The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-04-23
Religious World
The international Sunday school Les
son for May ) l. Poverty n
Riches Luke VI: 2O-25: NJ:
I9-3!-GOIden Text, Luke MI: ID.
(By William It. I.iio.)

the sunday School millions turn
ing back nearly two thousands Years
for a radical document on Whl1n 10
has. 4 study Of poverty ana flcheS.
The problem OF poverty was hloFt
acute then than now. \ new social
sens, is brought to bear on IN. Tact
that the poor man is not getting Jas
toe. Men are rebeIling against the
special privileges Of the powerful An
equal opportunity and an adequate re-
ward for every mans labor IS the pas
sion OF the people To-Day. 1tt "Htii
we turn back to this lesson. the words
pf Jesus. or even further back - the
old Testament prophets, we hnd the
best literary vindicatiOn oi the pres
cnt popular passion.
It may seem strange to substdhtiate
tn. most progressive sentiment OF tne
worlds radical thinkers by the GoS-
per Of Jesus. He spoke IN u time
which spelled oppression Tor the Srea'
multitude Of mankind. The poor man
had scarcely any rights, even aS today
is still the case in many parts OF the
East. Ia sharp contract. the present
day sees a NeritGble passion Tor brotn-
trhood running Throughout the world.
The widespread expression o. TINS
conviction in the form Of political so
ci,lism merely indicates that men are
eager to take q short cut to the prom
ised land. forgetting that the Jesus
way. ana the only practical way, IS
by the making over OF ind!Eidual
character. EoW, as when the Feacher
walked the fields of Galilee. 1t Is new
men that are needed. rather than new
measures. All the laws that socialism
could enact would be unaNalllng ex-
cept the hearts OF men We're changed.
Tie Days Money Madness.
Running parallel to the deep cur
rent of brotherhood is q strange
stream of seltishness. The visitor to
New York who sees the shameless
haunting of money. and what money
will buy. is led 10 wonder whether
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
upon the scene of life's activities.
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
lu~xury-loving generation. The lavish
expenditure and the constant exaltl-
ton Of wealth as the only standard OF
success are playing havoc with the ole
fashioned ideals. which taught q boy
that prosperity was to ONE by way
of thirst, industry and We
are money mad in this country.
In direct and sharp contrast with
this prevailing idea. Jesus pronounced
His blessings upon the poor. In this
He is supported by the experience O.
the world throughout all ages. We
know that wealth especially unearnet
wealth. commonly cOrrupts character
The fibre Of manhood seems to de
teriOrate as the necessity for making
a livelihood disappears. AS someon'
has said, The rich mans son doesn'
have a fair chance in the world to
day" The richest man in Americ;
is on record as saying. The poores
ma | know OF is the man who ha
nothing but money, nothing else i
the world upon which to expend hi
ambition and thought"
Jesus dared to say hat there ar
better things than money. Prosperit
OF soul is to be preferred above cas-
of estate. Spiritual wealth is the tru
est riches. Heaven, both here an
hereafter, belongs not to him Of fa
purse, but to him Of fat soul. Pooh
poohed though this o~ld-fash;one
teaching is in many quarters today, W
are bound to accept the experience {
the ages and the wisdom of Jesu
that spiritual values are supreme.
Dives and Lazarus.
In an immortal story, which serve
AS a parable. Jesus pictured the ric
man n the poor. Dives Jared sumK
LIS SolS Icy
beggar eager for crumbs, whose sor,
were licked by the pariah dogs. "Ar
1t came to pass that the beggar die
and that he was carried away by tt
angels into A~braham's bosom: and t.!
rich ma also died and was buried
nus in a few words is the thing ri
tured graphically. In the spirit wor
Dives was in torment. and he cri,
aloud to Abraham to send Lazar
that he might dip the ftp OF his ing,
in water n cool the rich mans A.
guished tongue. The answer OF Abr
ham in the parable was Son, remey
Der that thou in thy life time receive
thy good things, and likewise Lazar
in like evil things: but nc
he is conforted and thou art tn 4
guish." In his torment the rich ma.
learned the lesson OF unselizhne
which he seems not to have he
taught in life. for he cried tina Ia
rus might go to his five brethren. :
ID,y Io., ~ AgA->~ n IA H. ----A-