MARY MAGDALEN ANOINTING THE FEET OF JESUS.—Luke vii. 38.
RETURN OF THE SEVENTY.
Seventy people were sent out in many directions to tell the people of the Lord Jesus. They had blessed meetings. They came back filled with joy. They told Jesus that they had found even devils who had to obey their words when they spoke in his name. Jesus told them that he had long known that Satan would be subject to him. Also he promised them that nothing should hurt them in their work, neither that serpent Satan, nor any of his helpers. But he reminded them, that though they had such great power given them, there was something better than that for them to rejoice over forever: that their names were written in heaven. Then Jesus, with great joy in his heart, thanked God that he had hidden many things from the worldly-wise and the selfishly prudent, and had made them known to the humble-hearted who were willing to be like little children and learn of him. He reminded his disciples that no man knew about the mysteries of God, but that all things were delivered to him, and that no one could understand the Father unless he made him plain to their hearts. And he said to those disciples aside, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see; many prophets and kings desired to see them, but were not permitted.”
AND WHEN YE COME INTO AN HOUSE, SALUTE IT.—Matt. x. 12.
THE GOOD SAMARITAN.
A lawyer once asked Jesus who was his neighbor, and Jesus told him this story:—“Once a man went from Jerusalem to Jericho, and on the road he met a party of thieves. They stripped his clothes from him; they wounded him, and at last went away, leaving him lying half dead. A little while after a certain minister passed that way; he saw the man, but he crossed the street and went on. Then there came a Levite; he stopped and looked at the poor man, and then he too crossed the street and went on his way. Then there came a Samaritan; he stopped and looked at the poor man, and his heart was filled with pity. The man was nothing to him, not even one of his own nation; but he bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them to soothe the pain; then he lifted the man to his own horse and took him to a place where he could be cared for. In the morning before he went on his journey, he took from his pocket some money, and gave it to the host, and asked him to have the sick man taken care of. If he had to spend money, when he came that way again he would pay the bill.”
“Now,” said Jesus, “which of these three people do you think treated the poor man like a neighbor?”