"...proving that this is very Christ." _ Acts 9:22
"...proving that this is very Christ." _ Acts 9:22

JULY 3rd

A CERTAIN SAMARITAN (Continued)

 

Scripture Reading: Luke 10: 30-37

 

30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man 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.

31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

34 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.

35 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.

36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

 

     In the verses above, the terrible plight of a victim referred to as a certain man is before us. Thieves stripped him, wounded him and left him half dead. How this man was treated by a priest, Levite and a Samaritan is the focus for this reading. Jesus is answering the young lawyer’s question, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Closely note the position and actions of each character in the parable.

 

     And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. When the priest saw the injured man, he passed by on the other side. This man’s injury speaks to the state of all mankind before Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. The effect of the Fall left us all stripped of our raiment of Light and wounded or broke us into pieces leaving us half dead. While many walk around with natural life (bios) there is no Eternal Life (zoe) until we are born again. Apart from the New Birth, one is half dead. The priest in this case is after the Old Covenant which is imperfect and cannot help this man. This man required a spiritual touch from a ministry equipped to do such. The other side is always the position of the old order.

 

     The same may be said of the Levite. Levites were the tribe from which the priests came in the Old Covenant. The Levite came and looked on him but too passed by on the other side. The imperfect priesthood cannot go beyond this man on the same side! Just as Moses viewed the Promised Land but could not enter, so the Law enters not into the life in Christ Jesus. Both the priest and the Levite saw this man. They picture the religious system that was in operation then and now, and it is both comfortable and incapable thus leaving one in such a state as long as the form and fashion of it remains intact. It is helpless to give sight to the blind, make the lame walk and restore sons to widows, all of which speaks spiritually of the lack of Eternal Life and Its Power through Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Continued

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