Luke 10:29-37 But he, willing to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor?… I. A certain man fell among thieves. HERE IS THE BLACK MARGIN WHICH SURROUNDS CIVILIZED SOCIETY. II. There came a priest that way, as also a Levite and a Samaritan. So, THE ESCAPE OF SOME IS NOT TO BE TAKEN AS A CONDEMNATION OF OTHERS. All the four went down the same road, yet only one of them was unfortunate! What a temptation for the three who escaped to say, It must have been his own blame; we passed down the very same road, and did not hear so much as the fluttering of a leaf. III. The priest passed by on the other side; so did the Levite — THE THING WHICH IS ALWAYS BEING DONE BY A NEGATIVE AND DO NOTHING. RESPECTABILITY. There are two sides in life. 1. The side on which men are dying; and — 2. "The other side." We can choose our side. On the first side we shall find — 1. Something to shock our sensibilities. 2. Something to interrupt our speed. 3. Something to tax our resources. On the opposite side we shall find a clear path to infamy and the hell of eternal remorse. IV. The priest passed by, and so did the Levite — so SACRED NAMES ARE NO GUARANTEE FOR SACRED SERVICES. It is a terrible thing for the nature to fall below the name. A name is a promise. A profession is a responsibility. V. But a certain Samaritan had compassion on him. THERE ARE UNEXPECTED SOURCES OF HELP IN LIFE. YOU have found it so in business; others have found it so in sympathy; others in periods of great perplexity. This reflection of great value as showing — 1. That we all need help. 2. As protecting men from despair. 3. As showing that we ourselves may become the unexpected helpers of others. In the distribution of help we are not to be limited (a) by theological creeds; (b) by natural prejudices; (c) by personal dislikes.We are to help humanity as such. The Christian application of this study is obvious. 1. Life is a perilous journey. 2. Lost men will never be saved by formal piety. 3. The true Helper is the very Being whom we have offended.The Teacher of this parable is the Exemplar of its beneficent doctrine. The teacher should always be the explanation of his own lesson. (J. Parker, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?WEB: But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" |
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