(9.) He "took care of him." I was greatly touched at hearing of a Christian worker in one of the districts in London where we were, who met with a drinking man at the meeting. He saw that the man was in drink, so he took him home and stayed all night with him; then, when he got sober the next morning, he talked with him. Many are willing enough to talk with drunkards when they are sober, but how few there are who will go and hunt them up when they are in their fallen condition, and stay with them till they can be reasoned with about their salvation.
(10.) When he departed on the morrow, the good Samaritan asked the host to care for him.
(11.) He gave him some money to pay the bill.
(12.) He said: "Whatever thou spendest more, when I come again I will repay thee."
There is nothing I think in all the teachings of Christ that brings out the whole Gospel better than this parable. It is a perfect picture of Christ coming down to this world to seek and save the lost.
(1.) He came to this world of sin and sorrow where we were, laying by His glory for the time, that He might assume our human nature, and put Himself on a level with those He came to save.
(2.) He mingled with the poor and needy so that He might see their condition.
(3.) He was "moved with compassion" for the multitudes; how often this is recorded in the Gospels. We are told, on more than one occasion, that He wept as He thought of all the woe and distress that sin had brought upon the human family.
(4.) Wherever Jesus Christ heard of a case of sorrow or need He went at once. No cry of distress ever reached His ears in vain.
(5.) On one occasion He read from the prophets concerning Himself, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me . . . . because the Lord hath . . . . sent me to bind up the broken-hearted." He Himself was wounded, that the wounds which sin had made in us might be bound up and healed.
(6.) He not only comforted the sorrowing, but gave the promise of the Holy Spirit, Who was to bring comfort and strength to His redeemed people.
(7.) As the good Samaritan set the wounded man on his own beast, so the Savior gives us the unfailing promise of His word on which we may rest during our pilgrim journey. He Himself has promised to be with us in spirit by the way.
(8.) He brings us to the place of rest--rest in His love, in His willingness to save, in His power to keep. At the last He will bring us to the home of everlasting rest.
(9.) When He was on the earth He took a personal interest in all that concerned His disciples, and
(10.) When He had gone up on high He sent another Comforter who should abide with the Church.
(11.) He has furnished the Church with all that is needful for her support and growth in grace.
(12.) He will come again and reward His servants for all their faithful service.
Do you want to know how you can reach the masses? Go to their homes and enter into sympathy with them; tell them you have come to do them good, and let them see that you have a heart to feel for them. When they find out that you really love them, all those things that are in their hearts against God and against Christianity will be swept out of the way. Atheists may tell them that you only want to get their money, and that you do not really care for their happiness. We have to contradict that lie by our lives, and send it back to the pit where it came from.
We are not going to do it unless we go personally to them and prove that we really love them. There are hundreds and thousands of families that could easily be reached if we had thousands of Christians going to them and entering into sympathy with their sorrows. That is what they want. This poor world is groaning and sighing for sympathy--human sympathy. I am quite sure it was that in Christ's life which touched the hearts of the common people. He made Himself one with them. He who was rich for our sakes became poor. He was born in the manger so that He might put himself on a level with the lowest of the low.