Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-05-01
sunday SCHOOL.
Lesson V.-Second Quarter, For
May 5, 1912.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Luke vi, 20 -26; xvi.
ls-3l-Memory Verses, Luke vi, 20,
21-Goiden Text. Luke xii, i5-cen-
mentsry Prepared BY Rev. q. NJ.
Stearns.

"e"N~IJ TTcPaFeu oI neN- ~. NJ
Stearns.
These few verses IN Luke II are a
part OF HI, discourse In the presence
OF His disciples and q great multitude
OF people who came to hear Him and
to be healed Of their diseases as He
came down from the mountain and
stood in the plain. The teaching Is
somewhat similar to that IN last weeks
lesson. but the poverty and hunger and
weeping seem to be more literal phys
ical conditions than ia the Sermon
on the Mount; also by contrast the
riches and fullness and laughter OF
verses "a. %. The contrast between
the now" and future time is more
fully set forth in the Luke XVI lesson.
and the bright side OF it Is concIsely
stated in ! Cor. Kilt. II. Now we see
through a glass darky. but then face
to face: now ! know In part but then
shall know even as also | am known"
AS TO literal poverty. we know the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that
though He was rich. yet for our sakes
He became poor. that we through His
poverty might 10 rich III Cor. viii 81.
and as we think Of the Bethlehem
manger. the Nazareth home and the
hunger and thirst AMI horoelcssness OF
His life ofttineS in Ills public ministry
we may perhaps IMAGINE something 81
ordinary poverty. but who can tell the
full meaning OF the emptying. the
service. the humility and Obedience ~
Phil. ii. Z, 8. r. V: The literally
IT
lowly ut heart. while the literal poor
are often proud and self centered. We
must always remember that the Lord
looketh on the heart and trieth the
heart q Sam. xvi. 7; Jer xvii. l0l.
The woe unto you when all men shall
speak well OF you Of verse - seems
not 10 be a very popular verse IN some
quarters. for even preachers and evan
gelistS have been known to hold baci;
the truth on certain great topics SO as
TO have the approval of men, n very
prominent worker having recently said
publicly that he aimed never TO hurt
the feelings OF his fellow ministers
How very different from Him who
said. II do always those things that
please the Father" and also from th"
apostle whose principle was mot a.
pleasing men. but God. who trieth our
hearts" John wifi. 20; Thess. H. Il.
Concerning the topic OF our lesson.
Poverty and Riches" Luke abounds
in records Of rich men. as in xii. &c:
xvi. !; xviii %: xix. .; xxi. /. besides
the rich man and Lazarus Of the last
part Of our lesson. From these pas
sages we note that a mans life Goa
sisteth not in the abundance Of the
things which he possesseth. and SOM.
would do we'll To ask themselves. Then
whose shall those things be- Riches
sometimes make IL difficult for the
owners 10 enter the kingdom. and yet
Zaccheus. who was rich. did enter.
Sometimes the gifts OF the rich did not
count as much IN His sight as the gifts
OF the poor. We are simply stewards.
whether intrusted with mysteries or
money or other things and We must
give an account Of our stewardship.
We may so use that which il intrusteI
to us as 10 become rich toward Cod
duke II. Oh. and those who have been
helped by us 10 know the Lord Will
make greater 10 is the glory IN HIS
kingdom, while the Lord Himself will
Il
resurrection OF the Just luke xiv. IA:
Rev. xxi, l2l. Our Luke xvi lesson
study reads like statement OF facts.
and there is no reason why It should be
called a parable. IL Is the one occasion
on which our Lord drew aside the veil
and gave us to see the unseen realities
after we leave these bodies. plainly
teaching that for each one IL will be
happiness or torment. NOT the highest
degree OF bliss which Will be the be
hever's portion only after the resurrec-
ton OF the righteous nor the deepest
woe which will be the unbeiever'S
portion after the Judgment OF the great
white throne. but n conscious existence
In bliss or woe. with no possibility OF
passing from one 10 the other The
reason Of the rich mans condition aft
er death was not because he had been
rich, but from the last verse Of the
chapter 1t is evident that when on
earth he had no use for Moses or the
the Scriptures. but evidently proud and
self satisfied. After death be proved
the reality OF place OF torment and
became anxious that his brethren
should not reach the same destination
He pleaded that If one went from the
dead they would believe. but was told
that the writings OF Moses and the
prophets were all sufficient We know
from John xi and xii that another man
named Lazarus did rise from the dead.
but while some believed others sought
- LII 1t. -