Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1895-02-14
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
Topic For the Week Beginning Feb. 1,
Comment by Rev y. HI. Doyle.

NANf .
Comment by REV y. H- Doyle.
ToPIo.-Lassons from the parable " TIE good
Samaritan. - Luke Y, 25-57. "a missionary
topic.)
The parallel of the good Samaritan il
recorded by Luke alone. we az not
know either the time when Or the place
where it was spoken. 1t Is probable that
it twas during one of Christ's public dis
courses, when Ee Wa interrupted by
the lawyer who asked Him what He
should do to inherit eternal life. In an
swer Christ asked him what the law
said, and he replied ''Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God. and thy
neighbor as thyself. Probably to vim
dicate himself the lawyer further in
quires, "Who is my neighbour To
which question Christ replies with the
parable Of the good Samaritan, to the
lessons Of which our topic directs us.
l. We learn from this parable the
brotherhood Of man. This was the great
lesson it was to teach. The lawyer was
Jew. He had been taught that the
word neighbor was limited by national
ity and religion; that people of a differ
ent nationality and religion had no Just
claims upon him, and therefore il full
filing all his obligations to his own
people he obeyed the command to love
his neighbors as himself But Christ
wished to teach him differently and did
so by making him admit that Samari-
tan, between whom and the Jews there
was no affiliation or association, had
proved himself neighbor to an unfortu-
nate Jew who had been waylaid by
thieves when he had compassion on him
and helped him rather than men of his
own race who had looked upon him and
had passed by without assisting him.
This is the one great lesson taught by
this parable-that all men are our broth
ers, our neighbors; that nationality and
religion do not separate men 50 that the
one has no obligations toward the other.
As God is our common Father, so all
men are our brothers, and we are each
our brothers keeper.
2. We may learn also the estimation
which the world places upon pharisa-
ism Christ may not have intended par
ticularly to hold up the priest and Levite
to the scorn and ridicule Of the world
He may have used them simply to en-
phasize the character Of the Samaritan,
and yet the result has been the same.
The world ever since has held them up
but to heap scorn and ridiouIe and abuse
upon them, and in SO doing it has with
out qualification condemned pharisaism
in any form
8. We may learn the beauty Of sym
pathy and self sacrifice. The Samaritan
saw before him a fellow creature in
need Of his help. He sympathized with
him, and sacrificing his race and reli-
gious prejudices he helped him. His ac-
tion has always been praised and laud
ed. The church and the world never tire
Of singing his praises. go and do thou
likewise On the highway Of life many
have been robbed and plundered Of
things more dear than physical life and
earthly possessions They need your
help. They need you to carry or send
the gospel to them. Be a good Samari-
tan and do it,
Bible Readings. Gen. iv, SIP; Lev.
xix, Is; Ps. xxxv, 11-14; Prov. xix, II;
Math ', 43, "A; xviii, 10, 20; Luke vi,
81; John xiii, "a; Acts i, s, xvi, 9-12;
Gal Vi, 2; / John Iii, 17i iv, 20, 21.