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T H E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
How th e rich man came into posses sion of his wealth is of no moment. He may have inherited it, or he may have been a m erchant, or a tax-gatherer. We are not told. But we are told how he failed to make th e best use of it. He may have been a good citizen, kind to his fam ily and faith fu l in paying his tax es; b u t he is charged before God w ith a serious sin of omission. He failed in a very im portant characteristic. He missed his opportunity. God laid th is sin a t his door. If “ opportunity means obligation” th en a high and holy privilege was af forded him which he purposely neg lected. There was no law compelling him , save a divine law of pity for the poor. He knew th e beggar was there, he knew his need and he knew th a t he could and ought to help him ; bu t per haps he did no t realize th a t God knew all about it, also. The picture of th e beggar is one of th e most pitiful imaginable,— covered w ith sores— laid by someone a t th e rich man’s gate. We are told his name— Lazarus (God is my help er). We are not told w hether th e rich man tossed him a coin or w hether th e servants threw him some crumbs. We are left to paint th a t p a rt of th e picture our selves. But we know th a t he was n e t taken into the house or cared for, and it was left to th e dogs to lick his sores. There was more compassion in th e dogs than in th e rich man. (2 ) (Scene I I ) — PAINFUL CON TRAST IN DEATH, v. 22. "The beggar died * * * th e rich man also died.” The beggar died and his body was no doubt buried in th e po tte r’s field, but th e angels bore his sp irit to Hades (th e place of departed sp irits). He dies be fore th e rich man. There was no money w ith which to h ire mourners nor to buy a tomb. His la st look was a t th e closed
Outline:
Three Scenes: ■U) P rom inent Contrast in Life, vs. 19-22. (2 ) P ain fu l Contrast in Death, v. 22. (3 ) P erm anent Contrast in E ternity, vs. 23-31. Introduction: This passage is no t a parable. Jesus never named an individual in a parable. I t is no doubt a tru e story and one w ith which our Lord was fam iliar. All of th e circumstances named LESSON fit in perfectly w ith EXPOSITION th e conditions existing T. O. H orton in P alestine during our Lord’s earth ly life. The story is a simple one, b u t a sol emn one. The lessons growing out of It are pungent and practical. Sim ilar incidents are being enacted every day in our m idst although th e details are no t pu t before us in such a vivid man ner. Jesus said, “The poor ye have al ways w ith you” and He m ight have added, “ and also th e rich .” There is a message of com fort here for th e godly poor, and also a message of condemnation for th e ungodly rich. This same passage of Scripture was given as a portion of a lesson in April, 1921. We do no t know why th e Lesson Committee have deemed it wise to re p eat it so soon, b u t have ceased our effort to in te rp re t th e ir method of handling Scripture. (1) (Scene I )— PROMINENT CON TRAST IN L IFE , vs. 19-21. “A certain rich man * * * a certain beggar.” This is a p ictu re sto ry w ith six defi n ite pictures to paint. If we can learn to m ake word pictures we will always be able to hold the atten tion of our scholars, young and old, and th e re is no b etter method th a n th is of fixing tru th In th e h eart.
SUGGGESTIONS SEE PAGE 9.
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