SUNDAY COLUMN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 9, 26 August 1911, Page 2

SUNDAY COLUMN.

CHRIST’S NEW DOCTRINE OF BROTHERHOOD.

(By Dr. Charles Leach.) “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves.”—Luke 10: 17-30

It was never sate to cross-question Jesus. He was able to read men’s thoughts and knew the real object ol the questioner, even when his spoken words appeared to conceal it. The lawyer who’came to Him as recorded in this passage, in order to tempi Him did not gain much. But the world has gained a great deal by this parable of the Good Samaritan. From whatever point it is considered its contents are most valuable. In the first place we have a remarkable dc finitidn of true religion. Jesus draws from the Jewish scholar a definition of religion which embodies the teaching of both testaments. “Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thj heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind, and thy neighbour as thyself.” This is excellent. What could be better F Can you find a fuller, richer, clearer description of what should be man’s attitude towards God

and man? search through all literature, ransack the archives of the nations-, and you will fail to produce ; description more accurate than this This definition has two parts. L looks Godward and rnanward. It deal; with things eternal, but it does not overlook thoSe things concerned with time. It has reference to the man’s, soul, but it does not leave unnoticed the brother’s soul. It is subjective and objective. It is because some who love God look only upward that mischief ensues. The religion of vast numbers is very scl fish. No one can question the sincerity of their faith in God, nor accuse them of neglect of prayer, or of devotion to the interests of their own soul. But these things so engross and elate them that they forget and neglect that outflow tc others contained in the words “Thy neighbour as thyself.” Many godly people have withdraw]' themselves from all share in public life and work, with the idea that thus they can bo more devoted to the cul tore of their own spiritual life and the promotion of the Kingdom 01 Christ. They look up but not down. It is not their goodness which need; rebuke, but the selfishness of it. Then is nothing the true man of God should not touch. And everything he touches should be the better for it. He should be like the sunlight bringing healinf , and blessing wherever he comes. Those who try to look up should bring the light of a pure and holy life npor everything that affects our brotherman. Peter, James, and John, whe beheld ( the glory of Jesus, were sc moved that they wanted to remain up in the mountain. What! stop if. the mountain and selfishly enjoy the rapture—that could not be! At the foot of that very hill was the boy possessed of the devil waiting for power that could cast it out, Lef us he careful that we do not withdraw to the mountain and leave the devil of gambling, drunkenness, and vice to possess and tear and injure our brother. In the second place we have in this parable Christ’s new teaching of brotherhood. The lawyer finding -himself in a tight place said: “And who is my neighbour?” Yes, that is the important question. The answer of the Jew was little, narrow, local. It took in his own countrymen only. But the answer of Jesus was large, w ide, all-embracing. Out of it has grown all missions to the heathen and all social movements for the benefit of the world. From it has sprung all hospitals for the sick, all onr homes of care for the lame, deaf, dumb, and lunatic. The answer which Jesus gave to this question was quite new to the world. The plain interpretation of this story is as follows: The man that needs yon, though he bs your enemy, is your neighbour. The man that yon can help even though lie bates you, is your brother. “What! that tradesman whose shop is. near mine,' who has tried to ruin my business and entice away my elastomers ? That man my neighbour ? Never! That woman who lives near me who is always trying to slander and injure me? That woman my neighbour? It cannot be; I will not have it!” It is a hard doctrine to believe and ranch harder to practice. 3nt read the parable. It is in harmony with the teaching of the Lord elsewhere. Wo must remember that Jesus did not preach a gospel of indulgence, but of self-denial. .In the third place we learn that religion is a matter of life and conduct, rather than of creeds and catechisms. It is so easy to substitute the one for the other that it is not surprising many fall into the error of resting in ritual rather than in a life of renunciation. Ton have seen a marble statue. There it stands white and beautiful in the form of a woman. Jut how cold and still it is. Gaze into itjs face as long as you will, yon will get no Laugh or firs of love from those motionless eyes. Touch it as lovingly •is yon will, it will not uplift its hand to bless you. It is of the earth oarthy. There is no spark of heav-*ja--horn' love' and life in it. It is dead, Religion which confines.itself to forms nd ceremonies is cold and dead and alien to the teaching of Jesus. The Priest and the Lovite passed this bleeding, suffering, dying man. There was no true sympathy, help, pity, ’■'Vo. , They were well versed in all tbo machinery of their worship at the temple; hut they were destitute of that sense of brotherhood which makes religion real. Rad. the Samaritan passed the sufferer as others had done, who would have blamed, him ? Ho was hated by the Jews and lie did not love the laws. But when he saw the wounded low he had compassion on him. Compassion! what a word this is. It 1

means to suffer with. There is not v word in the narrative about tiio Samaritan’s creed. But every bandage in which he wrapped this bleeding brother was eloquent as a prayer to Clod. Every drop ot oil and wine which he poured into the wounds of the man would rise up to heaven joyous as a sweet song of praise. Every coin which he paid for his maintenance was a priceless offering to highest heaven. This is the true doctrine of brotherhood as taught by Jesus.