November, 1940
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
423
Him — their hearts have never been ¿banged. Being a Christian is more than outward appearance. It is the condition
of the heart which is brought about when one personally accepts Jésus Christ as Saviour.
sage was not teaching the way of eter nal life, but was revealing to the lawyer his failure in the very law which he supposedly honored and which7 he thought he kept. One’s being a good neighbor does not necessarily Imply that he is right ,‘with God; it has nothing to do with the first commandment: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.” If this lawyer did not measure up to the requirement concern ing his neighbor, how much less did he measure up to the one concerning God? Had this lawyer been honest in his inquiry, he certainly would have ac knowledged that he came short in obey ing both the first and the second com mandments, the two that embraced the whole law (cf. John 13:17; Jas. 2:10). And the acknbwledging of his failure would have led him to seek for some thing that could meet his need before God. The only attitude that could lead to this result would be for him to con fess his ignorance and his selfishness, as well as all his sinfulness, and accept as his own Saviour and Lord thè On® whom he sought to question. Eternal life comes, no4 as a reward for good deeds of-any kjnd, but through grace, in response to simple faith. Points and Problems 1. The” beautiful story of the Good Samaritan has been quite generally re garded as a parable, but there is no sug gestion of the parabolic form in the record. On the contrary, the story dis plays the characteristics of something which had actually taken place. In the first place, the story is not called a parable. Again, considering the loca tion, it is well known that such an in cident as this could easily^ have oc curred, and doubtless had often oc curred, on the way down to Jericho. But, finally, the strongest argument in favor of an actual occurrence may be seen in the Lord’s use of the term “ cer tain.” Luke 10:25 speaks of a “ certain lawyer,” whose question provoked the telling of the story, and all agree that this lawyer was no fictitious person. Furthermore, verse 38 speaks of Christ’s entering a “certain village.” But if the word “certain” indicates genuineness in verses 25 and 38, why should it not in dicate the same thing in verses 30, 31, and 33, where we read of a “ certain man,” ■and a “certain priest,” and a “certain Samaritan” ? 2. “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” (Lk. 10:27). This text, quot ed from Deuteronomy 6:5 by the law yer, is a marvel of accuracy from the standpoint of Biblical psychology. Ac cording to the Scriptures, man is a threefold being, having a body, a soul, and a spirit (cf. 1 Thess. 5:23). And these three elements of human nature are clearly indicated by the terms “ strength,” “soul,” and “mind.” But
DECEMBER 8, 1940 A GOOD NEIGHBOR L uke 10
* certainty of punishment for the least infraction. The lawyer answered correctly, but in so doing he condemned himself. And he knew he was condemned, because at once he, "willing to [or “wishing to” ] Justify himself,” asked, "And who is my neighbor?” He forgot entirely the first part of the law: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,” and centered his thought on the second part concerning man, and thus again re vealed his ignorance, pride, and selfish ness, all of which go with legality. n. T augh t by J esus (30-35) 1. The tragedy of mere profession (vs. 30-32). The powerlessness of the law is re vealed in the priest who could do noth ing more than look upon the need; he could not relieve it. And the power lessness of mere religious forms and ceremonies is seen in the Levite who revealed that these forms and ceremo nies are good only for the well, but hold no help for the sick. 2. The manifestation of goodness, or love to man (vs. 33-35). Here was a man who unconsciously fulfilled the law by loving his neighbor. The man was a Samaritan, an alien to the lawyer’s race, and outside the ju risdiction of the law, but he saw one in need and immediately had compassion upon him and treated him as the law re quired: He loved him as himself. HI. T he T eaching by J esus (36, 37) Jesus asked a question, "Which of these . . . was neighbor?” There could be but one answer, “He that showed mercy on him.” Then, in answer to the lawyer’s question concerning who was his neighbor, Jesus said, "Go, and do thou likewise.” Care must be exercised here lest we leave the impression that to “ do . . . likewise” is the message of the gospel. The Lord Jesus in this pas- • thou SHALT LOUE THE LOBO TM 4 GODWITH fl^THM HEART. AAD WITHALL TH 4 SOULHAD WITHA ll THH &TREGÛTH. AODWITHALLTH 4 fTUOD:Ano EHMAEIGHBOR Aà THHâELfuj.fioai vu«« SHfli-i I ---- iflHCUfuFtr /''VuiMftT a ( IOOTO«nt s. ETEROAL ♦O LU.IO:; f t k r G —«1 BLACKBOARD LESSON
Luke 10:25 And, behold, a certain law yer stood up, and tempted him, saying, M as ter, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said nnto him, W h at Is written in the law'? how readest. thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt lore the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and With all thy sonl, and with all thy strength, and with all thy m ind; and thy neighbor as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Tlion hast an swered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to Justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? 90 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and. fell among thieves, which stripped him o f his raiment, and wounded him, and de parted, leaving him half dea4. 91 And by chance there came down a cer tain priest that w ay; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other sl.de. 92 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 99 But a certain Samaritan, as he Jour neyed* came where he w as; and when he saw him, he had compassion on him. 94 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 85 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him : and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 86 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? 87 And he said, H e that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. L E SS O N T E X T : Lk. 10:25-87. G O L D E N T E X T : “ 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 m ind; and thy neighbor as thyself” (Lk. 10:27). D E V O T IO N A L B E A D IN G : Lev. 10:18-18. Outline and Exposition I. T esting J esus (25-29) N SEEKING to test Jesus, the lawyer asked a question which revealed four things: (1) his own ignorance, be cause he implied that eternal life was something he could secure by what he did; (2) his sinful state, because he confessed he did not possess eternal life; (3)i his natural pride, because he suggested he could do whatever might be required to obtain eternal life; and (4) his selfishness, because it was of himself only that he was thinking. The Lord Jesus met him on his own ground, that of legalism. In answer to Christ’s query, the lawyer very glibly repeated the two main points in the law: love to God and love to man. Jesus re plied, "This do, and thou shalt live.” In other words, “Thou shalt live without the law’s taking action against you” ; the reference is not to eternal life. The law says, in effect, “Do and live; fail to do, and die.” There is no word of forgive ness or of mercy in law, but only the
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