Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-02
THE GOOD SAMARITAN
He Differed From the Priest and the
Levite in That He
FELT PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
1t is This That Lies at the Foundation OF
All Well Doing.
THE REV. Mr.. HODGES SUNDAY LESSON
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH

the samaritan. Everybody knows the story.
The samaritan differed from the priest and
from the levite in having sense of per-
sonai responsibility.
The priest came down and saw the man.
and it is quite likely that he had compassion
on him; he was sorry for him in his sad
plight-who could help 1t? Nevertheless,
he went along and left MIN.
The levite came and saw him, and had
compassion on him, and-more than that
he went to him. He looked on him. The
sight of the poor man stirred his interest
and sympathy. He stood for moment
thinking, shall 1, or can I, help this man or
not? And then, presently, he toe rassed by
on the other side.
These men lacked the sense of personal
responsibility. They saw this wounded
traveller in his pain and peril, but the sight
touched in their heart no chord of pity.
They had no conscience. That is sig
nifcant word, conscience. Look at it.
"Con''-that means with" and ''science"
that translates ITSELF Conscience is
kind of knowledge which is gained by the
use of the conjunction with" Conscience
acts by putting one thing with another and
knowing the two facts at the same time, and
recognizing the bearing of the facts one upon
another. AS here, the fact of this mans
need and the fact of their own strength.
HOW THE FIRST TWO FELT.
These men failed to put these two facts
together. They said: 30. somebody will
help him. Poor fellow, he is in sad state
There is no doubt of that; but he will get
along somehow. Why don't they have
more policemen along this road? Why
doesn't some one come and take him away3"
And il you had suggested, "Why don't you
help him and take him away?" they would
have answered: "Why, we don't know him.
He doesn't belong to our congregation.
Come, let US go about our businessP'
Then came the samaritan.
"And when he saw him he had compass
sion on him, and went to him, and bound
up his wounds" The sight of this poor
man appealed to the samaritan directly.
He helped him as easily and naturally as if
he had been hospital nurse sent out from
Jericho with an ambulance for the express
purpose of picking this man up. He spent
no time looking up and down the road,
wondering ii some Others stronger than he,
might not appear to do this deed OF help.
The moment he saw this wounded traveller
he realized that here was something for his
hand to do. II he had passed by on the
other side he would have laid all that night
without sleep. He would have heard q
voice in the dark, saying to him over and
over and over. "There was one who needed
your help, and you did not help him. Sup
pose he diesl' This samaritan was man
Of conscience. He had a sense of personal
responsibility.
PLENTY or wAysIDE suFFERERs
Now, this wounded traveller, or ono like
him, lies by the wayside to-day and every
day. He Is the embodiment Of every wrong
which needs rghtlng. He stands Tor every
pain which cries for cure, and Tor every
need which begs Tor help. He IL the OPP
pressed, the miserable, the grief-stricken,
the sin n-smitten; he Is the enslaved; he Is
the exile, he Is the prisoner OF poverty. II
Ia because Of him that industrial aud social
questions are to-day clamoring for answer.
And all the rest OF mankind fall into
three classes. Some are robbers who have
made the mischief; some are priests and
levites, part OF them supremely indifferent,
others philosophically interested or polite
ally interested or financially interested; and
some, thank God, are good samaritans, men
with consciences, men who have some meas
ure OF this blessed sense of personal RESPONSE
bility.
All reforms have been set in motion by
these samaritans. All real help has come
from them. To them the needs of their
brother men appeal personally. They are
like that good Pope Gregory, well sur
named "the Great" who set himself
heavy penance because poor man died of
starvation one day in papal Rome. The
good Gregory took that to himself So do
these men lay all the evils that surround
them to their own charge and bestir them
selves as personally responsible to get the
wrongs righted. Distress is straightway
translated into duty. These men cannot
rest while any wrong exists which they can
remedy.
WORK OF MOHAMMED.
There was idolatry in Arabia. Many men
had cast it of, knew how foolish and debas-
ing it was, wished heartily enough that
other men would put it away, but still
| idolatry went on unhindered. At last
came that good samaritan Mohammed, the
man with conscience. With his quick
sense of personal responsibility he feels that
| he himself is somehow to blame Ior this base
| idolatrv. God will not forgive him if he
| let's it go on. He has put it out of his own
! lite. Yes; but that is not enough. He
must raise his protest against all Arabia.
They beg him to be still, not to disturb
things. "Though the sun stand at my right
hand and the moon at NV left and command
silence, yet must 1 speakp' And speak he
did, and away went the evil.
There was fearful cruelty in the Colos-
scum at Rome. Men were put to death for
the amusement of the gentlemen and ladies
of that cultured city. Most people enjoyed
| it, playing the part of the robbers. Some,
however disapproved, but they kept dis
Greet siience-they were the priests and
| levites. But you remember how there was
one man, that young monk, Telenachus,
who had only heard OF the barbarities of the
arena, and had never seen them with his
eyes, plain, poor man, living in desert
what had Rome to do with him, or he with
| Rome?
| THE SAMARITAN OF THE ARENA.
| You remember how he came on foot across
the long miles which parted him from
Caesais City, with hands clinched and q
message Of the indignation OF God upon his
lips. Down he leaped over the barriers into
the arena; in he sprang between the gladia-
tor; and in the name OF
| GOD MOST HIGH
| forbid that murder should any more be done
there. Why did he interpose? He did not
set the men to fight. No; but while that
butchery went on, and he so much as lived
on the same planet with it he felt himself
| responsible.
Why could not LavoHerola keep still in
| Florence? Why must Luther stand up in
Germany? Why must he raise his voice
with protest and denunciation against the
provinces of the church, that plain monk OF
| peasant birth, a professor in a fith-rate
| college, and preacher in the rude pulpit of a