Evening star., 1931-04-18
Sunday School Lesson
Rev. Hugh T. Stevenson.
By

his sin. It showed his selfishness
| sensualtty and failure to live up to the
requirements of the law, that called for
every prosperous Jew TO be generous In
caring for the poor.
In the second scene we see how both
men in their estate after death have
changed places. The rich man, who
here on earth had no thought for Laz-
| arus, begged in the place of torment
that the poor man would help relieve
his sufferings by sprinkling few drops
of water upon the former rich mans
tongue. Evidently Jesus sought to
teach us that in the future life we shall
possess all of our faculties, for in he'll
He tells us that the rich man saw, re'
membered, suffered, spoke and argued.
He says that he is in torment in the
flames of hell. We recognize that this
may be figurative speech, for flames
could not tnjure a soul, but it drives
home the truth that the punishment
We will be called upon to endure will be
as severe for us to bear as for our
bodies to suffer from fire. The rich
man had not changed in character, for
he was still arrogant and sought only
external relief. There was no indication
of repentance.
In denying the rich mans prayer
there are several important truths that
we should consider. There is a tender
ness in the denial, for he was called
son" He was reaping what he had
sown. He had staked his happiness
upon the possession OF material things
and trusted in the power of his riches.
He could not take his money with him
1t would be Of no value to him there
happiness. He had starved his soul
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because he had neglected the spiritual
Lazarus, who had suffered through no
fault of his own while in the flesh, had
reaped the results of his spiritual life
at death. He was the rich man now
and Dives the poor. Their conditions
were reversed in eternity, not because
of their riches or poverty, but because
of their life and attitude toward God
and man. The most serious sins OF life
are those of omission. Dives reaped a
spiritual atrophy of soul that made 1t
impossible for him to enjoy the fellow
ship of the Lord in glory.
It's Modern Message.
In His teachings about money Christ
never once condemned its possession.
He had enjoyed some of its blessings.
When Mary broke the valuable alabaster
box. He did not complain. He defend
ed her. He tried to impress upon men
their responsibility as stewards Of the
riches that He had intrusted to them
for the development of His kingdom
The Father watches our activities here
and knows our motives. Man judges by
the outward appearance, but God judges
by the heart. We may rest assured
that Jesus will make no mistakes at
the judgment. If we have tried to
separate our religion from our everyday
life we will stand before Him without
any excuse. If we will follow Gods
word and obey His teachings in our
love, life and labor we will reap our
reward. If, through desire fer self
indulgence, sensuality or Selfishness, we
forget our spiritual fellowship with the
Father and fail to live justly with our
fellow men, we will reap the results of
our Indifference, indulgence and in
iquity. We should be warned by the
beggarly helplessneSs of Dives in Hades.
We can change our apparent help
lesSness here by a life united to the
Lord Jesus, SO that we shall reap the
rewards of the just in glory. If riches
come into our care, they have been
given so that We can use the same not
for ourselves, but for the uplift Of hui
manity, the relief of the poor and the
evangelization of all nations. If there
is one lesson that we should learn from
this lesson it is that our Lcrd Jesus
calls upon us to LAY up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth
nor rust consume, and where thieves
do not break through nor steal"