The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-11-30
S. S. LESSON
December 2, 1900. Matt. XIX, 1920.
The Rich Young Ruler.

A special though sad interest at
taches to all the Incidents Of Jesus last
Journey to Jerusalem. He had healed
the lepers. and blessed the children, and
now, almost under shadow Of his cross.
In. point Of time only four weeks re-
-.oved, comes those subtiest of inter-
views with the rich young president Of
some synagogue. :. The man was like
one thoroughly incased in armor. Every
piece was FURNISHED with diligence and
disposed for effect. He stood panoplied
cap-a-ple. But beneath all this splen-
did. impregnablc, moving fortress Turk
ed a disqulet spirit. that felt itself not
quite secure In spite OF all, else he
would never have come to the Nazarene
rabbi. Jesus, Just condescends to en-
ter the lists. and tilt and foil with this
knight, Of legality on his own ground
and by bis own methods. First OF all.
he will bring him, with his boosted
goodness, face to face with the absolute
goodness OF God. He adroitly puts q
significance upon the hollow term of
polite address which the user OF 1t never
dreamed Of. In the blazing light Of d.
vine perfection the Wanted armor OF
self-rightcousness Is sadly dimmed. ;.
But since the inquirer will be perfect
BY his own exertion, Jesus holds before
him the unyieldns. fl!nty' table of the
law. and cries: DO and llve!" The le-
gallst. thinking only Of the letter, could
say, Il have kept It." Yet. spite OF this
Wanted. literal obedience. there Is n
dread sense OF insecurity. :. The
Master knew all the while the weak
snot In his brave and glittcrlng armor.
He had only been toying with and test
his lance TO rest TO make the deadly
thrust. Sell all. and give ALL" "If
YOU really want the treasures OF hea-
ven, give up the treasure OF carth!"
Gossner quantity says: "A man may
pledge and stake his head q hundred
times. but II any one were to proceed
to take It from him, he would feel for
the first time, how II sticks to him."
In the dread conclusion of Jesus words,
the rich young magistrate realized, for
the first time, how he was welded to
his wealth. 1t was rs much q part of
him as his head was. He would Us
soon have parted with the one rs the
other. 80. Jesus was holding up with
steady hand the first table of the law
that required Il supreme love of God,
which would expel any idol. In the
flashing light Of that Divinely-cngraven
Sinaitic tablet, the ruler discovered
that Mammon filed his whole heart.
The revelation was thorough Not n
word need to be added. EQuiyocatIon
was Impossible. a heart was revealed
to Itself. 1t found itself destitute of
the very essence of religion-supreme
love Of God. -. Crucial moment that!
The compass-ncedle Of L soul wuverins
between heaven and he'll. Alas. alas.
when in a moment 1t came to rest, 1t
pointed steadily toward perdition. What
n loss! The dread unrest, extreme
enough 10 bring THIS man OF high rank
to the despised Galllcan and to bring
him, not like Neon edus. but In tho
most public place and manner. That
unrest might have been instantly re-
moved by the absolute assurance OF a
happy Immortality. Riches held by
frailest tenure-wcalth. the sport OF the
natural elements and standing tempta-
tion to human rapacity, were then and
there deliberately preferred to treasure
laid up where moth and rust do not cor
rupt, and where thieves do not break
through and steal, -. No wonder the
Mnster-tcncher awaited himself of such
didnctic incident! He quotes the pro-
verbal description OF the Impossible to
lHulCutc tHe eAllCIllc uliIlEulty ol IL nND-
py outcome In this and similar in
stances. As easily could their largest
domestic animals pass through the
smallest orilce with which they were
familiar, as a rich man enter heaven.
He viii not enter ut all except by means
of that regenerntinG grace which en-
ables him 10 break the enchanting spell
of Mammon and love God with n su-
preme affection.