The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1918-08-10

Jewish law. 1t was prompted by the
admonition of Jesus to love his neigh
Dor as the way to inherit eternal life.
This lawyer was interested in the le-
gal aspect of the expected reply rath-
er than in finding neighbors to love.
The answer given by the Master is
a story in picture. 1t is one of the
matchless pictures of him who spake
as never man spoke. When the world
learns to practice the teachings of
this story of the Good Samaritan the
Kingdom of God will have come.
A traveller was attacked by robbers
who stripped him of his raiment,
wounded him and left him half dead.
rusalem, where he had performed the
rites of religion in the Temple. He
passed by on the other side, indif-
ferent to the needs of his brother man.
The priest is the representative of
God on earth. Certainly the injuries
of this stricken traveller should have
presented strong claims for mercy at
the hands of this representative of a
merciful God. With all his law-keep-
ing, and ministering in the temple, and
wearing holy garments, he broke Gods
law as declared by the prophet Micha,
What doth the Lord require of thee,
but to do justly, and to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with thy God?"
The priest was himself a two-fold rob-
Der in that he was neither paying his
debts to God or to mar.
Next a Levite came along the same
road. The Levite was mex in rank to
the priest and was expected to show
the mercy his religion taught. He
too failed to respond to the need of
the victim.
True religion is more than official
holiness. 1t is not enough to profess
allegiance to God. Religion hat has
not heart is dead. Mercy is better
than sacrifice.
But the darkness of the picture is
relieved by a touch of light. A Samar-
itan came along the road and as 500
as he saw what had happened he dis
mounted, bound up the wounds of the
unfortunate man, lifted him on his
own beast, took him to the nearest
inn, gave up for the time his own bust
ness, paid for his lodgings and made
a deposit with the %innkeeper as surety
that he would return and meet further
expenses that might be incurred.
This incident is the more striking
when it is remembered that the Sam
aritans were a mixed race despised
by the Jews. Christ contrasts the
Samaritan with the priest and Levite,
not to honor the Samaritan, nor to do
despite to priests and Levites, but to
teach that the most despised outcast
who fulfills the law of love, is better
than the most honored minister of re-
ligion who ~disregards it.-Abbott.
The teaching of Christ is that, "Who
is my neighbour" is not a question of
geography or of relationship, but he is
my neighbor who is in need and whom
-
| can help. Every man to whom | can
speak a kind word. for whom l can do
a kind act, every man whose life l
can inspire, every man l can lift to
better things-whether he lives next
door or in China-is my neighbour
Pell.
Was there ever a time in the history
of the world when there We're more
unfortunates lying beaten and bruised
in the highways of life han at the
present? Europe has between six and
sever millions of men prisoners of war
at the present writing. Many of these
are in the most uncomfortable quar-
tiers and with insufficient food and
clothing. There are now fifty thous-
and blind soldiers in France, the result
of gas poisoning on the firing-line.
Belgium's unfortunate and starving
women and children are crying for
bread. Food riots are of frequent oc-
currence in most of the European
countries and a few have occurred
even in this country. The suffering OF
Armenians and Syrians has been and
is too horrible for language to de-
scribe. How shall we help our broth
er? Have compassion on him. Do
not let the greed for gold dam up the
springs of compassion, pity and gener-
osity. Bind up his wounds. Practical
Christianity does not pass by on the
other side. There are always two sides
to the road of life; the selfish side
and the service side. Take the selfish
side and in hell you will lift up your
eyes, being in torment. Take the SER
vice side and you will find the foot
prints of your Lord, and giving the
cups of cold water in his name, you