The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1922-12-09
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
THE STORY OF
THE GOOD SAMARITAN.
December lO.-Luzc I0,s5-S7.
(By c. Il. RAYLl

(By c. II. RAIL.)
| The parable. so called, of the good
Samaritan was called forth by the sim
cere desire Of a certain lawyer to un-
derstand the new way of life pointed
out by Jesus. His way of asking Jesus
the question of what no must do to
inherit eternal life seems to have
tempted Jesus. This lawyer had evil
IDENTIFY studied the old ways with care.
but was either not entirely satisfied
with them. or he saw in Jesus a per-
sonality of spiritual insight force
capable of giving new light on an old
subject. In either case Jesus answer
suggests in the first place his attitude
toward progressive thought. He sent
him back to the law. Progress was to
be made by taking firm hold of some
fundamentals given from the very be-
| ginning. The lawyer was familiar with
the outwardness of these. But he halt
ed at the Interpretation of them; and
in particular with the meaning of the
term "neighbor." Here to his question
might not have been acptious for the
term "neighbor" had a definite mean
ing the earlier days Of simple life. But
with the change of society 1t became
vague. The lawyer could not be sure
that he had obeyed it as strictly as he
understood it. To justify himself before
Jesus he asked for definition of it
Jesus recites the familiar story.
1t is easier. rs some one has said to
ask questions. than it is TO answer
them and this lawyer seems TO be good
at cross-questioning, If he was not
entirely sincere. But he had more than
his match in the person OF our blessed
Lord. The first question may have had
reference to the means" Of securing
eternal life Christ lets the lawyer
answer his own question by asking him
to cite the answer given by the law.
The lawyer very ably quoted from Deu-
teronomy and Leviticus. and Jesus
commends his answer.
Now the lawyer would have the
definition. This was a great question
10 put forth for it brings out in strik-
ing contrast the difference of mean
ing attached to the term "neighbor.'
The neighbor in Lev. 1918 was the
man across the street, ii he were OF
the same blood and religion. The
neighbor OF Christ is any man who
may be in trouble, though he lives on
the other side of the globe. Whether
ne be unworthy and disagreeable he
still is thy neighbor. Both OF the types
in the story are contradictory to the
| true idea of neighborliness. Roth
missed the spirit of the law. Contrast
cd with the failure Of the preist and
the Levite to realize and illustrate the
ideal neighbor Jesus pictured the Sa-
maritan. OF course he did not mean
that every Samaritan would act as the
man in the story. Nor did he intimate
that every priest would act as the man
in the story. Nor that all Levies would
fail as the character he sketched.
Jesus disregarded the old bitter
hatred between Jew, Samaritan and
Levite. He impressed it upon his
hearers that the relation of neighbor
is not constituted either by kinship or
by contiguity. It depends rather on the
recognition OF a common human ma
ture with common human affections |
and needs.
(which of these three thinkest thou
became a neighbOr until him that fell |
among thieves" In one sense all men
are born neighbor to one another. But
so far as they do not recognize this fact
an dare either gradually or suddenly
awakened to its reality they become
neighbors. We see in the whole
story a picture OF a man lying in sin
and misery. whom neither the law nor
the Levitical institutions could help.