Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-09

provided that they used the same as
| Christ desired for the upbnilding of the
| kingdom.
| Jesus did not commend the unrighteous
steward for his fraud and graft or hold
up his craft and dishonesty as an exampi.
for His disciples The Master was seek
ing to impress upon them the very lesson
that We need TO understand if We are TO
make the mammon of unriehteousness
! money help in place of hindrance TO
our Christian life. The churches of Jesus
Christ have suffered because some OF
those who have been enrolled on the
membership roll OF the churches have
| failed TO learn the lesson of their personal
responsibility as stewards of the money
God has intrusted to their trusteeship for
! the development of His kingdom. Have
we made the right use of money for the
service of our Lord?
Spiritual Service.
The greatest menace to modern civliiza
ton is due to the acknowledgement OF
money by the men to whom God has IN
trusted the financing of Ills work. II IS
not the wealthy man alone that fails 10
contribute as God has prospered him. but
sometimes others who are not rich have.
like the unjust steward. sacrificed char
acter for comfort. 1t was the wisdom
exercised by his servant that the lord OF
the steward mot our Lord commented
Jesus used the parable TO illustrate how
the children of this world are, in their
generation. wiser than the children OF
light" The people of the world prepare
for their future by the investment of their
money while the weak point with many
children of the light has been that they.
have neglected TO utilize the FUNDS ana
opportunities presented to them IN THIS
present life to accumulate heavenly ricnes-
AS an announcement Tor Ills uisclpies
to live for the future. realizing that tneF
will be called into account for the m
vestments that they make in this me.
Jesus sought by holding up to them IN
this parable the suggestive lesson thst
would make them reason that IL an
earthly master will commend shreWd
servant for the promptness. foresight.
energy, skill and adaptahiity OF means
to his selfish ends. how much more are
we to expect that in the future. when
we are judged for the deeds done In
the flesh, that the servant of the King
Of Glory will receive from the Lord
praises for the proper administration
of the wealth intrusted to him.
In the concluding section of our lesson
the Master presses home the necessity
of faithfulness In the execution OF our
stewardship. While the disciples had
were to demonstrate their faith by their
service Here in their conduct of the
Masters affairs they would determine
their destiny. The great peril that they
faced was that they might think that
they could serve God and self.
There never was a time in al history
when men were being deceived into
thinking that they could worship God
and mammon like the present age that
tinges even Christian service with its
commercialism and demands for eff
cency. No man can be a success II he
does not consecrate and concentrate his
talents, time and opportunity TO the Mas
ter's service. for mo servant can serve
two masters: For either he will hate the
one and love the other: or else he viii
hold to the one and despise the other. fe
cannot serve God and mammon.
He not only warned them against the
danger of being enticed into the service
of mammon. but He gave the absolute
cure against the wrongful Use of money
when He called upon His disciples TO
make friends for His cause and themselves
by the nobler use of their wealth for
the establishment OF that ideal social
order whose life is that OF brothers, Inc
kingdom of God
our stewardship is to see to it that il is
used In making friends for our Lord in
helping men to understand His love for the
lost the poor and needy. II we give even
a cup of cold water in His name 1T VIII
not lose its reward we can be as
sured that in the day of Judgment for
our tr,Isteeship He will say: "Inasmuch
as We have done it unto one of the least
of these We have done il unto Ne" there
fore, Come. We blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world: For
was hungry and We gave Me meat to
eat: l was thirsty and We gave Me drink;
l was a stranger and We took Me in.
naked and We clothed Me. sick and ye
visited Me, in prison and We came unto
Me-"