November 1924
TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
711
Lesson Story.-—-Last week we heard about a man who spoke out for Jesus. He did not keep quiet and not let people know that he belonged to Jesus. Who will tell us about him? Do the people in our homes know we belong to Jesus becausé they see the' light of Jesus shining out through our lives? When Jesus lived down here on earth He looked like other men, and a great many people did not believe He was Christ, God’s Son. Jesus began to tell His disciples about His having to go to Jerusalem and be cruelly treated by the chief priests and scribes ; that He would be killed by them, but Would rise again on the third day. When Peter heard these things, he said no, these things should not happen to Jesus, but Jesus was displeased with Peter, for Jesus came into this world to suffer and die for us, and do the things that would please God, and not men. Jesus said if people loved Him they would follow in His ways, no matter how hard and painful it might be. For, He asked, what good would it do any one to have anything in the world for his own, as long as he lived, if, after he died, he should lose hie own soul. After this Jesus took Peter, James and John, three of His disciples, and went up on a high mountain to pray. While Jesus was praying something wonderful happened. His face was changed, so that it shone bright like the sun, and His clothes glistened, and were white as snow. And suddenly two men were with Him. They were Moses and Elijah, who had come back to this world to talk to Jesus about being crucified. The Bible tells us they appeared in glory, that is they, looked beautiful and shining, and glorious as they will look in heaven. The disciples wanted to stay on the mountain, and Peter asked Jesus if they could not build tents and stay there. While He was speaking, there came a bright cloud and covered them, and God’s voice spoke out of the cloud, say ing, “ This is my beloved Son, hear him.” When the dis ciples heard it, they bowed down with their faces to the ground, and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, and said, “ Arise, be not afraid.” When they had risen up and looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw no one except Jesus. God the Father not only spoke and told them Jesus was His Son, but He let His glory shine forth. Our memory verse says, “ They saw his glory.” And just think, children, we who love Jesus are some day going to spe His glory too, for we will go to live with Him in heaven forever. We want to remember the words the Father spoke, too, telling us to hear Him, that is, hear Jesus. Are we obeying His Word? That means; that we are to hear Him through the Bible. Closing Prayer. “ Dear heavenly Father, we thank Thee for sending Jesus, and may our ears always be open to hear Him, and make us willing to obey His Word.”
E x a m p l e o f o o d n e s s XHORTATION TO \ J O A N D DO “ Inasmuch as - - - - ye have done it unto me. — Matt. 25:40
describes were of frequent occurrence. Because of the numerous robberies and murders on the LESSON eighteen-mile road from Jerusalem to EXPOSITION Jericho, it was called “ the path of F. W. Farr blood.” The story is no fancy sketch. It is an idealized example of true benev olence in contrast with utter selfishness. It was told to answer the question, “Who is my neighbor?” It is an illus tration, intended to show us what to avoid as well as what to cultivate if we would really and truly love our neighbor as ourselves. The law of the Old Testament commanded that mercy should be shown to one’s neighbor and even to a beast (Exodus 23:4, 5; Deuteronomy 22:1-4), but the priest and the Levite (who was a subordinate officer in the temple), both disregarded it. The Samaritan paid thirty-four cents, which was equivalent to the two days’ wages of a laboring man at that time. It shows that anyone who is in need is one’s neighbor, irrespective of race, nation or religion; and that the whole-hearted practice of kindness and helpful- hess demonstrates a righteous spirit more than the observ ance of any number of forms and ceremonies. The ministry of the Samaritan was of the spirit rather than of the letter. He believed that love meant the doing of everything in his power for each and every one who needed help. This difference is everywhere apparent. In any shop there is the man who only gives his hands to his employer and mechanically does what he is hired to do, neither less nor more; and there is also the smiling and obliging workman who always finds something to do, which the contract does not call for, without waiting to be asked. In the office there is the clerk who complains about doing a bit of work because it is not in his department, and there is the good-natured and ambitious boy who does what needs to be done, whether it belongs to his department or not, because he wants to make those aTound him happy and promote the interests of his employer. Character may be judged more accurately, not by the so-called “ determinate virtues” which are marked off from their opposite vices by well-defined boundaries, but by those virtues which are “ indeterminate,” when one’s devotion to them is measured by the promptings of the heart. A man cannot lie or steal without stepping across an obvious bound ary between right and wrong, but he may be selfish and inconsiderate because the law of love is left indefinite. It is like an algebraic formula expressed in general terms and awaiting some occasion to be translated into concrete and definite particulars. If there had been a chapter and verse anywhere in the Old Testament which said: “ If thou shalt find a man lying by the roadside helpless, wounded and half-dead, thou shalt go to him and bind up his wounds with oil and wine and take him to the nearest inn and pay his board till he is convalescent,” the priest and Levite would have known such a verse and doubtless they would have done exactly as it prescribed. Because, however, the Scripture said: “ Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,” and did not say who the neighbor was and precisely what was to be done for him, they did not feel under any obligation to lift a finger on his behalf. As translating Greek and Latin sentence’s into his
NOVEMBER 30, 1924 THE GOOD SAMARITAN
Golden Text: “ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thy self.” Luke 10:27. Lesson Text: Luke 10:25-37. (Read Matt. 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-31.) Devotional Reading: 1 John 4:7-21. The parable of the Good Samaritan is given by Luke only and was probably spoken in Perea, where the Saviour’s ministry covered three or four months. Scenes such as it
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