Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1896-03-07

25. And. behold. a certain lawyer
stood up and tempted Him, saying, Mas
ter. what shall l do to inherit eternal lifes
Throughout the whole Biblewe see on the
one hand the love and grace of God, and
on the other the peryerseness and sinful
ness OF man. In the intervening verses be-
tween this lesson and the last one we see
Jesus, God manifest in the flesh, stead
lastly setting His face toward Jerusalem
TO die, sending messengers before Him 10
preach the kingdom and to heal the sick,
rejoicing in spirit that babes see what wise
men cannot, and ever bearing with the self
life that remains even in His disciples. We
see on the other hand, the unsayed resist
Ing Him and the saved following Him so
imperfectly. And now we have in the
LAWYER a sample OF the wise and prudent
and in Mary a sample of the babes of verse
81.
p6. CHE said unto him, What is written
in the lawg how readest thou" One of
the earliest recorded utterances OF Christ
IS that threef0ld sit Is written" of Math.
iv. 4, z, 10. each time from the fifth book
of the law. There is no light on things
spiritual, heavenly and eternal apart
from Him who is the Word Of God, and
the written word which speaks Of Him
lisa. viii, 90 r. "; Luke K, 22).
81. "And He answering said, Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart. " etc. Jesus did not ask "What
thinkest lhous@ or How do you EXPLAIN
but simply asked for a quotation from
Scripture, and the lawyer gave Him
promptly correct quotation from Deut.
vi, 8, and Lev. xix, IS. and in these words
a correct and concise summary OF the law,
for love is the fulfilling of the law from.
xiii, l0). This must mean whole hearted
love to God and to man such as was never
fully seen on earth except in the Lord
Jesus Christ himself. He is the end of the
law for righteousness to every believer.
2S. "And He said unto him, Thou hast
answered right; this do, and thou shalt
live" He wanted to do something to In
herit eternal lie and here is his task, this
and nothing short Of IL, perfect love To
God and to his neighbor There must he
no failure in any point or at any time, for
"whosoever shall keep the whole law and
yet offend in one point, he is guilty of ALI
(Jas. ii, 10). 1t must be God first and
whole heartedly in every detail of life, and
your neighbor as yourself all the time, or
else all is failure.
go "But he, willing to justify himself,
said unto Jesus, And who is my neigh
bor?" We are either justifying self and
condemning God, or justifying God and
condemning self all the time. Most people
are willing to do the former, because to
do the latter is very humiliating TO self,
and self is apt to be very proud. see chap
ter xvi, 10.
80. "And Jesus answering said, A GER
tain man went down from Jerusalem to
a.. ast nf m hn
city of palm trees (Heb. vii, 2; Deut. xxxiv,
81, from the city of crucifxion (Rev.
ri. 81 to the city of earthly comfort and
rebellion against God, is surely spiritual
down grade and will bring ones soul into
the hands of thieves, who, if they do not
actually take ones life, will surely take
away much that ought TO be given to our
rightful King and Redeemer
81. "And by chance there came down
certain priest that way, and when he saw
him he passed by on the other side" APP
ply John Iii, 10, II, to this priest and
then to yourself If necessary and answer
to God the question. See also Nal. ii, z,
and consider what strange messenger of
the Lord of Hosts this priest was. Are
YOU better oneS More after the Lords
own heart? 1t is easier to the flesh not to
see trouble, or if seen to pass by on the
other side, but IL is not loving your neigh
Dor as yourself
80 "And likewise Levite passed by
on the other side" The Levites We're sep
arated to stand before the Lord, minister
unto Him and bless i'll His name (Deut.
<, 81. Consider this Levite in the light of
that fact. In NAL. H. 6, the Lord says of
Levi, "He walked with me-" If this
Levite had been walking with God that
day he would have had compassion upon
the poor man in trouble.
49, "But certain Samaritan, as he
journeyed, came where he was, and when
he saw him he had compassion" The
priest and Levite were on the downward
road, like the one who fell among the
thieves. He was half dead as TO his body,
but they appear to be wholly dead as TO
any heart of compassion. This Samaritan
may have been on his way up to .Ierusa-
lem, for his conduct certainly indicates an
upward tendency. How like Christ in his
coming to the one in trouble and having
compassion upon him.
"a. Brought him TO an inn and took
care of him." See how he gave his time,
skill, oil and wine beast, care, money and
his promise Well has one said, What a
seven hued rainbow of mercy" Jesus is
surely showing to this lawyer the love OF
God as manifested in His own life, that
the lawyer may see what real love is and
how and TO whom it is to be manifested.
Blessed despised Onel oh, to know Thee
better and be more like Thee.
S5. "1ake care of him, and whatsoever
thou spendest more, when / come again l
will repay thee" If He would have peo-
pie take care of people, how much more
will He take care of His own. o fearful
heart, do believe that He careth for you"
Il Pet V, y. If He by you would care for
others, cheerfully let Him use you, and
your time and your skill, if He has given
you any, and your money and be content
to wait till He comes again for your full re-
ward of which all present joy Is but a
foretaste duke xiv, II; Rev. xxi, 12).
SO. (which now of these three, thinkest
thou. was neighbor unto him that fell
among the thievesf' The lawyer asked
where he might find his neighbors, but
Jesus who read his heart and would hold
him to his first question, taught him how
to be a neighbor, as well as where to find
his neighbors Notice how Jesus always
makes him answer his own question. What
q skillful teacher!
81. And he said, He that showed mercy
on him. Then said Jesus unto him, 90,
and do thou likewise" The only way TO