The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1940-12-05

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What shall I do? These words fall
from the lips or pass through the
minds of millions Of men and women
each day.
Never does the question go more
deeply than when it concerns man
eternal welfare, as it does in our
lesson. Always the question indi-
Gates that man is not able to decide
for himself, and needs the guidance
of someone greater and wiser than
he. 1t should lead US back to God,
for only He can fully answer it. The
good neighbor story of our Lord
tells us
l. What to Do to Have Eternal
Life wv 1929.
The lawyer Ga student of the law
of Moses and hence a theologian
rather than an attorney was posing
a question to try to entrap Jesus.
He was apparently not much con-
cerned about eternal life and as
sumed that it could be obtained by
doing something. We know that
eternal life is a gift (John 1:12;
Rom. $3.50, but if the man wanted
to have it by doing, Jesus was ready
to meet him. In response to Jesus
question ". 26) the lawyer gave
Him what the Jews regarded as the
summary of the whole law.
The man who can perfectly keep
that law will have eternal life, de-
clares Jesus. But note that you
must do it, not just talk about it.
And you must keep the whole law,
for whosoever shall keep the whole
law, and yet stumble in one point,
he is become guilty of alp DANES
2;10, R. "; see also Gal. 3:1O. We
see then
II. Why It Cannot Be Done by Man
w. 29).
The lawyers effort to justify him
self by diverting attention to the
word "neighbor," which he felt
needed definition, showed that he
could not do the thing expected of
him. The reason for mans failure
lies primarily in his own weakness
and inability to do what God re-
quires, but is also revealed in his
pitiable and futile efforts to justify
himself.
The one who seeing his sinfulness
and his utter inability to keep Gods
law casts himself on the Lord and
is ready to receive the gift of eter-
nal life; but the one who tries to
defend his position and justify HIM
self has shut the door on Gods
grace and mercy (see Luke 1879
14). Let us see
III. How Christ Does It for and
in Man wv. 30-37).
The parable of the Good Samari-
tan answers fully and finally the
question, "Who is my neighbour"
by making it clear that anyone who
is in need, regardless of race, social
position, condition or religion, is our
neighbor. The priest and the Levite
doubtless had plenty of excuses for
not helping the wounded man, but
let us remember that excuses, while
they may count with men, mean
only our condemnation in the pres
ence of God.
1t was the spirit of Christ that
made the Samaritan show COM
passionate and sacrifcial interest in
the needy man. Only Christ can
make you and me like that; His
love in the heart is the only good
neighbor program that will ever
work.
But Christ not only enables man
to be a good neighbor, He is in fact
the true Good Neighbor Himself; He
is the Good Samaritan. Jerusalem
is the city of God; Jericho repre-
sents the world. The traveller is the
type of humanity. Man has fallen
in the awful road which leads down;
fallen among thieves and is naked,
wounded, helpless and hopeless. The
failure of the priest and the scribe
to help illustrates the inability of
the law and the ordinances to save
man out of his deplorable condi-
ton. The Good Samaritan is the
Lord Jesus Christ. He came to the
place where the lost are and He
alone could have compassion on
them. The wine typifies His pre-
cious blood He shed to save us. The
oil is the type Of the Holy Spirit,
who applies the blood. He takes
care of fallen man found by Christ.
The inn is typical of the church,
where the Lord through His Spirit
cares for His own. The two pence
are not typical of two sacraments,
but speak of the reward which those
receive who under the Holy Spirit
care for souls. The promised com
ing again with greater reward Of
fered is the second coming of our
Lord "a. c. Gaebelein).
Two truths stand out in our lesson.
There is such a thing as being a
good neighbor by the grace and
blessing of God, and if we are fol-
lowers of Christ we should be real
neighbors. Then there is the One
who is Himself our Friend and
Brother, the One of whom we sing:
''He washed the bleeding sin wounds
And poured in oil and wine;
He whispered to assure me,
I've found thee, thou art Mine !"