T h e K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s
449
October 1932
Golden Text Illustration The president o f a great manufacturing company said: “ If we sell thirty machines a day, we lose money. I f our salesmen run our sales up to thirty-five a day, we just pay expenses. That might be called an average day’s work, but an average day’s work doesn’t make a cent for us. If, how ever, our men work a little harder and a little longer, and sell forty machines a day, we make a lot of money. In other words, the first thirty-five don’t count at all—they simply pay expenses. It is the thirty-sixth and the thirty-seventh that are really im portant. They spell the difference between failure and success so far as we are con cerned.” Going beyond the mark set is the literal meaning o f the words Paul uses when, in writing to the Corinthians, he urges them to “abound” in the work of the Lord. D o ing more than is required, going the sec ond mile, is the secret o f many a man’s suc cess. It is something very important for young people to learn in these days when so many are willing to skimp and slack, and to drop the tool up in the air and “leave it there” when the whistle blow s!—H.
When Jesus was on earth, there were peo ple thinking a b o u t these same things. L e s s o n S t o r y : So many people were busy thinking a b ou t the im p o r ta n c e of money, that Jesus be gan to explain to them that a man’s life had more important things in it than the things
had. Hence Moses warned them, as they were about to enter the land o f promise, “ Beware lest thou forget the Lord thy God.” Dwelling in goodly houses, they would be in danger of forgetting the huts they had occupied in the land of Egypt. When their flocks and herds grew large, they would be in danger of forgetting that they were poverty-stricken in Egypt. And when their gold should be increased, they would be in danger of forgetting that they had been poor slaves when the Lord found them. So Moses said in effect, “ Beware, lest ye forget what ye were and imagine it is your own strength and ability that has secured these things for you.” For the good o f the souls of His people, the Lord would have them ever remember “the pit from whence they have been digged” in order that they might always give glory to the One who delivered them. The danger is the same today. When the blessings o f God are poured out upon us, we are tempted to think that it is because we are clever and have some special abil ity above others. W e Americans are pe culiarly in danger o f falling into this snare. W e are a rich country, richer far than any other, and we have been very boastful about it. W e forget that our wealth has come, not because we are smarter than other people, but because o f the great nat ural resources with which our land has been blessed. Instead o f being wise and brilliant, we have been acting like fools and recklessly wasting our inheritance. The economists, who are in a position to know, are constantly' warning us that unless we stop squandering our inheritance, the day ip not far distant when our natural re sources will all be gone, and we shall re vert to bondage and poverty. The safe guard is in remembering from whom our blessings come, giving the glory to Him, and using them as unto Him. The subtle danger in money is that its possession genders pride. But the mere possession o f material wealth is no cri terion o f the ability o f the possessor. The wealth that comes as an inheritance often proves to be a curse instead o f a blessing; that which is amassed by unjust means be comes a canker in the families who own it ; and that which is secured by criminal means causes distress to all who touch it. In spite o f this, the mere possession o f material wealth gives importance to the owner, and frequently protects him from the just penalty of crime committed in ob taining it. II. T he R eminder C oncerning M oney (D eut . 8 :18). All the power to get wealth comes from God. He gives men the possession o f any thing they have. Sometimes, when He gives the ability to amass a fortune, that ability is used-in criminal or unjust ways. Apart from the grace of God, the richest man would possess no more wealth than the poorest. This remembrance o f the origin o f all ability to get wealth should preserve the possessor o f it from using it in unjust ways, »as for instance, in defrauding one to whom the ability has not been given. W e may imagine that the skill required to befcome rich comes through special training or advantageous circumstances, but in the final analysis, God is behind all the circum stances, and in His hands is the allotment o f all ability to make money. There are mysteries here, as there are everywhere, but we must recognize that God is over all,
which money could buy. Then He told them the story o f a rich man who said to himself, “ I must save up for the future. I shall tear down my old barns and build greater ones in which to store my fruits and goods. And I will say' to my soul, ‘Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.’ ” But this rich man made the mistake o f thinking that his possessions were the most important thing. Now that very night was the time when God had planned that the rich man should leave this earth, and, as you know, not one o f these earthly possessions could he take with him. When Jesus had told this story .to His disciples, He said, “ So. is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich to ward God.” That was the trouble with the rich man, he was not “rich toward God.” He didn’t seek the kingdom o f God first. Instead of saving our riches for ourselves, Jesus says, “ Sell that ye have, and give alms; pro vide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” we enjoyed ( ? ) in the guest house at Hu- ara. Neither host would accept any money for all he had done. On another occasion, we were traveling through southern Pal estine. About noon, we came to a village. The sheik insisted that we stay and have lunch with him. When we accepted, he proceeded to prepare a repast which was sumptuous for him, but which seemed very ordinary to us. Nevertheless, he was glad to give us anything he had to make us comfortable. Most of the natives have nothing better than dry bread and sour, milk for their food, and in one case, we saw them making a meal upon the chopped leaves o f the mallow weed. Yet when strangers come, they will kill their only chicken or usé some special dainty which they have on hand in order that the visi tors may be honored. Truly their poverty gives them occasion for great liberality. Outline and Exposition I. T he W arning C oncerning M oney . (D eut . 8 :11-14). The children o f Israel had been promised that they would increase in riches, and that their land would be abundantly fruit fu l; but the danger was that when they thug became wealthy and increased with goods, they would forget their humble origin and the One who gave them all they
Jesus’ Idea of Being Rich L uke 12:13-21
Memory Verse: “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold” (Prov. 22 : 1 ). Approach: There are many people in the world who are thinking about how much money they have, and how much they have lost, and how much they wish they had.
NOVEMBER 20, 1932 STEWARDSHIP OF MONEY D eut . 8:7-18; M al . 3:7-10; L k . 12:22-34; 1 C or . 16:1-4; 2 C or . 8:1-15; 9:1-15; 1 T im . 6:17-19 Lesson Text: Deut. 8:11-14; 8:18; 2 Cor. 9:6-15.
Golden Text: “ Take heed, and beware o f covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance o f the things which he possesseth” (Lk. 12:15). Oriental Generosity T he A postle P aul says o f the churches o f Macedonia that their deep poverty abounded unto the riches o f their liberality. The same may be said o f the average Palestine native. He has very little o f this world’s goods, but such as he has he enjoys sharing with the
stranger who is within his gates. W e must confess, however, that there are some who live in centers where tourists c o n g r e g a te , whose c u p id ity has been aroused through the treatment which they have received at the hands o f foreign
ers. But when one wanders from the beaten path o f tourist travel, he experiences or iental hospitality and generosity in its un spoiled and primitive form. W e have spoken before o f the sump tuous banquet given us by the sheik at the Dead Sea, and o f the night’.s lodging which
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