The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-04
BY WILLIAM t. ELLIS.

RlChGS Luke
Golden Text, Luke XII:1o.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
There are no new issues. Inc per
sistent questions take new loIIL' fHn-
generation to generation, but the ~
SementaI nrobiems of life abide. Here
are the Sunday school millions luis
ing back nearly two thousand ye -
for a radical document on WhIGn
base a study of poverty anu $50
acute then than now A new Sact
sense is brought to bear on the a.
that the poor mar IS not gettInS he
tice. Men are rebelling against ue
social privileges of the poWeIlq aouate
equal opportunity and an auequaeo
reward for every mans labor IS tne
passion of the people today. YET W.
we turn back to this lesson "a 49,
of Jesus, or even further pack ~
Old Testament prophets, We hhu ~
hest literary yindication of the pres
ent popular passion. .n+i-
1t may seem strange to supstahf
ate the most progressive sentiment ~
the worlds radical thfakers py tHe
gospel of Jesus. He spoke in a time
which spelled oppression 1or In
great multitude of
poor man had scarcely any rISnls,
even as TODAY is still the case in many
narts Of the East. In sharp contrast
the present day sees a Verltaple pas
sion for the brotherhood running
throughout the world. -.
The widespread expression OF TINS
conviction in the form OF PoIlr 49,
socialism merely indicates that men
are eager to take a short cut 10 me
promised land, forgetting that tH9
Jesus way, and the only prdcliCa'
way, is by the making over u tho
viduaI character. Now, as When the
Teacher walked the fields OF Cameo
it is new men that are needed, rain
er than new measures. All lhe laws
hat Socialism could enact would De
u~navailing except the hearts OF men
were changed.
The Days Money Madness.
Running parallel to the deep cur
rent of brotherhood is a strange
stream of s~elfshness. The visitor to
New York who sees the shameless
Haunting of money, and what money
will buy is led to wonder Whetner
even old Rome in its days OF decay
was more sordid and material than
certain sections of American society
The ideas of youth are being
strangely perverted: A boy comes
competent to earn six or eight or ten
dollars a week, and yet possessed of
the tastes of a m~illionaire's SON we
are becoming, at least in our cities, a
luxury loving generation. The Law
ish ndi and the constant ex-
aItation of wealth as the only stand-
ard of success, are playing havoc
with the old fashioned ideals, which
taught a boy that prosperity was 10
come by way of thrift, industry and
economy. We are money mad in TINS
country.
In direct and sharp contrast with
this prevailing idea, Jesus pro-
nounced His blessings upon the poor.l
In this He is supported by the ex-
perience of the world throughout all
ages. We know that wealth, espe-
cially unearned wealth. commonly
corrupts character. The fire of
seems to deteriorate as the
necessity for making a livelihood ,
disappears. AS someone has said,
The rich mans son doesn't ave a
fair chance in the world today"
The richest man in America is on
record as saying, The poorest man
I know of is the man who has Moth
ing but money, nothing else in the
world upon which to expend his am
bition and thought" =
Jesus dared to say that there are
better things than money. Pros
perity of soul is to be preferred above
ease of estate. Spiritual wealth is
the truest riches. Heaven, both here
and hereafter, belongs not to him of
fat purse. but to him of fat soul.
Pooh-poohed though this old-fash-
ioned teaching is in many quarters
today, We are bound to accept the ex-
p~erience of the ages and the wisdom i
of Jesus, that spiritual values are SUI ,
preme. !
Dives and Lazarus. {
In an immortal story. which served {
as a parable, Jesus pictured the rich i
mar and the poor. Dives Jared sump-
tuously every day. AT his gate Law a :
peggar' eager for crumbs. whose sores l
were licked by the pariah dogs. And $
1t came to pass that the beggar died
and that he was carried away nv
the angels into Abraham's bosom: and
the rich man also died and was bur !
!gQ. mus IN a few words is the :
thing pictured graphically. In the !
spirit world, Dives was in torment |
and he cried aloud to Abraham to l
send Lazarus, that he might din the !
up or his finger in water and cool the I
rlch mans anguiShed tongue. The :
answer of Abraham in the parabIe
son, remember that thou in thy life /
time receivest thy good things, and
Hkewlse Lazarus in like manner evil
things; but now he is comfor+ad go
thou art in anguish" In his torman
the rich man learned the lesson Of 6
un|selflshnesS, which he seems NOT 70 =
nave been taught in life, for he cried :
ma lazarus might go to his five
brethren: If they near not Moses ana :
The neither will thew he no. :
suaded II one rise from the dead ,,
was the memorable answer of Ar I
nam The parable is powerful C1ear- S
GUY as a cameo it pictures the great :
contrast; and presents an Ultimate a
solution of the problem of poverty. /
What 1t All Means. e
Jesus never taught that the rich !
are going to perdition and the noor q
10 heaven. His story first of all IN I
pIles that people have a wrong esti- +
q OF Nalues. Even while on earth I
lazarus was the richer of the I've ~ +
ms soul; it needed only the reveaj,p &
OF heaven to show his true cbaract i
er. The first lesson is one of eaeina I
sITalght on vital problems. Bebin6 |
az a. .slhporaI and transitory conditions
me second message of the old t
sIoFy IS that social injustices are 90
ing TO be Strengthened out someb6U q
E nT nmei God has a great stage e
life. wiz III; present the play of