saying in reply: “ They are all Christians from evan gelical churches. I have had a good many ‘altruists’ try it, but'I never knew any slum worker to stand the wear and tear of our work for over three weeks unless inspired by Christian love.”— 1,001 Illustrations for Pulpit and Platform, by Webb.
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