" HOU SHALT love thy neighbour as thyself" (Lev. xix. 18). (continued)
NEIGHBOR
1. LOVE FoR ONE's NEIGHBOUR
" HOU SHALT love thy neighbour as thyself" (Lev. xix. 18). We often wrong ourselves; but we soon forgive ourselves those wrongs and do not at all lessen our love to ourselves. In like manner we should love our neighbour. Our Saviour has made this the second great commandment of the law (Matt. xxii. 39); and the apostle shows how it is the summary of all the laws of the second table (Rom. xiii. 9, 10; Gal.
v. 14). We must love our neighbour as truly as we love ourselves, and without discrimination. We must give evidence of our love to our neighbour in the same way as we give evidence of our love to ourselves, preventing his hurt, and procuring his good to the utmost of our power. Nay, we must in many cases deny ourselves for the good of our neighbour, as St. Paul (1 Corsix: 19):
This second great commandment is /zke the first (Matt. xxit. 39). It is like it, for it is founded upon it and flows from it. A right love to our brother whom we have seen is both an instance and an evidence of our love for God, whom we have not seen (1 John iv. 20). Of course, it is implied that we do and should love ourselves. There is a self-love which is corrupt, and the root of the greatest sins, and it must be put off and mortified. But there is a self-love which is natural and the rule of the greatest duty. This must be preserved and sanctified. We must love ourselves. That is, we must bare a due regard to the dignity of our own natures, and a due concern for the welfare of our souls and bodies.
2. Wuo 1s My NEIGHBOUR?
In the same way we are to love our neighbours, as we have seen, sacrificing and suffering for our neighbours, even though our neighbour be a stranger or an enemy. This is the teaching of the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke «x. 25-32). A lawyer had been asking Jesus a series of questions, passing from one
Neighbor 173 question to another, when the answer touched him rather personally, until finally he asks, "Who is my neighbour?" This is another of this lawyer's queries, which he started only that he might drop the former, lest Christ should have forced him, in the prosecution of it, to condemn himself, when he was resolved to justify himself. As to loving God He was willing to say no more of it; but, as to his neighbour, he was sure that there he had come up to the standard, for he had always been very kind and respectful to all about him.
(a) Note the corrupt notion of the fewish teachers in this matter. Where the lawyer says 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour" he excepts all Gentiles, "for they are not our neighbours, but those only that are of our own nation and religion". They could not put an Israelite to death for killing a Gentile, for he was not his neighbour. Indeed they say they ought not to kill a Gentile that they were not at war with; but if they saw a Gentile in danger of death they thought themselves under no obligation to help to save his life. Such wicked inferences did they draw from that holy covenant of peculiarity which God had distinguished them by. By abusing it thus they had forfeited it, and God justly took the forfeiture, and transferred covenant favours to the Gentile world, to whom the Jews brutishly denied common favours.
(b) Note how Christ corrected this inhuman notion, and showed, by a parable, that whoever we have need to receive kindness from, and find ready to show us the kindness we need, we cannot but look upon as our neighbour. We therefore ought to look upon all those as such who need our kindness, and to show them kindness accordingly, though they be not of our own nation and religion.
The parable itself represents to us a poor Jew in distressed circumstances succoured and relieved by a good Samaritan.
(i) Let us see how he was abused by his enemies. The honest man was travelling peaceably upon his lawful occasions, on the road (and it was a great road) that leads from Jerusalem to Jericho. The mention of these places intimates that it was matter of fact, and not parable, and probably it happened lately, just as it is related here. The occurrences of Providence would yield us many good instructions if we would carefully observe them. This poor man "fell among thieves". Whether they were Arabians, Rapparees, who lived by spoil, or some profligate wretches of his own nation, or some of the Roman soldiers, who, notwithstanding the strict discipline of their army, did villainy, does not appear. They were in any case very barbarous. They not only took his money, but they stripped him of his clothes; and that he might not be able to pursue them, or only to gratify a cruel disposition, they wounded him and left him half dead, ready to die of his wounds.
We may here conceive a just indignation at highwaymen, who have divested themselves of all humanity and are as natural brute beasts, beasts of prey, made to be taken and destroyed. At the same time we cannot but think with compassion on those who fall into the hands of such wicked and unreasonable men, and be ready, when it is in our power, to help them.
(ii) Let us see how he was slighted by those who should have been his friends. They were not only men of his nation and religion, but one a priest and the other a Levite. They were men of public character and station. Nay, they were men of professed sanctity, whose office obliged them to tenderness and compassion (Heb. v. 2). They ought to have taught others their duty in a situation like this, which was to deliver them that are drawn unto death. Many of the courses of the priests had their residences in Jericho and from there came up to Jerusalem, when it was their turn to officiate there, and so back again. There must therefore have been an abundance of passing and repassing of priests that way, and Levites, their attendants. 'They came this way and saw the poor wounded man. They likely heard his groans, and could not but perceive that if he were not helped he must quickly perish.
They not only saw him but '"'came and looked on him"', but they "passed by on the other side"' when they saw his case. They got as far away from him as ever they could, as if they would have a pretence to say, "Behold, we know it not." It is sad when those who should be examples of charity are prodigies of cruelty, and when those who should by displaying the mercies of God, open the bowels of others' compassion, shut up their own.
(iii) Let us see how he was succoured and relieved by a stranger. A certain Samaritan, of that nation which of all other the Jews despised and detested, and would have no dealings with, this man had some humanity in him. The priest had his heart hardened against one of his own people; but the Samaritan
Neighbor We) had his opened to one of another people. "When he saw him, he had compassion on him"', and never took into consideration what country he was from. Though he was a Jew, he was a man, and a man in misery, and he has learned to honour all men. He knows not how soon this poor man's case would be his own, and therefore pities him, as he himself would desire and expect to be pitied in similar circumstances.
The compassion of this Samaritan was not an idle compassion. He did not think it enough to say "Be healed, be helped" (Jas. 11. 6). When he drew out his soul he reached forth his hand also to this poor needy creature (Isa. lviii. 7, 10). See how friendly this good Samaritan was. He, first, went to the poor man, whom the priest and the Levite kept a distance from. He enquired, no doubt, how he came into this deplorable condition, and condoled him. He, secondly, did the surgeon's part, for want of a better. He bound up his wounds, making use of his own linen, it is likely, for that purpose; and poured in oil and wine, which perhaps he had with him. Wine to wash the wound, and oil to mollify it and close it up. He did all he could to ease the pain and prevent the peril of his wounds, as one whose heart bled with them. He, thirdly, set him upon his own beast, and went on foot himself, and brought him to an inn. Anda great mercy it is to have inns upon the road, where we may be furnished for our money with all conveniences for food and rest. Perhaps the Samaritan, if he had not met with this hindrance, would have got that night to his journey's end. But in compassion to that poor man he delays at the inn.
Some think the priest and Levite pretend they could not stay to help the poor man, because they were in haste to go and attend the temple service at Jerusalem. We suppose this Samaritan went upon business. But he understood that both his own business and God's sacrifice too must give place to such an act of mercy as this.
He, fourthly, took care of him in the inn. He got him to bed, had food for him that was proper, and due attendance, and, it may be, prayed with him. Nay, fifthly, as if he had been his own child, or one he was obliged to look after, when he left him next morning he left money with the landlord to be laid out for his use, and passed his word for what he should spend more. Two pence of their money would go a great way. However, the sum must be seen as a pledge that the bill in full