The Coolidge examiner., 1936-04-24
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Improved 0 SUNDAY
Uniform c~rroor
-:-LESSON =
BY REV. P. 3. FITZWATER. D. D..
Member OF Faculty. Moody Bible
Institute of Chicago.
q Western Newspaper Union.
Lesson for April 26
JESUS LOOKS AT WEALTH
AND POVERTY

GOLDEN TEXT the richs ana
poor meet together: the Lord is the
maker of them all.-Proverbs 22:2.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Jesus' Story of
Beggar Man.
JUNIOR TDPIC-Which Was the
Rich Man?
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR
ITOPIC-What Money Cannot Buy.
ITOPIC-How Can We Make Our So
cial Order Christian?
The topic as given by the lesson
committee Is hardly a fair state
ment. The supreme message Is the
presentation Of contraSted lives and
deStinieS as expressed through the
accidents of wealth and poverty.
Lazarus was not entitled to heaven
because he was poor, neither did
the rich man reach the place of
torment because he was rich. In
this lesson two worlds are unveiled
before us, disclosing extremes Of
character and conditions of per-
sons. In this world we see a rich
man reveling in luxury and poor
man in sore affliction begging at the
rich mans gate. In the other
world we see the same men in re-
versed positions. These lives were
intended to be representative. 1t
is not a picture Of two men in the
remote past, but of men who live
before US every day.
I. The contrasted Lives wv. 49,
2D.
l. The rich man ". 19). He
seems to have lived in a mansion
secluded from the common people.
He was clothed in costly raiment
He was served the richest food that
could be provided. His sin was
selfishly to indulge his appetites
without consideration for others.
2. The beggar (vv. 20, 2D. He
was laid at the rich mans gate with
the hope of getting at least the
crumbs from his table. The rich
man gave him no consideration.
The dogs Of the street were more
kind to him than the rich man.
Though destitute and helpless. the
mans name is most suggestive.
Lazarus" means God is a help"
indicating that a godly life shone
through his poverty. Worldly con-
dition Is not sure test of a mans
position in the sight of God. All
rich men are not wicked and selfish.
neither are all poor men godly.
II. Their contrasted Deaths and
BuriaIs ". 22).
l. The beggar. He was found
dead and his body was hurried off
to pauper's grave. No notice was
taken of his death by the world
Doubtless the only loss to the world
was that he was no longer to be
seen at the rich mans gate.
2. The rich man. He also died
His gold could not bribe the mes
senger Of death. Doubtless a cost
ly funeral was held, attended by
those who moved in his social
class, the officiating priest pro-
nouncing great eulogies over him.
III. Their contrasted Destinies
". 23).
1. The beggar. He was at once
carried by the angels into Abra-
hams bosom. The souls Of believ-
ers are especially cared for at the
hour of death (Phil. l :23). They
go Immediately to be with the
Lord.
2. The rich man. Though he had
an elaborate burial, he lifted up his
eyes in hell being in torment. When
the veil of futurity is lifted, we see
the positions Of these men are re-
versed. The poor man is in the
company of just men made perfect
because of his life Of gOdliness on
earth, and the rich man is stripped
Of his purple and fine linen and
cast into hell with all wicked men,
because while on earth he lived
only for selfish ends.
w. The Reality and Fixedness Of
Life Beyond the Grave wv. 24-3D.
l. The cry for mercy ". 24).
Dives, which is the Latin name for
"rich man." was now willing to
claim relationship to Abraham. He
was keenly conscious and the ap-
petites which controlled him while
on earth were still with him. Part
Of the torment Of hell will be the
cravings of appetite and lust with
no means of their qualification.
.. Abraham's reply ". 25). This
reply cast the matter back upon
the mans memory. He said, "Son,
remember" The lashings of
guilty conscience will be most real
in hell. Then will the lost remem-
ber the cause which led to- their
awful destiny.
g. Their fixedness. Human des-
| TIMES are fixed during this life.
When one passes out of this life he
enters into a state and condition
Interchangeable.
4. Gods Word is the all-sufficient
light (vv. 27-3D. Dives now re-
quested that Lazarus go on an er-
rand of mercy to his brethren. He
regarded the testimony of a spirit
of more value than the Word of