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THE KING’S BUSINESS
who will welcome you into their houses, when your faithful stewardship is ended by your Lord’s saying, “Come up higher.” L esson VII.—May 17. —T he R ich 19-31. G olden T ext . — Whoso stoppeth his ears shall not be heard. —Prov. 21:13. I. T extual C onnection . The point of the preceding lesson pricked the Pharisees “who were covetous (literally “money lovers,” v. 14). They resented the imputation that they were worshippers of mammon while they professed to serve God. They could not justify themselves before Jesus, and so, as men will, “they derided' Him,” and He proceeded to show a time to- come when they would “laugh on the other side” of their" faces. II. T hè N arrative . 1. Not a “Parable.” Our passage seems to recount an actual occurrence. It refers to “a certain” though unnamed "rich man,” and “a certain beggar named Lazarus.” But Whether parable or history it would not pay us to discuss, for the Lord’s parables áre or will be history in the tru e st’sense; and H is figures, like all shadows, are cast by realities. 2. Explanations. For "rich man” the Latin version has "dives,” hence we speak of “Dives and Lazarus.” "Lazarus'’ is He brew, meaning “God is help,” and there is hope of help for poor beggars in that name. Men fared better at God’s gate (Acts 3:2). “Desiring to be fed” —If he got the crumbs, no thanks to Dives. “The dogs” —Owner less, the town scavengers, at large. Was the poor man too helpless to drive them off ? Or did their tongues soothe his sores ? Dogs more pitiful than Dives? “Carried by angels”— According to Jewish notions? Yes'; and quite Scriptural besides (Heb. 1: 14). "Abraham’s bosom” —Jewish concep tion óf Paradise. All Jews went there ( ?). Figurative, but as such well founded (Matt. 8:11; Gal. 3:9). “Heíl” (Greek, hades;” abode of departed spirits; the Jew-
. We have in this lesson a treatise on “Dol lar Diplomacy.” “How much.owest thou?” M a n a n d L a z a r u s .— Luke 16:14, 15. to the cry of the poor, he shall also cry, but ish “Sheol”). “Torments” —It may be, we see not how it could be otherwise, that dis embodied spirits have no tongues, nor Un gers, and cannot be burned by fire, nor cooled by water, but neither do dis-spirited bodies feel cold, or heat, therefore, some how, after all, it is the “spirit” that feels ! and if there were no “hell,” no unquench able thirst and flame, Jesus could not have told the story. He would not terrify men with nursery tales lurking with impossible horrors.- Figures fall short of facts, de scriptions of realities. “Son remember ”— That world is linked to this by memory, which identifies Dives of time with Dives of Hades; Dives wrapped in fine linen, wifh Dives wrapped in firey flames. “Remem ber!” ■ Think that out. What would mem ory do for Dives? “Great gulf fixed ”— Note, especially, “fixed.” No “larger hope” (“future probation”) here. Hope cannot span the “great gulf.” "Testify unto them” —Evangelism like amendment belongs to this life. “Lest they also ”—Was there a vestige of pity in his soul? Or would their presence, whom he ought to have warned, be but more fuel for his fire? “They have Moses” etc. —“God has not left himself without witness” (Acts 14:17; Rom. 1:19, 20; 2:17-20; John 5:39, 40). We have the Gospel added. “Though one rose from the dead” —The Jews did pot, men do not, be lieve though Jesus rose, and proves His presence today. No proof will convince un convicted men. III. A R unning C omment . The dramatis personae of this thrilling drama are a rich man, his five brothers, Lazarus, a beggar, Abraham, Moses, the prophets and a company of angels. Its
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