JE 16
June 16
Luke 10:25-37. The good Samaritan.
This lawyer, who came to Jesus, was a man whose office it was to study the law of God, and to explain it to others. It was therefore to be supposed that he understood it well himself. And he did understand the letter of it, but not the spirit. He knew the words of the law, but he was ignorant of their spiritual application.
He came with the wicked intention of ensnaring Jesus, by asking him questions that should lead him to give some answer contrary to what Moses had written. But how completely was he foiled in his design! Instead of answering his question, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" the Lord asked him another question, "How read you?" thus showing that he approved what was written by Moses.
The lawyer gave a correct answer. He said that the duty of man consisted in the love of God and the love of his neighbor. But what is this love? It far surpasses man's ideas. Let the angels tell us from their high abodes in glory, what it is to love God. It is to delight in him perpetually, to show forth his praise, and to do his will without weariness and without fault. What is the love of the neighbor? Jesus explained it in the beautiful history of the good Samaritan.
On whom had the Samaritan mercy? On a Jew—a man of a nation whom he had been brought up to detest. Neither did he act from a sense of duty alone; he had compassion on the poor traveler—he paid him immediate attention—he treated him with tenderness, binding up his wounds—he expended his property upon him, "pouring in oil and wine," he incurred fatigue, and perhaps loss of rest, for he took care of him at night. He made provision for his future comfort, by leaving twopence (or two days' wages of a laborer) with the innkeeper, and promised to pay whatever greater sum might be spent, putting no limits on the amount, though he could not know how long the sufferer might languish. And all this he did for a stranger! What must that man be to his friend and his brother, who treats a stranger with such generous kindness!
But if we are inclined to think the Samaritan overstepped his duty, let us remember the words of Jesus, "Go you and do likewise." And when we have done it, we shall still be unprofitable servants, and have only done what it was our duty to do. Remember, remember what HE did for us, who gives the command. The Samaritan showed mercy to a stranger, but he showed mercy to his enemies. And what mercy! He bore the wrath and curse of God to save us from destruction. None of us could bear what he did. But if we have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us, we shall walk in his steps.
There are at this moment in South Africa, two Moravian missionaries, who have gone to spend their days in a hospital for lepers among pitiable objects, whose hands and feet are falling off. No one who ever enters that hospital is permitted to leave it. The missionaries saw the door close upon them, and felt content to be banished from human society for the sake of the poor sufferers within.
Let us not be satisfied with admiring the devoted conduct of these men; but let us seek for objects on whom to show mercy. Do we know of none to whom we can be kind? Is there no fatherless child who needs our help? No widow, no stranger, no sufferer, whom we could comfort? Perhaps today we may meet with one that we never heard of before. May God put into our hearts the love that dwells in his own, that we may act kindly to every afflicted person we see this day.