MORNING MANNA 4-11-22
THE GOOD SAMARITAN
“ And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”- Luke 10:37
The Good Samaritan is our Lord’s own picture of what Christian love should be, in every one of His disciples. We ought to study it with loving interest, getting its spirit into our own hearts. It adds force also to the teaching, to remember that it was an enemy whom the Samaritan helped. Christian love is to exercise itself not only in being kind to friends, to those who are gracious and good–but its distinguishing characteristic is kindness to enemies.
In a sense, this Good Samaritan is a picture of Christ Himself. The wounded man represents humanity, robbed and beaten by sin, ready to die. The priest and the Levite represent human religions which, at the best, give only a glance of pity and then pass on. But Jesus comes full of compassion, serving and nursing back into life, healing, and wholeness, dying souls.
A Chinese man thus described the relative merits of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Christianity. A man had fallen into a deep, dark pit, and lay in its miry bottom, groaning and unable to move. Confucius came by, approached the edge of the pit, and said: “Poor fellow, I am very sorry for you. Why were you such a fool as to get in there? Let me give you a piece of advice–if you ever get out, don’t get in again.” “I cannot get out,” groaned the man.
Then the Buddhist priest next came by, and said: “Poor fellow, I am very much pained to see you here. I think if you could scramble up two-thirds of the way, or even half, I could reach you and lift you up the rest.” But the man in the pit was entirely helpless, unable to climb up even the smallest part of the way. He could do nothing to help himself.
Then Jesus Christ came by, and, hearing the man’s cries, he went to the very brink of the pit, stretched down, and laid hold of the poor fellow, and said, “Go, sin no more.” That is what Christianity does.
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” That was the Master’s question. The lawyer could not help answering, “The one who showed mercy to him.” Then came the application, “Go–and DO likewise.” It is not enough to hear good lessons or look on good examples. When we have heard and seen–we must go out and DO the good things which are so beautiful, which our judgment commends.
It is not enough for the artist to have lovely visions in his mind–he must get his visions on the canvas, where they will be blessings to the world.
It is a precious privilege to look at noble lives and to read heavenly counsels. But we must reproduce in disposition, in act, in character, in our own lives–the excellent things we read. Now we have read and understand the story of the Good Samaritan. Is that all we need to do? No! We must “Go–and DO likewise!”– (J. R. Miller)
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
