The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-14

OF. Amons the men who listened to
his story of the Good Eamaritan. with
It's chara cters-the poor man who fell
among thieves. the priest and the Levite
who passed by on the other side and the
Samaritan who came to his help-there
were many who were themselves of the
family of Levi, and of the priestly class.
When the Storyteller drew, true TO life.
the naughty indifference and craven sell
dshness Of those whose honor and office
It was to serve their people, many Of his
hearers must have WINGED
The narrator went even further.
The story would have lost its point
had it been any three chance men who
came along by the roadside where the
Wayla1d traveller was lying. and, by the
way, that steep road from Jerusalem
down to Jericho is still a dangerous
passing for the traveller. The point was
that the best people of Jewry had failed
in this time of testing. They proved
to be not true brothers to the man who
had real claim upon them. Any Jew
had q right to demand assistance from
another Jew, but most Of all from
member Of the ministering tribe Of
Levi. Yet IN the test these fell short
Daringly, Jesus introduced a Samar-
itan. one Of the hated outcasts with
whom Jews had no dealings, and made
him the hero of the story How those
boards as thus the Rabbi Knocked themi
The Jew in distress had not special
claim upon this Samaritan. Yet 1t was
/ the Samaritan who proved himself of
better heart than the teachers of the
law who had passed by the unfortu-
nate one. The implication was clear
and biting The man who does the
deed is better than the man who only
not cover improper practices. The
most orthodox Christian is most repre-
hensible If his conduct is selfish or
coWardly. The Jewish officials fell
I 81, ali III
to the hours test
A Highway Robbery.
AS this parable is a picture Of life,
we must face the dark side of the
story. Still the worlds highway IS in
tested with thieves and robbers. Sell
fish men, unscrupulous men, evil men,
/ bloody men, lie in wait all along the
worlds main Travelled roads. This
earth IS not yet the earth 1t is to be
Avarice, greed, treachery and cruelty
are more common than we like to
think.
The traveller must be on his guard
against the foes who would do him
4 hurt. It is a mistake to teach that al
men are good and that guilelessness is
sufficient armor. Is 1t not better tC
save young men and women from fall
| ing into the hands of evil than to save
them out OF the clutches OF evil? No
Bile as IS the Office Of the Good Samari-
tan there is a still nobIer. Prevention
is better than rescue To guard agains
is wiser than to save from. Whoevel
erects safeguards along the worlds
highway, and makes safer the routl
for unwary feet, is doing a better worl
for his neighbor than even that of thu
Good Samaritan. Society is sloWl.
learning that it is wiser and cheape
to prevent criminality rather than tt
punish it.
Proud PreIates.
When eceIesiastic correctness comes t.
take the place of humility, mercy anC
justice there is need for some new
prophet to arise. Christ-like, to declar
that the leaders Of the blind have them
selves become blind DOctrinal sound
ness is heresy If accompanied by love
lessness in conduct The bitter prose
cutor Of the man whose standards d
not conform to the conventional. ma.
be as wrong as the man whom he ar
raigns. When the Church begins t
draw her clean robes of self-sufficienc,
about herself in complacency, then sh
is revealing a stain of sin too deep t
hide.
The old, old warning Of the kindly
visaged young Teacher of fearless mel
and blazing eye. Beware of the leave
, of the Pharisees," needs to be sounds
IN trumpet tones, day after day, into tn
ears of a rich and powerful Church
There is constant danger that while tn
, worlds smitten ones lie suffering tn
. Church. with head erect and conSciOu
of her dignity, VIII pass by on the othe
? side. We need not overlook the fac
that the Church is the best helper c
, mankind to see that she is still, never
: theless. in constant danger of failing (
face and meet the acute social problem
Of the times In Cooper Union, in Ne1
York City. at those great Sunday nigh
2 meetings the name of Jesus is eheereC
0 and the name of the Church is receive
D in ominous silence or else with evidence
= of disfayor and resentment While man
! | leaders of the Church are concernin
e themselves with little questions, tn
: biggest problem o. all-that of servin