Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-15

ton ever asked Of God by human lips:
Am l my brothers keeper" is answered
in the federation of the world"
But there must be vision not only of
loving service. there must also be a grasp
of the details of right service, and the
Master did not leave US ignorant at this
point There must be social material .
AS the leaven without the meal is dead.
as the seed without the soil must die, as
perfume without the air yields no pleas
ure to the sense, SO love is useless apart
from its object. and service is dead and
worthless thing apart from those for
whom our work of ministry is wrought.
Three scriptures are given us. The
first is the parable of the good Samari-
tam" When Jesus spoke this wen
drous allegory, nearly nineteen centuries
ago. He broke with one mighty stroke the
mold in which the social thought of all
the world was cast, and from the matriX
of His God-mind gave to all succeeding
centuries and men a nobler standard and
a juster view.
The story in itself is incomparably full
of meaning and power. a certain law
YER shrewd in his conceit. stands up to
test the Masters grasp of Jewish law by
walton:
Master. what shall do to inherit etsr-
nal life?''
What is written in the law? How
readest thou?"
Thou shalt love 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 myself"
Thou hast answered right: this do, and
thou shalt live!
unto Jesus: '.And who is my neighbour"
Then Jesus drew a picture of distress
and need, a picture of heartless religion
and inactive pity. and in the foreground
placed a Samaritan wayfarer. who. In
spite of his despsed race and religious
bias. performs his service of love in I'M
selfish disregard of what or who the
one relieved might be.
The picture completed. Jesus asks:
(which. now. Of these three was neigh
Dor unto him that fell among thieves:
Reluctantly His Questioner replied: File
that showed mercy on him.. Go. thou,
and do likewise!'
The second Scripture naturally comes
from the pen of that practical mystic.
James, With him it is not faith o.
works." but faith and works" The one
without the other rs dead
The last reference places the emphasis
upon that finest type of service, in which
the ministry is one of condescension, tie
great and strong serving the humble and
weak.
Two great thoughts grow out of this
topic and these texts
I.-WHO is MY NEIGHBOR?
The carping lawyer of the long ago was
not the last man to ask that question.
Men and women of every age seeking to
avoid responsibility. have repeated IL,
whenever the social cutlery has been in
sistent, and the unvarying answer has
been:
Who Ia thv neighbor? He whom thou hast
power to aid bless;
Whose aching heart or burning brow thy sootfl-
Thy neighbor? He who drinks the cup when
sorrow browns the brim:
With words Of high sustaining hope, go thou
and comfort him!
Yes, that's the answer.
Our neighbor is not the man who acts
in a neighborly way toward us. but rath-
err the one toward whom We show true
neighborliness.
1.-THE SOCIAL MATERIAL; THE
NEIGHBOR IN NEED.
We have learned that ''the social mo-
tive is love-" We must also learn that
the social material is man. The man or
woman tout of sorts" the man or Wom-
an .tout of cash and Clothes. the man or
woman tout. of Christ" these are the
social material upon wnom the ieaven
of our love must work its Transforming
miracle until the great wide world mas
felt the blessing Of our neighborliness.
Father we. pray Thee to give us tbs
power to see our neighbor In each needy
soul whether that neighbours need be
material or spiritual. And grant us the
vision to see that the true neighbor is
not the one who nelps US, ptil Tue o"o
whom we help. Amen