The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-11-27

thinking of the self-sufficient Jew.
Turning east of the Jordan the sew
enty spread the news of His move
ments and throngs are again about
Him for teaching. Among them are
the hostile Jerusalem leaders attack
. ing every word for evidence sufficient
for the killing. So a sort of spoken
Scribe voices an inquiry one day that
! precipitates a battle over the "Do"
, bill of the Jew in the plan of holy
living. He is a slick enough lawyer
but not quite slick enough to put one
over on Jesus.
He is perfectly sure of drawing
some expression of disapproval as he
asks: ''What must l do to inherit
eternal life?" And he is smiling over
his reception with the discriminating
word against the law and hearing the
applause over his success as he stands
with deferential pride in the center of
the Jerusalem rulers. He comes out
of his dream with jerk as the reply
comes: "You are specialist in the
law, how do you read it?" In self
defense he had to maintain his repu-
tation before the crowd or be laughed
out of court, but he was unprepared
for the smiling answer: Right; this
do and thou shalt live" For Jesus
had shifted the matter to his own
keeping of the very law he had in
voked, and it was in quite testy tones
that he attempted to justify his work
ing creed by crying, 80 well, who is
my neighbour" 1t was Gains atti-
tude again, I'm not my brothers
keeper, am II" And it was out of
heart Of murderous intent that Jesus
pressed the wonderful story Of our
lesson.
THE REFUSED PAYMENT.
Along the cavernous sides of the
defle called road leading from Jeru-
salem to Jericho 1900 feet below,
, about four times as steep as the Sew
/ enteen-GIile Grade on the B. & 0.
: R. R., bands Of robbers collected rich
toll from the travellers. Some wor-
shipper probably was returning to his
home in the lower city and met the
fate of others in the sudden assault
that left a bleeding, naked body ~
ing in the dusty way. There is no
name attached and yet it has the WV
idness of reality and the publicanism
and the passionate hate Of the Jewish
leaders found so often on Matthew's
pages make it possible that it was no
ether than Levi who had told this
story Of his own experience that is
now related by Jesus. And if there
came d prodding memory into the
mind OF the listening Scribe it would
add to the strength Of the effect upon
him in the hearing. But il that were
all true it is like Jesus to make it i'm
personal in seeking a door into the
closed mind of the lawyer. The first
figure IS that of the most likely per-
son to respond to human need of q
| fellow-worshipper, priest. With his
garments still odOrous of the incense
Of the offering he Came leisurely
along, for there was no other pres
sure upon him than the reaching of
his home town in time for meal OF
bed His work had been completed
and it was that terriically revealing
leisure hour when all restraint is off
that he is depicted by Jesus. Would
he pay that do-bill to his fellowmen?
Sacrifice was his speciality, but it
must be of beasts OF others and not
his own, and he did not even halt his
stride to see whether the man was
dead or living. Let others do the dir
ty work; he was too holy to foul HIM
self with any such task. Unfortu-
nately there have been preachers,
praise be that their tribe has de-
creased, who used their position to
escape some of the things demanded
of other men, and are responsible for
that division of humankind into men,
women and preachers. Then another
figure appeared. 1t also was a de-
vout attendant upon the temple wor-
ship, but whether he was going or re-
turning is not clear-only the con-
nection is plain and his mind should
have been full of tenderness from
contact with the Eternal. Had he seen
the priest go by and followed suit
So great is the power of influence
that it may have been the tug that
carried him past. For he stopped,
hesitant, undecided, and something
carried him over the hill and away
from simple service. Whatever the
cause, he too refused to recognize his
obligation.
THE PAUPEk PAYER.
The next conner was a pauper in
character and conduct in comparison |
with the others and worse still in the |
mind of the Scribe. Yet there was not |
hint of hesitation on his part. There |