Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-21

Modern economic, social and political
questions were not discussed by tie
Lord Jesus. He taught the principles,
which when properly applied can solve
every perpleXing problem that demands
a solution. The Master specialized in
spiritual values and the chapter selected
for our consideration this week is pack
ed with His choicest admonitions, call
ing for His followers to be loyal to His
teachings Although the Lesson Com
mittee selected this part of Lukes gos-
pei for our quarters temperance les
son. we would be narrowing the message
of the Christ If we limited our study
of His words TO that vital and important
theme. The chapter that we are study
ing contains, says one, "a compendium
of IL distinct subjects of teaching, rang
ing all the way from hypocrisy to the
second coming" 1t Is almost impossible
to follow the spiritual principles Of the
lesson and concentrate our thought upon
the temperance question.
While Jesus was warning His disci-
Piles. who were scattered through the
great crowd. that had assembled to
hear His preaching, against the insidious
influence of the hypocritical pretenSions
of the PhariseeS, a man in the con-
gregation requested the Master TO make
his brother give him the share that
belonged to him from his fathers estate.
Refusing to act as a judge and correct
the wrongs that the man claimed he
was suffering. with a sharp rebuke
Christ continued his preaching. APP
parently the mans request was response
BILE for the entire change in the current
of His discourse. 1t gave Him the foun-
dalton to present to his followers the
danger of covetousness. which was the
cause of the family difficulty that He
declined to settle He refused because
His kingdom was not of this world
According to the Masters teaching,
Christianity does not undertake to deal
directly with economic. social and po-
litical questions. A legal decision would
not have changed the character of the
two brothers. Jesus had a program for
the improvement of men and nations.
1t commences with changing the char
acter Of men and through their re-
generation to bring about the gradual
transformation of society and the state.
He saw the dangers Of materialism that
forgetS God. the giver of all wealth,
health and life. He warned His disci-
pies to take heed and keep themselves
from all covetousness; for a mans
life CONSISTENT not in the abundance Of
the things which he possesseth."
PeriIs Of Riches.
Jesus never condemned the posses
sion Of wealth. He taught us that it
could become a serious handicap II
we allowed it to master cur life in
stead of acting as our servant. The
parable of THE Rich Fool" should
serve as a warning to men who in
their selfishneSs seek to promote their
own profit, pleasure and power at the
expense of the Kingdom of God. The
rich mans prosperity was Gods gift,
yet he left Him out of his plans be
cause he considered them to be his
possessions, forgetting that he was a
steward of divine blessings and that
Jehovah had program for the proper
use of his goods He reasoned to him
self that he would preserve his wealth
for himself by building great store
houses for his possessions, and then
live a life of self-indulgence. He was
foolish because his philosophy ana
reasoning were wrong. He had shut
God out Of his thought and temporal
affairs