Tiie road from Jericho to Jerusalem had a very evil reputation. It wound up barren and rugged hills, infested by brigands, who assailed travellers, robbing and sometimes murdering them ; and from those deeds of violence it derived a gliastly name — the Ascent of Blood. § It was much frequented. It was the highway between the capital and the prosperous City of Palm-trees ; and, moreo\er, since half of the officiating ' course ' lodged at Jericho, where provision wasabundant,il there were continually priests and Levites passing to and fro. Jesus told how a man, travelling down the Ascent of Blood, was set upon l)y brigands, plundered, maltreated, and left half-dead. Presently a jjriest came down the road, and, when he spied the wretch, he 'passed bj' on the other side.' Next <ime a Levite, and he behaved with like in- iiumanity. Then came one riding on an ass, a merchant probably, who often passed that way in the prosecution of his business. IT Since the holy men had ' passed by on the otiier side,' it would iiave been no marvel liad he done the like, especi- ally since he was a Samaritan, one of that hated race with which the Jews had no dealings. But he was moved by the piteous spectacle, and, dis- inounting, he dressed the sufferer's wounds, accord- ing to the medical prescription of that day, with oil and wine ; ''* then he mounted him on his beast, and conveyed him to an inn and tended him. Those oHices of humanity detained him from his journey, and he rose betimes 'toward the morrow ' (en-i rrjv avpiov), to push forward. But ere he set out he handed the host two denarii, and bade him .see to
* The scene was evidently a synajjo^'ue, since His hearers were seated (of. v.-j).
t Cf. Li^'htfoot and Wetstein on Mt i'^.
t I-v l!)iy, Lifrhtfooton Lk 10211.
S -lo.s 1;')". .Jerome, Ki>. xx\ ii, ad Eustoch. Vir<j. : ' Locum Adomim, (|uod intcrprotatur sanifninum, qnia niultus in eo seui^'uis crebris latronnm fundel)atMr iiir-nrsibiis ' ; on .Jer .32: ' Arahas, qiue srens latrociniis dodita nsciuo hodie incursat ter- mirios I'alaistinas et descendentibus de Hienisaleni in Hierioho obsidet vias.' Hence, probably, the two briirands who were rriicifiod with Jesus. Cf. Lightfoot on Lk lOM ; G. A.Smith.
11 Lightfoot on Lk lO-i').
If He was known to the innkeeper, and had good credit
(cf. V.'W).
** Cf. Wetstein.
VOL. II. — 36
the unfortunate man until he should be fit for the road. Since n denarius w&s a day's wage,* the two would i)robably suffice ; but in case of need he en- joined that no expense be spared, undertaking to .settle the account on his return journey.
'Which of these three,' says Jesus, ' seemeth to thee to have proved "neighbour" to the man that fell in with the brigands?' Onlj- one answer was possible. The lawyer should have replied, ' The Samaritan ' ; but he could not endure to utter the odious name, and he reluctantly faltered out, ' The one that took pity on him.' ' Go thy way,' .said Jesus; 'do thou also likewise.' It was a master- piece of dialectic. He had avoided entanglement in an unprofitable and perilous controver.sy, and had forced His adversary to pronounce judgment on himself. See also art. NEIGHBOUR.
Literature. — The standard Coinin. ; the works of Trench, Bruce, Dods, and Taylor on the Parables ; Edersheim, Life and Timex, ii. 234 flf.; Vinet, Vital Christianittj, p. .''i08ff. ; Expositor,
I. vL[i8T7]i86ff. David Smith.
SANCTIFY, SANCTIFICATION.— Sanctification is the tr. of dyi.aafj.6s, which is one of the group of words that includes dyios, and dytd^'w, and dyiuicrvi'T]. The root idea of the group seems to be 'separa- tion' or 'restricted use' (see Holiness). dyiaa/j.6s denotes primarily a process ; but in NT it is used also to describe the state resulting from that process. This wider usage is familiar in our language, and therefore we take ' sanctification ' to describe both a state and a process. It is the pro- cess by which men are made holy, and it is also the state into which men pass as they become holy. Therefore this article must discuss what state is considered by Jesus Christ to deserve the name ' sanctification,' and what is the process whereby He conceives men are sanctified.
The first fact to be noticetl about this entire group of words is that it occupies a meagre place in the teaching of Jesus. The number of times when either of them is put into His lips is very small, and none of these few usages refers to man. dyios is used as follows : He addresses God as 'Holy Father' (Jn 17^'); He speaks of 'the holy angels ' (Mk 8^^ li) ; He uses the name ' Holy Spirit ' (Mt I2»-|| '2Si», Mk 123« 13^', Lk 12'-, Jn 14-« 202-) ; He warns aganist giving ' that whicli is holy' unto the dogs (Mt T**) ; and He refers to the abom'ination that stands ' in the holy place ' (24'"'). dyidfcj is used of 'the temjJe that sanctifieth the gift '(Mt 23'"- '^) ; and there are three very important usages in Jn 10^8 17"-'». It occurs also in the Lord's Prayer in the sentence, ' Hallowed be thy name ' (Mt 6''). This ])etition suggests that both the ceremonial and ethical aspects of the word were l)resent to our Lord's mind. The ' name ' of the Father is to l)e reverenced. It casts awe upon the \vorshipping soul. But also the name stands for righteousness. It is a name whose ethical splen- dour must not be smirched. The same double referen(!e can be traced in His usage of 07(05. When Jesus employs these words, He seems to give them their true historical sense as implying (1) a state of consecratiim to the Divine purposes, and (2) a state of ethical holiness.