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In Harmony With God’s Law, May 21
A certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw
him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, ... and took care of him.
Luke 10:33, 34
.
Christ knew that no one could obey the law in his own strength. He desired to
lead the lawyer to clearer and more critical research, that he might find the truth.
Only by accepting the virtue and grace of Christ can we keep the law. Belief in
the propitiation for sin enables fallen man to love God with his whole heart and his
neighbor as himself.
The lawyer knew that he had kept neither the first four nor the last six command-
ments. He was convicted under Christ’s searching words, but instead of confessing
his sin, he tried to excuse it. Rather than acknowledge the truth, he endeavored to
show how difficult of fulfillment the commandment is. Thus he hoped both to parry
conviction and to vindicate himself in the eyes of the people. The Saviour’s words
had shown that his question was needless, since he was able to answer it himself.
Yet he put another question, saying, “Who is my neighbour?”
Again Christ refused to be drawn into controversy. He answered the question by
relating an incident, the memory of which was fresh in the minds of His hearers.
“A certain man,” He said, “went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among
thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving
him half dead”....
As he lay thus, a priest came that way; he saw the man lying wounded and
bruised, weltering in his own blood; but he left him without rendering any assistance.
He “passed by on the other side.” Then a Levite appeared. Curious to know what
had happened, he stopped and looked at the sufferer. He was convicted of what he
ought to do, but it was not an agreeable duty. He wished that he had not come that
way so that he would not have seen the wounded man. He persuaded himself that
the case was no concern of his, and he too “passed by on the other side.”
But a Samaritan, traveling the same road, saw the sufferer, and he did the work
that others had refused to do. With gentleness and kindness he ministered to the
wounded man. “When he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and
bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and
brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed,
he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of
him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.”
The priest and the Levite both professed piety, but the Samaritan showed that he
was truly converted. It was no more agreeable for him to do the work than for the
priest and the Levite, but in spirit and works he proved himself to be in harmony
with God (
Christ’s Object Lessons, 378-380
).
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