Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Let it then be our study to obtain a thorough knowledge of our own depravity, and to imitate the long-suffering, which we ourselves so richly experience-]

CCXLVIII. THE GOOD SAMARITAN.

Luke x. 30—35. A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Fericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, zvhen he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But 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 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.

MUCH address is necessary in dealing with persons of a captious spirit—

We should speak to them with faithfulness, yet avoid giving them any unnecessary offence

Our Lord was continually beset with persons of this description

But in nothing was his divine wisdom more conspicuous than in the answers he gave themThe parable before us admirably illustrates this ob

servation

I. Explain the parable

We cannot enter into the full meaning of the parable without attending particularly to the occasion of it

[A teacher of the law had interrogated our Lord respecting the way to life

And was desired by our Lord to state what the law required2

The lawyer gave a just summary of its requirements, not doubting but that he had fulfilled them all

a Ver. 25-29.

Our Lord suggested in reply, that though obedience to the law would entitle him to life, he was little aware of the extent to which that obedience must be carried

The lawyer (whether from fear of conviction, or confidence of having fulfilled them, we cannot say,) passed over the first commandment, and asked for an explanation of the second

To convey the desired information, and to correct his selfjustifying spirit, our Lord spake this parable-]

The circumstances of the parable deserve also to be noticed

[A Jew is represented to have been robbed and wounded between Jericho and Jerusalem1

A priest, and a Levite (thousands of whom dwelt at Jericho) are supposed to have seen him in their way to Jerusalem

But, though from their very office they were called to exercise compassion, they passed by him without administering any comfort or relief

A Samaritan is then introduced as performing the kindest offices towards himd

And as engaging for the whole expence of his maintenance and cure

Thus our Lord shewed, that any person, of whatever nation, or whatever religion, must be esteemed our neighbourBy his artful statement also, he drew from the lawyer himself an express, though reluctant, acknowledgment of this truth-]

But the peculiar suitableness of the parable to the occasion is that which most needs explanation.

[The lawyer was manifestly of a proud self-righteous spirits

Though he knew the letter of the law, he was ignorant of its spiritual import

b This was probable enough, as a desert much infested with robbers lay between them.

The latter from curiosity "came and looked on him;" but turned away as the priest had done before him.

d There was a most inveterate hatred between the Jews and Samaritans (Compare John iv. 9. and viii. 48.) but the minute relation of the circumstances was well calculated to disarm the lawyer's prejudice.

and

e Two-pence was equal to about fifteen-pence of our money, might be the amount of the expence already incurred; or perhaps might be as much as the Samaritan could spare at that time. His liberality was sufficiently manifest by his engagement to defray the whole sum that might become due.

f The lawyer though compelled to give honour to the Samaritan, studiously avoided mentioning his name.

5 Ver. 25.

He supposed that he had merited eternal life by his obedience

Yet he was far from shewing a loving disposition toward our Lord himself—

The parable opened to him more extensive views of the law

It shewed him that, so far from having practised his duty, he had not even understood it

Thus it destroyed at once all his self-righteous hopesAnd, at the same time, inculcated the necessity of practical, and universal benevolence-

Mild as the rebuke was, it could not but convince his judgment—

Yet was it so conveyed that it could not reasonably give offence-]

The parable thus explained, we may now proceed to II. Improve it

4

Various are the lessons which this scripture may teach

us

It may very properly lead us to contemplate

1. The folly of self-righteousness

[The law requires us to "love God with all our hearts, and our neighbour as ourselves"

And if we obeyed it perfectly without the smallest defect throughout our whole lives, we might be justified by it-

But who ever loved and served God to the utmost extent of all his faculties and powers?

Who ever incessantly occupied himself in labours of love towards those who hated and despised him?

Who has not felt some backwardness to communion with God, and some want of sympathy with his neighbour?

Yet the law can be satisfied with nothing less than perfect obedience

It denounces a curse against us if we transgress it in one single instanceh

Hence we are told that no flesh living can be justified by iti

Let us then cease to expect life by our own obedienceLet us for ever shut our mouths and stand guilty before Godk

Let us acknowledge ourselves to need mercy as much as the apostles'

And adopt the language of St. Paul"—]

b Gal. iii. 10. Gal: ii. 16.

i Rom. iii. 20.

k Rom. iii. 19.

m Phil. iii. 8, 9.

2. The true nature of Christian charity

[We are apt to imagine that persons of our own nation, sect, or party, are the proper objects of our love

But Christian charity extends itself to all mankindThe distinctions of religion or politicks should be forgotten, whenever an object stands in need of our assistance

And we should sympathize as truly with our bitterest enemy, as with our dearest friend

Thus did St. Paul compassionate the unbelieving Jews"And our Lord weep over their murderous and devoted city

Let us then endeavour to mortify our narrow, selfish principles

And to abound in disinterested, self-denying offices of lover-]

3. The astonishing love of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ

[The parable was certainly not intended to represent his love

But it affords us a proper occasion to notice it

We justly admire the conduct of the benevolent SamaritanAnd the consideration, that his kindness was shewn to a detested Jew, greatly enhances its value

How then must we admire the love of Christ towards our ruined race!

We were robbed of the image of God in which we were made

We were left altogether "dead in trespasses and sins". No created beings could administer any effectual reliefBut Jesus beheld us lying in our blood

Yet, though we were his enemies, he pitied us

He not only took care of us, but "laid down his life for us"

He has taken upon himself also the whole charge of our

cure

There is nothing that we want, which he has not freely bestowed upon us

Let us then magnify and adore our generous BenefactorWhile we respect the exercise of love in a fellow creature, let us study to comprehend the unsearchable love of Christ And let us make his love to us the model of our love to others]

"Rom. ix. 2, 3.

• Luke xix. 41.

If this were the subject of a Charity Sermon it would be proper, in this place, to advert to the particular circumstances of the charity. 4 Ezek. xvi. 6 Rom. v. 6, 8. • Eph.

John xv. 12.

CCXLIX. THE RICH FOOL.

Luke xii. 20, 21. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.

Hear we the voice of a gloomy enthusiast, a deluded bigot, or an imperious tyrant?

Are these reproachful menaces the wild effusions of intemperate zeal?

No: the text presents to us the just expressions of Jehovah's indignation—

Covetousness, in whomsoever found, cannot fail of provoking his utter abhorrence

A young man had applied to Jesus to procure him an equitable share of his paternal inheritance—

Our Lord declined any interference, as foreign from the purposes of his mission

And, knowing the disposition which had assumed the garb of equity, reproved it

The parable before us was spoken to enforce that reproof

And the address of God to the character there delineated, strongly intimated the danger to which the youth himself was exposed

There are, alas! too many still who are actuated by similar principles ——

For their conviction we shall enquire,

I. What were the grounds of God's indignation against the rich man?

No evil could attach to the rich man on account of the fruitfulness of his ground

Nor was he altogether to be blamed for devising prudent means of securing his property

He should indeed have remembered that there were objects enow around him, whose wants should be supplied from his superfluities—

* Ver. 13—15.

5 Ezek. xxxiii. 31.

* It was wrong therefore to think of treasuring up "all his fruits:” perhaps too there was too much anxiety implied in, “. What shall I do?"

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »