JULY 4TH

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.}

     Notice this certain Samaritan carefully. He is not there by chance as the priest was or at the place as the Levite was but instead, he journeyed. Yes, he was on a journey. Samaria means watch tower or to keep, guard or protect. If one surveys this meaning more carefully, the attributes of a shepherd emerge. The Samaritan is an apparent stranger from a far country on a journey.

     Next, the verse declares the Samaritan came where he was. Jesus is becoming crystal clear at this point. He was in the beginning with God but came where mankind was in his stripped, wounded, and half dead state. Just as Jesus looked on the multitude in His day and was moved with compassion, so was the certain Samaritan in this parable who had compassion on this certain man. This is the great Shepherd Instinct and Manner in full operation. "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd (Matthew 9:36)."

Continued