Evening star., 1918-08-10
HELPING oTHERs-Luke, 10.
25-37; Gal. S1-10.
Golden Text-Bear. ye one an
others burdens, and SO fulfill
the law Of Christ.-Gal.. SO.
by REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.

Jesus attracted men by His ministry
of love. His philanthropic endeavors
to help men won followers for the
Master. His radical departure from
the selhshness that characterized the
ecclesiastical oficials Of His day
aroused their antagonism and oppo-
sition. They resented the teaching Of
the Lord Jesus because He had COM
menced His public ministry without
any religious ordination or scholastic
authority. They saw In His popular
ity and progressive preaching grow
ing danger to their own prestige. DO
sition and power. Their jealousy
grew into bitter hatred and open hos
tility that manifested itself In public
debates or efforts to entrap the Mas
ter. who invariably detected the sim
lister motive back Of their courteous
questions and answered them accord
ingly.
Jesus upon one occasion compelled
q certain lawyer or scribe. who had
query concerning the law. to answer
his own question: what shall do to
inherit eternal life?" Some exposi-
tors hold that it was after a long
conversation that Jesus compelled the
lawyer to unite the two detached
clearly indicates that they were
united in the popular Interpretation
and summary of the law. By His
commendation of the lawyers answer
Jesus turned the tables upon the
scribe by pointing out that it was
attitude and not acts. love. not labor.
which entitled man to eternal life.
Desiring to regain his position which
had been endangered by Chrtst's re-
ply, the lawyer sought to justify his
acts by the question, Who is my
neighbour? The Lord replied to the
Iscribe's effort to vindicate his original
question with a parable. which diff
local coloring. that of itself would
have made Him the worlds greatest
teacher of religion and ethics.
About four years ago. in the OPEN
ing days of the war, when Turkey was
busy mobiiizing her forces. the writer.
with other ministers from the nations
capital. travel over the steep road
which drops $500 feet from Jerusalem
to Jericho. and had an experience
which made this parable appear quite
modern. The bleak. bare hills. wind
swept and largely forsaken by man and
beast. presented a forbidding aspect
as we drew near the scene of the
parable. The approach Of a number
Of camels driven by soldiers, who
were fighting with Bedouins. who
were seeking to regain their possess
sion. because. as we were informed.
that the camels were their wealth
and they did not consider that the
name OF the government was worth
anything. The poor Arabs, stripped
of their possessions, thought that they
were being robbed and when the SOL
diers' bullets passed close to the car
riage the tourists recalled events Of the
parable and-som thought that they.
too. had fallen among thieves. when
they saw the character of the men
assembled in the inn of the Good
Samaritan.
Jesus recognized that the failure of
men to perform their duty to their
fellowmen was due in no small degree
to the precariousness Of their posi-
tion. The priest and Levite may have
felt for the poor unfortunate victim,
but the proprieties of their position and
social custom made them pass by on
the other side. The Samaritan was
not hompered by any custom of social
usage. He saw a fellowman suffering
needs with all of his resources. The
code of the robber, priest and Levite
differed. but all required that the suf-
fering man should be neglected.
The present war has revealed the
courage and caliber Of unsuspected
manhood in many q man who has been
enrolled from the submerged classes of
civilized life. He has by his sympathy
and self-sacrif1ce won for himself the
much coveted recognition of his coun-
try and the allies The lawyer was
led by the Master to recognize in the
action Of the despised Samaritan the
action Of a neighbor. Jesus succeeded
in teaching the scribe to understand