"Which of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell
among thieves?" The lawyer answered, "He that showed mercy unto him."
Then said Jesus, "Go, and do thou likewise."

[Illustration: THE GOOD SAMARITAN.]




IMPORTUNITY REWARDED.


One day Jesus was asked by His disciples to teach them to pray. So
Jesus taught them the prayer we all know so well, beginning with "Our
Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name." But Jesus told
them it was not enough to pray: they must not get tired of praying,
even if they failed to receive quickly the things they asked for. They
must keep on asking, until God in His own time and manner should grant
them what He saw to be good. This great lesson Jesus taught them by
the following parable:--

"Which of you shall have a friend," said Jesus, "and shall go unto him
at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves, for a
friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set
before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not,
the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot
rise and give thee. I say unto you," said Jesus, "though he will not
rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his
importunity (continued asking) he will rise and give him as many as he
needeth."