t h a n i t s w e a l t h! Christ himself w a spoor (Mat. 8:20); H e b e o ame s o t h a t H e m i g ht reach t h epoor ( wh owo u ld n o tt h i n k H e f e lt a b o ve t h e m ), a n dt h a t H em i g h t bless t h em ( 2 Cor .8:9) ,m a k i n g t h em rich. 2. H esai d i (1 ) Blesse dPoor ! ( Xs u p p o se H i s eyes " l i f t ed u p o n" t h em w e re s w i mm i ng w i th t e n d er s y m p a t h y ), "fo ryour si s th e King - do m o f God. " T h eK i n g d om o f Go dw a s "withi nthem, " n o ta s m e a t a n dd r i n k, b u t a s "righteousness , peace ,an d jo y i n th e Hol y Ghost " ( Rom . 14:17). No tcash b u t c h a r a c t er i s t r u e riches. Cash could n o t give r i g h t e o u s n e s s, i m p a rt peace, o r p u t joy i n t h e h e a r t. (2 ) T h e K i n g d om o f God i s also w i t h o ut a n dbeyond t h e m; a literal k i n g d om i n wh i ch t h e "poor" o f t h is a g e shall i n h e r it al l t h i n g s. T h e ir blessing, i n t h is light, i s heirship, a n dhope. (¡2 ) Blesse d Hungry . I f f o r p h y s i c al food, t h ey a r eblessed b y a g r e a t er t h a n k - f u l n e ss f o rw h a t t h ey d oget— «'all thi s an d Chris t too! " said a poor saint, over h i s c r u st a n dw a t e r; a n d(b )m o re e a g e r t h e ir hope i n a n t i c i p a t i ng t h e f u l n e ss o f t n e F a t h e r 's house. (3 ) Blesse d Weepers ."Fo r y e sha d laugh. " Di dy o u ever s e ea b r i g ht face, w h e r e t h el a u gh w a sb e a m i ng t h r o u gh t h e tears, like t h es u nt h r o u gh a s h o w e r? I t w a s a r a i n h ow face. S oshall t h e se w e e p- e r s l a u g h, even now ,a s t h ey s e e t h e m- selves beyond t h e" w e e p i n g ," l a u g h i ng a t t h e ir foolish t e a r s. (4 ) Blesse dHatred . Blessed f o r J e s us loves y o u ;a n d i f m e ns e p a r a te y o u f r om t h e ir c omp a n y, H eh a sjoined y o ut oH i m - self ( I Cor. 6:17); i f t h ey r e p r o a ch y o ua n d c a st o u ty o ur n a me a s evil, H ejustifies y o u (Rom. 8:33), a n d y o ur n a m es a r e i n t h e Book o f L i fe (Phil. 4:3) ;only l e t i t a l l h a p p en fo r Jesus 'sake. " III . TH EWOE SO F TH ERICH . 1» Wh yAr e Thes eWoes ? (1 ) No tb e - c a u se t h ey a r erich, b u t(2 ) because riches a r e t h e ir god ,a n d (3 ) t h e y h a ve t h e r e- f o r e i n t h em t h e ir "consolation. " B u n y an tells o f P a t i e n c e, w h ow a i t ed f o rh i s t r e a s- u r e; a n do f P a s s i o n, w h o insisted o n h a v i ng it a t once. P a s s i on soon s p e nt i t a l l a n d it w a sg o n e; b u t P a t i e n ce h a d h i s still to come. None i s s o poor a s t h e godless, rich b e c a u se h e will soon l e a ve a l l h eh a s b e h i nd h im ,wh i le t h e g o d ly h a s al l h i s b e f o re h im . (3 )Wo et o t h e full, b e c a u se t h e y shall b eemptied, i f t h ey h a ds c a t t e r ed t h e y would h a ve increased; since t h ey w i t h h e ld i t t e n d ed t o a n d ended i np o v - e r t y (Prov. 11:24) . (4 ) "Wo et o yo u tha t laugh. " T h e re i s n oh a r m i n l a u g h t e r. T h e L o rd fills o u r "mout hvrlt h laughter " ( J ob 8:21 ) a n d t h ey t h a t "wee p shal l laugh " ( L u ke 6:21) ; b u tt h e i rs i s t h e l a u g h t er o f fools, a n dlike Ar eo f t h o r n es u n d er t h e p o t soon over (Ecc . 7:fi). (5 ) Wo e w h en m e np r a i se you . T h ep r a i se o f m en i s n o t f o r h e a v e n ly virtues, b u tf o r t h a t w h i ch t h ewo r ld a dm i r e s, a n d which is a b o m i n a t i on w i th t h e Lord. IV . "NOW "AN D THEN . 1. "Now. " (1) "Y et h a t h u n g er n o w , " Y e t h a t wetep n o w . " (2) "Y et h a t a r e f u ll now, " Y e t h a t l a u gh now. " T h e re i sa no w t h a t b e a rs f r u i t i n a then . E s a u f o r g ot i t (Heb. 12:16 ,17. ) Moses r e - m e mb e r ed i t (He b . 11:24-26 ) a n d l a m e n t ed o v er I s r a el "Oh ,tha t the y woul dconside r thei r latte rend " (Deut. 32:2ft) . 2. Then . (1) Then t h e e mp ty shall b e full ( L u k e 22:30; P s a .36:8).
T h en t h e s o r r o w f ul shall b e c o m f o r t ed (Rev. 21:4; P s a .16:11; Ma t .25:34.) T h en t h ep e r s e c u t ed shall rest, "Wher e t s ? cea „ s e f r o m troublin g ( J o b3:17.) T h e " ? W h e n? W h en J e s us comes. (II Thes. 1:4-10). < 2 > , T h en t h e f u ll shall b e e m p ty f o r "th e ric h H e hat h sen t empt y away " ( L u k e 1:53). The n will b e t o o late f o r t h e s u p p er (Mat . 25:11, 12. ) T h en t h e ir "laughte rwil l b e turne dint o mourning " ( J a s. 4:9. ) I n s t e ad t h e re will b e "weepin g an d gnashin go f teeth " (Ma t . 8:12 ) T h en h e t h a t i s "hol yshal lb e hol y still, " a n d h e t h a t i s "unjus t shal l b e unjus tstill " (Rev. 22:11). (4 )T h en i sn o t l a r off . "Behold , I com equiekly ,an d m y rewar dI s wit hme , t o giv e ever yma n ac - cordin ga s hi s wor kshal lbe " (Rev. 2 2 12 ) tio , n" N arCor h «: I 2 d ) n0 "" t h e d a y ** s a , v a - V . ILLUSTRATIV E APPLICATION . Th e dram ao f th e Ric h Ma nan d Lazarus . tn e Dramati s Personae : A rich m a n ; his five b r o t h e r s; L a z a r u s, a b e g g a r; A b r a- h a m ; Moses; t h eP r o p h e t s; a n da c o m p a ny of a n g e l s. ' /•>?* < T S e , i S c ? ^ e " , 1 1 i s l a i d ( D o n e a r t h, (2) i n hell, (3 ) i n h e a v e n. J?" historical . N o fietion; n op a r - able. T h eb e g g a r 's n a me i s driven. T h a t f i g u r a t i ve l a n g u a ge i s used J« a describing: t h e scenes o f t h e invisible wo r ld i s n o t a g a i n st this. W e re t h e re n o hell; n ou n - q u e n c h a b le t h i r st a n d flame, J e s us could n ot h a ve told t h e story. H e wo u ld n o t t e r r i fy u s w i th b u g b e a r, w i th n u r s e ry t a l es o f e mp ty d a r k n e ss l u r k i ng w i th i m - possible h o r r o r s. T h e rich m a n ' i s u n - named, p e r h a p s, f o rs w e et c h a r i t y 's s a ke or t o note t h a t h e w a s n o t w r i t t en i n heaven, a n d i s f o r g o t t en o n e a r th T h e b e g g ar i s n a m ed a s well k n o wn t h e re a n d to b e r e m e m b e r ed here. S. "Th erie h an d poo rmee t together," , b ut t h ey d o n o t t a t t o g e t h e r; even h e r e t h e re i s b e t w e en t h em " a g r e a t gulf fixed." The social e c o n om i s ts o f t h ewo r ld c a nn o t nil i t up . T h erich m a ycross t o t h e poor, J e s us di d ( I I Cor .8 : 9 ) ;t h ey d o o f t en cross t h o u gh t h ey would no t . E v en h e re t he r e l a t i o ns o f t h erieh a n dpoor m a yb e r e v e r s e d—l et t h erich r e m e m b er t h a t. 4. Se e ho w thi s ric h ma n fares ; w h a t robes h e w e a r s! a n dh o wlittle h e c a r e s' B ut J e s us w a sn o d e m a g o g u e, p i t t i ng o n e class a g a i n st a n o t h e r. Al l t h e rich a r e n ot covetous; al lt h epoor a r en o t w o r t h y. 5. I t i s a s har d f o ra m a nf u ll o f s u m p - t u o us l i v i ng t o s ymp a t h i ze w i th a b e g g ar f u ll o f sores, a s i t i s f o ra rich m a nt o f . e t „ l n » t h ? K i n g d om o f h e a v en (Ma t t. 19.^3, 24) . I t i s b e t t er t o c r o ss t h e social b r i d ge n ow , i n t h is world, o n t h e b r i d ge of c h a r i t y, t h an t o r e v e r se positions i n t h e next. F o r t h a t t r a n s i t i on m u st b e m a d e i f i t t a k es a h a nd o f a n g e ls t o b e ar t he b e g g ar up ,a n dp a ck o f devils t o d r a g t h e g l u t t on d own. 6. Wha tchange s ar ewrough t b y deat h r ±le w h owould n o trecognize h i s n e i g h b or here, a p p e a ls t o h i mb y n a me y o n d er H e w ho g r u d g ed a c r u mb f r om h i s l u x u r i o us table, c r a v es a d r op o f cold w a t er H e w h o would n o tlend t h eneedy a h e l p i ng h a n d, wo u ld n o w f a in feel t h e cooling- t o u ch o f t h et i p o f a finger. O nt h e o t h er h a n d on ew h ow a sw o nt t o b e flung a t a ' g l u t t on s g a t e, i s t e n d e r ly laid i n A b r a- h am s bosom. Once covered w i th s o r es b e is n o ww r a pt i n h i s father's! mantel. H e t h o u gh a b e g g ar w a sa f t e r al l a n h e i r w i th r i g h t e o us A b r a h a m.
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