There was once a lonely man, walking in Palestine on the mountainous
road between Jerusalem and Jericho.
He had no one with him, and his heart sank as he recalled the stories
of the wild men who lived in the caves, and came out to rob unfortunate
travellers who passed that way.
The silence was unbroken, and as he looked from side to side and
hurried along, he began to hope that he might reach Jericho without
mishap.
The road lay between steep hills and mountains, and there were sharp
corners and jutting rocks all along the way, which would hide any
number of the robbers who haunted the place.
But all his fears and all his anxious, watchful glances were of no use.
Suddenly a band of thieves sprang out of their hiding-place behind him,
and in a moment they surrounded him, robbed him of all his property,
and, as he evidently resisted them with all his might, they not only
robbed him, but cruelly wounded him, and then made off, leaving him by
the roadside, half dead.
Sad indeed was his plight, lying there in the glaring sunshine, aching
with pain and consumed with thirst. "Would no one come to help him?" he
sadly thought.
Yes—he heard footsteps coming down the stony path, and as they drew
nearer and nearer, his hope began to revive. Surely some kind man would
take pity on him!
And then the steps came close to him, and at last, as he lifted his
weary eyes, he saw one of the Jewish priests standing for an instant,
arrested by the sad sight, but, when the priest saw him, he passed by
on the other side of the road, and went away.
So the lonely man lay there, still suffering and uncared for.
Presently another step was heard, and another man, a Jewish Levite,
came along the road, and, catching sight of the wounded man, he came
over and looked at him; but he, too, passed by on the other side.
* * * * *
But at length there was a traveller who was making the same journey,
and he saw the poor man lying there dying; and when he saw him, he had
compassion on him. A great pity filled his heart. He could not bear to
see him wounded and suffering.
So he quickly went to his side and bound up his wounds, putting on them
the only salves he had with him, oil and wine, which would both soothe
and heal the sores; and then he lifted him on to his own donkey, and
walking by his side and doing everything he could for the poor man, he
brought him at length to an Inn, where he made him as comfortable as
ever he could, and stayed with him all night.
You can picture to yourself this kind traveller sitting quietly by the
suffering stranger, and cheering him with kind words, and bidding him
hope for better times, when he should be well again.
At length the morning came, and the traveller was obliged to proceed
on his journey. So he called the Master of the Inn and gave him some
money, and told him to take care of the stranger, and promised to repay
the Innkeeper, when he returned, whatever he had spent in caring for
the sick man.
* * * * *
Nov when the Lord Jesus told this story to the lawyer who had been
questioning him, He turned to him and asked him, "Which do you think
was a neighbour to this man that fell among the thieves?"