Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-02-14
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
THOUGHTS WORTHY or CALM
REFLECTION.
Pleasant, Interesting. and Instructive
Lesson. and where IL May he Found
A Learned and Concise Review of ths
Same.



Lesson for Feb. II.
Golden Text.-"Thou shalt love thy
neighbor as myself Lev. 10: 10.
We have for a subject this week "The
Good Samaritan" and the lesson il found
in Luke 10: 25-37.
Practical Christianity. Thank God for
the lesson Of the Good Samaritan. 1t
has done more to relieve sufferings and
give aid to the oppressed than all the
treatises on crime or charity ever writ
ten. Hospitals and almshouses, and
strangers inns have sprung up in it's
wake. Churches that catch the spirit of
this incident are led into paths not SIM
ply of humanity but of genuine divinity
of soul saving. Individuals who have
meditated upon this example have come
forth into a new estimate of life, and
have been led to go about, like their d.
vine Master, doing good. And the para
BILE has not yet finished its good evangel.
May 1t accomplish much in the present
worldwide study. 1t is time when the
roadway still has its helpless cases Of
want, and the need of Samaritan help
and sympathy is conspicuous.
"And behold certain lawyer stood up"
An object lesson in the wisdom Of this
world. Jesus had just prayed, 81 thank
thee, o Father. Lord of heaven and
earth, that thou hast hid these things
from the wise and prudent, and hast re-
vealed them unto babes" Now comes
one of these "wise and prudent" to tes-
tify to the truth of this by his own word
and example. If any one might natural
ly be supposed to understand, it would
seem to be lawyer. Was not he pro-
fessional interpreter of the law, set for
its understanding? But it was to his dis
ciples that Christ had just turned and
said, BLESSED are the eyes which see the
things that We see; for tell you that
many prophets and kings have desired to
see these things which We see, and have
not seen them; and to hear these things
which We hear, and have not heard them"
Verify, IF any man will do his will he
shall know the doctrine"
The motive was markedly wrong. He
tempted him." The word means to test
or sound. as of something that requires
scrutiny. 1t implies doubt. Christ had
already said a: 12), "Thou shalt not
tempt the Lord thy God" and the dis
approval of such testing was shown at
Rephidim or NASSAU, where because the
people put God to the ocular test, dis
trusting his ordinary providence, God
was displeased Deut. g: IS; Elk. II: p.
And that this was essentially the same
thing is limited at 1 Cor. 10: 8, Neither
let us tempt Christ, as some of them also
tempted and were destroyed by serpents
(Num. 81: 81. The lawyers test question
was, "Master q. e., Teacher), What shall
do to inherit eternal life?" and by his
tell-tale query he tested himself rather
than the Christ. And he was found want
ing. Doing was his emphasis, being was
Christ's. In the Greek the question
stands. "Doing what shall l inheritT
work righteousness again. And the Lord
takes him on his own terms. us it do
ing" he says in effect ''that you are think
ing about? AS for doing, what more do
you want than the Scripture enjoins?
what is written in the law?" In other
words, obedience to Gods expressed COM
mand is enough of doing. Why 60 afield
for something more to do?
The lawyer quotes well (What lawyer
cannotD "Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God and thy neighbor as myself"
and by his citation he proves that he Is
sufficiently instructed in the letter of the
law. And now says our Lord, since you
are speaking of doing something, suppose
you do that. This do, and thou shalt
live" There is a great difference be-
tween the professional knowledge and
the practical exempliication of princi-
pie. The living and doing-this is the
great thing. But does our Lord here
signify that to do the law and live up to
its requirements means acceptance with
God? Logically and plainly, yes; but,
practically, no man has, and human ma
ture being such as it is, no man can live
up to that perfect rule. Hence the pro-
visions of grace. Our Lord simply urges
the keeping of the whole law here be-
cause approached by one who believed
that he was theoretically perfect and
wanted something else to do. $50 back
first" says our Saviour, "and see whether
you have done all you assume"
The lawyer land some of the rest of us)
is in close quarters. He seeks to justify
himself or set himself right. And so he
asks further, "And who is my neighbour
AS much as to say, land sea how quickly
he grasps at the straw "Ah that is one
of our pet questions. We are a little
divided, you see, as to who is our neigh
bor." EYES," is the reply, 81 see you are
controversy and by the making of fine
human distinctions. You dispute much
about neighborliness, and in the meantime
the needy neighbor is perishing." 1t was
unfortunate for the lawyer that he asked
this second question. He exposed him
self for the death thrust.
And here it is, the story of the Good
Samaritan. How many caviler it has
silenced. How many broken-down sim
ner it has lifted up and strengthened.
For there are two lessons from it; yes,
three. In the priest and the Levite pass
ing by, we see the religious theorist and
sophist. In the poor fellow beaten and
robbed by the thieves and left by the
roadside we see undone man, after the
world has done all ii. can for him and
gotten all it can out of him. And in the
good Samaritan we see the compassion
ate Saviour picking up the sad wreck
and doing for impotent humanity what it
cannot do for itself.
Hints and Illustrations.
For practical purposes push the in
quiry, "Who is my neighbour The an
swer Is plain. The one who needs me.
And who acts most neighborly? The
lawyer himself tells us-would that he
might but live up to his knowledge of the
truth. "He that showed mercyT Now
what is it to show mercy? Get responses.
Manifestly it Is to relieve the pressing
want, the present distress. But this Ii
but parable, hint of the larger bless
ing that may be bestowed. Spiritual re-
newal. This God alone can impart, but
surely we can help. And this is Christian