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about a certain man, who fell among thieves. came to be known as the “Bloody Pass.” And you
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You remember that a Levite and a priest passed know, it’s possible that the priest and the Levite
by on the other side. They didn’t stop to help looked over that man on the ground and
him. And finally a man of another race came by. wondered if the robbers were still around. Or it’s
He got down from his beast, decided not to be possible that they felt that the man on the
compassionate by proxy. But he got down with ground was merely faking. And he was acting
him, administered first aid, and helped the man like he had been robbed and hurt, in order to
in need. Jesus ended up saying, this was the seize them over there, lure them there for quick
Changing the World
good man, this was the great man, because he and easy seizure. And so the first question that
had the capacity to project the “I” into the the priest asked — the first question that the
“thou,” and to be concerned about his brother. Levite asked was, “If I stop to help this man,
Now you know, we use our imagination a what will happen to me?” But then the Good
great deal to try to determine why the priest and Samaritan came by. And he reversed the
the Levite didn’t stop. At times we say they were question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what
busy going to a church meeting, an ecclesiastical will happen to him?”
gathering, and they had to get on down to That’s the question before you tonight. Not,
Jerusalem so they wouldn’t be late for their “If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what
meeting. At other times we would speculate that will happen to my job?” Not, “If I stop to help the
there was a religious law that “One who was sanitation workers what will happen to all of the
engaged in religious ceremonials was not to hours that I usually spend in my office every day
touch a human body twenty-four hours before and every week as a pastor?” The question is
the ceremony.” And every now and then we not, “If I stop to help this man in need, what will
begin to wonder whether maybe they were not happen to me?” The question is, “If I do not stop
going down to Jerusalem — or down to Jericho, to help the sanitation workers, what will happen
rather to organize a “Jericho Road Improvement to them?” That’s the question.
Association.” That’s a possibility. Maybe they felt Let us rise up tonight with a greater
that it was better to deal with the problem from readiness. Let us stand with a greater
the causal root, rather than to get bogged down determination. And let us move on in these
with an individual effect. powerful days, these days of challenge to make
But I’m going to tell you what my 35 America what it ought to be. We have an
imagination tells me. It’s possible that those opportunity to make America a better nation.
men were afraid. You see, the Jericho road is a And I want to thank God, once more, for
dangerous road. I remember when Mrs. King allowing me to be here with you.
and I were first in Jerusalem. We rented a car You know, several years ago, I was in New York
and drove from Jerusalem down to Jericho. And City autographing the first book that I had written.
as soon as we got on that road, I said to my wife, And while sitting there autographing books, a
“I can see why Jesus used this as the setting for demented black woman came up. The only
his parable.” It’s a winding, meandering road. It’s question I heard from her was, “Are you Martin
really conducive for ambushing. You start out in Luther King?” And I was looking down writing, and
Jerusalem, which is about 1200 miles — or rather I said, “Yes.” And the next minute I felt something
1200 feet above sea level. And by the time you beating on my chest. Before I knew it I had been
get down to Jericho, fifteen or twenty minutes stabbed by this demented woman. I was rushed to
later, you’re about 2200 feet below sea level. Harlem Hospital. It was a dark Saturday afternoon.
That’s a dangerous road. In the days of Jesus it And that blade had gone through, and the X-rays
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