new point watchtower Sept. 20th

by desertflower 5 Replies latest jw friends

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  desertflower

  Page 16 under talking about the good Samanitan, par. 15 (quote) something else is noteworthy about Jesus' reference to the road that went "down from Jerusalem to Jericho". According to the story, first a priest and then a Levite were also traveling that road-although neither stopped to help the victim (Luke 10: 31, 32 ) the priests served at the temple in Jerusalem and the levites assisted them. Many priests and Levities resided in Jericho when they were not working at the temple, for Jericho was onlly 14 miles from Jerusalem. Hence they undoutedly had occassion to travel that road. Note too that the priest and the Levite were going along the road " from Jerusalem," thus heading away from the temple. So no one could rightly justify the indifference of these men by saying "they avoided the injured man because he appeared to be dead, and touching a corpse would hav emade them temporaily unfit to serve at the temple. ( Lev 21:1 Num 19:11 ,16) Is it not clear thJeat sus' illustration reflected things were familiar to his listeners?

  After reading this I thought I had not heard this before. Have any of you got some thought about this???
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  Patanegra

  If they had walked down nowadays, they would have been stopped by an IDF blockade. Sorry, just kidding.

  Patanegra
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  No Apologies

  I thought it was interesting too, when I read it. I used to enjoy little bits like this, I thought it showed that some of the writers really did their homework in presenting the material. Of course, lately I have come to realize just how badly the Watchtower completely misses the point of Jesus' whole illustration of the neighborly Samaritan.
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  Elsewhere

  I want to make sure I read that correctly... Is the WT trying to say that there are times inwhich one can "Bend" the laws of god? Could this be a sign of the Left Wing of the bOrg showing through???

  Edited by - Elsewhere on 23 September 2002 1:5:39
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  blindfool

  I agree with NA on this. The whole point is that the Samaritan didn't care if the injured person was going to make them unclean. The Samaritan stopped to help. Thats the point, nothing more, nothing less.

  Later in the gospel of Luke, Jesus shows us how unclean the temple was. Read Luke 19:45-47.
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  Lieu

  When I read that passage/parable I thought of the GB and Elders coming from a 'spiritual feast' (TM) at Bethel. As they walked along they observed a fellow worshipper in need of assistance but neither group did anything to help. As a matter of fact, they said, "look a sickly and spiritually weak 'bro, he needs to get up and clean himself up". Then both groups crossed to the other side and kept going not even considering calling 911 to inform a medic unit of the injured person. Sheppards of the flock showing no signs of humanity to a fellow worshipper.

  Some stranger, a worldling, of whom the injured bro is consistently told hates him, is the one who comes along, sees the bro's distress and quietly helps him out at his (stranger's) own expense.

  It is a powerful message of heart conditions....that of people who considered themselves 'shepards' and that of people who were considered supposed enemies. See the deed, see the heart.