Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-02-16
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON WI. FIRST QUARTER. INTER.
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. IL.

Text Of the Lesson, Luke <. 1851 Mem
DRY Verses, 1927 = Golden Text. Lev.
XIX. IS commentary by the Rev. d. II.
Stearns.
20. And behaid, a certain lawyer stood
up and tempted Him, saying, Master, whist
shall do to inherit eternal lifesn Afscs
the discourse of the last lesson on huniil-
ity Jesus rehukcd James and John iaI
their uncharitableness and zeal, which vas
not of God, after which lie sent cut the 70
to hcai the sick and preach the kingdom
fLukc tx, 40, 10 X, 36) Then follow
probably the events and teaching OF JOHN
vii, ?, 10 K, 81. after which the 20 returs
and report es in Luke x, 1874, after which
comes the lesson eff today. in which the
lawyer, ono OF the wise and prudent Of
verse 81, IS instructed concerning esernal
life, The lawyer was net SO anxious To
obtain eternal life as he was to try Jesus,
and like those of chapter ii, IS, get Him
to say something whereby they might az
cuse Him.
90. He said unto him: What is written
in the law How readcst thons' This
lawyer was supposed to be Wei versrd IN
The law of Moses, and therefore to that
the Lord directed him. Many questions
sre asked today which should be answered
by: What is writtens How rcadest thoas
instead of by argument or words Of oaEs
81 And he, answering, said, Thou
shalt lcve the Lord, thy God, with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy strength, and with all thy mind, and
thy neighbor as thyself . He quoted
promptly and correctly from Dout Vi, ),
and Lev. xix, IS. He did not lack knuwl-
edge. He could quote from the Scriptures
better than many among us, but mere
knowledge of the truth docs not save any
ono. 1t is the reception and application
CT the truth, or rather of Him who is tho
truth, that gives eternal life.
IS. And He said unto him: Thou hast
answered right. This do. and thou shalt
live If any one could perfectly keep
the law of God from his youth mp, as sim
married in the quotations of this lawyer,
he would haze life and need no Saviour,
or, as it is written in Gal iii, 81, u
there had been law given which could
have given life, verify righteousness should
have been by the law There is nothing
wrong with or lacking in the law. Tho
failure is in guilty man, who cannot keep
Gods holy law and whose mouth is s..ut
by il (Rom viii, 3; iii, 19).
80. But he, willing to justify himself,
said unto Jesus, And who is my neigh
bors" He could not say he had kept the
law, it condemned him and proved him
guilty, but he was net willing TO own il
and plead guilty. He would rather, If pos
sible, establish his own righteousness,
thus proving himself ignorant Of Gods
righteousness, even the Christ with whom
he was talking, who is the end Of the law
for Righteousness to every one that heliev-
eth from. x, 8, 4; ii Cor V. 2l).
so And Jesus, answering, said, A oer-
tain man went down from JerGsalcm to
Jericho and fell among thieves, which
stripped him of his raiment and wounded
him and departed, leaving him half dead.
BY clear and simple Illustration Jesus
would patiently show this one who tempt
ed Him the meaning Of the word neigh
Dor. The poor robbed and wounded and
helpless man is suggestive Of the forloT1
and helpless condition Of the sinner whom
satan has cast down, but the sinner is
wholly and not half dead (Eph, ii, 81.
81. "And by chance there came down
certain priest that way, and when he saw
him he passed by on the other side" The
priests lips should keep knowledge (Afal.
ii, -, but Jesus said TO the lawyers that
they bad taken away the key of knowl
edge, not entering themselves and hinder
ing those who would enter fLuke ri, 52).
He also pronounced woe upon the law
yers because they loaded people with bur.
dens which they themselves would not
touch with one of their fingers Xxi, 49,.
81. and likewise a Lcyite, when he
was at the place, came and looked ON him
and passed by on the other side. Levi is
the third person OF whom IL is said in
Scripture that he walked with God (Gcn
v, "a; vi, 0; NAL ii, g., but not all of his
posterity walked with God, or there would
not be this record of this one. The I4e-
vites were joined with the priests in the
ministry Of the temple (Num. viii, l9).
33. But a certain Samaritan, rs he
journeyed, came where be was, and when
he saw him he had compassion upon hiin. "
Let us remember that Jesus is talking to n
Jewish lawyer; that priests and Levites
were the highest and supposed to be the
holiest of religious dignitaries among the
Jews, and that Samaritans were class
with whom the Jews had no dealings
John iv, 81. Therefore Jesus is finding
something good in a dcspised outsider, as
we might say, in speaking thus of this
Samaritan.
81 And went to him and bound up
his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, aud
set him on his own beast and brought hm
to an inn and took caro- of him. Here is
"a wonderful man surely, an outoast i'll
jewish eyes, a worse than nobody in tire
eyes Of priests ard Levites, but see his CON
duct and observe that it is the Lord Jesus
who is telling US all this and learn ut least
one thing-that it is not outward namo or
fame that the Lord looks upon, but nc
tions and motives.
35. And ON the morrow, when he de
parted, he took out twopencc and gave
them to the host ard said unto him, Take
caro- of him, and Whatsoever thou spendeat
more when l come again | will repay
thee. " Ii the poor. helpless one is sugges
tive of the sinner, who can the good s.i-
maritan be but jesus Himself, an outeast
and dospised by the Jews, i nobody in the
eyes of priests and Levites, scribes and
Pharisees, yet see His Loart full Of com.
passion as He goes about doing good
So. Which now Of those three, thinkcst
thou, was Ecighhor unto him that fell
among the thievcsy'' Jesus has not direct
ly answered the question, .'Who is my
neighbour but He has told His story. He
has shown the picture and now lie would
have the lawyer answer his own question
Do not fail to notice In the last TcTse the
words, When l come again, ] will repay
thee" and compare Luxe xiv, IA; Rev
xxi, L.
81. And he said, He that showed mer
cy on him. Then said Jesus unto him,
Go and do thou likewise" All commands
to do good things addressed to unsayeG
people are "a convince them Of their ina
bility to 30 iho same, that so they may
confess their sinfulncss and heiplessnos5
and receive Jesi as their salvation. This
is the work Of God that ye believe On Him,
and to bells.o on Him Is to receive Him
(John vi, 30; i, 12). Until we receive
Him we are still in the flesh and therefore
cannot please God (Rom viii, S, ~ The
remaining verses Of Luke show rs thas
He Himself is the one thing needfu. for
saints as vel as sinners.