j> International Sunday School LeBson for Sunday, April 19
THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS
Printed Verses of Lesson, Luke 16:19-31; Golden Text:
Lay up for yourself treasures in Heaven, where neither
moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal.
The Lesson
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there ,was a rich man,
?na he was clothed in purple ?nd fine
?nen, faring sumptuously every day;
and a certain beggar named Lazarus
was laid at his gate, full of sores,
and des ring to be fed with the
crumbs that fell from the rich man's
table; yea, even the dogs came and
licked his sores. And it came to pass,
that the beggar difcd, and that he was
carried away by the angels into Ab
raham's bosom; and the rich man al
so died, and was buried. And in
Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in
torments, and seeth Abraham afar
off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And
he cried and said, "Father Abraham,
have mercy on me, and send Lazarus,
that he may dip the tip of his finger
in water, and cool my tongue; for I
am in anguish in this flame." But
Abraham said, "Son, remember that
Khou in thy lifetime received thy
good things, and Lazarus iu like man
ner evil things; but now here he is
comforted, and thou are in anguish.
And beside all this, between us and
you there is a great gulf fixed, that
they that would pass from hence to
you may not be able, and that none
may cross over from thence to us."
And he said, "I ,pray thee therefore,
father, that thou wouldst send him to
my father's house; for I have five
brethern; that he may testify unto
them, lest they also come into this
place of torment." But Abraham
said, "They have Moses and the
prophets; let them hear them." And
he said, "Nay, father Abraham; but
if one ko to them from the dead, they
will repent." And he (Abraham) said
unto him, "If they hear not Moses
and the prophets, neither will they be
persuaded, if one rise from the
dead."
Comments on the Lesson
Last Sunday's lesson concerned the
fate of a boy who bfceame poverty
stricken through sinful living, and
was reduced to the position of feed
ing swine for a stranger, in order to
obtain enough to eat. Today's lesson
goes to the other extreme, and is
about a man of wealth, a rich man, a
powerful man, who refused to giye
even the crumbs that fell from his
table to the beggar at the gate.
These contrasts are given in the
teachings of Christ to prove to us
that poverty is not a virtue nor
wealth a sin. Both the rich and the
poor can be righteous, and both the
rich and the poor can be followers of
Christ. In the 3ame way, either pov
erty or riches can be the cause of
0f the souls of men.
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In today's lesson Jesus is continu
ing the instructions to the multitudes,
surrounded by His disciples, the mass
of people, and the Pharisees standing
in a huddle, as usual, too selfright
ous to mix and mingle with the
crowd. Last week's lesson gave us
an insight into God's plan of seeking
the sinner and His eagerness to have
the sinner return unto Him. Today's
lesson i< a warning against the sin
of selfishness.
In the first part of Chapter 10.
Christ is talking about how impos
sible it is for a man to serve both
Cod and Mammon. The Pharisees
mocked Him in this, because He was
striking at the very thing which they
were attempting to do, for they were
self-righteous, better than any other
people, yet they made an idol of
wealth. Jesus was making it plain
to the Pharisees that they were in
great danger, and, after giving some
two or three parables, brought the
question more closely before His
hearers by this parable of the Rich
Man and Lazarus, about which our I
lesson for this week is woven.
"Now there w'as a certain rich
man," the parable begins, who was
clothed in purple and fine linen, all
dressed up as only the very rich
could afford to dress. This man far
ed sumptuously every day, spending j
much money for fine wines and good ,
liquor, and hired companies of troops ,
and entertainers and chorus girls and
clowns and musicians to pitch parties
for his entertainment. This rich man j
made much show and spent large j
sums in full view of the starving peo
ple about him. This rich man's man
sion sat back from the street, with
great driveways leading through the
gat? at the street into the great
lawns about the mansion. And a cer
tain beggar by the name of Lazarus
crawled to this gate, and laid there
in the hope that same food would be
thrown to him from the house of this
rich man who must Bee the beggar
every time he rode through the gate,
i>x>th in leaving his mansion and upon
his return home. The poor fellow
was a leper, all covered with sores,
presenting the picture of need and
want in its most awful appeal. But
noM paid him any atention, and only
the stray dogs of the neighborhood
had compassion upon him, for they,
in the only way known to them, tried
to ease his pain and suffering,
a The poor beggar received nothing
|l from the rich man, not even the soft
pieces of bread on which the diners
wiped their hands and cast on to the
floor.
Then the beggar died, and the an
gels came and carried him away and
placed him in Abrahams' bosom. And
the rich man died, also, and he was
buried. Please note the difference in
the departure of the two men ? Laz
arus died, and the angels came and
carried him away and placed him in
Abraham's bosom. The Jews had
three terms to denote the place of a
future state of blessedness ? Abra
ham's bosom, Paradise and the
Throne of Glory. Thus the beggar's
suffering ceased, and he was instant
ly transported to that state of bless-,
edneas. Not so with the rich man.
He died, and a most fashionable fun
eral was held; the merchants closed
their doors and drew their shades as
the funeral procession passed through
town. The best undertaker had been
*
icalled, and a costly casket provided,
'and great heaps of floral offerings
were piled high about the casket, to
be placed upon the grave after the
silent clods of the valley had been
thrown in and the mound rounded to
the accustomed heap. A fine funeral
it was, but where did the rich man
awaken? Jesus said he was in
Hades, and lifted Up his eyes and ,
saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus
in his bosom, and the rich man then
cried unto Abraham, in piteous tones
? so different from the rich man's
former arrongant manner when his
woru was law, and always received
instant obedience. In a flash the whole
scene had been changed, and the beg
gar who had lain about the rich
man's gate, begging for bread, was
now in Abraham's bosom, and the
rich' man was looking at him with
longing eyes, and addressing Abra
ham in pleading tones. And the rich
man cried: "Father Abraham, have
mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that
he may dip the tip of his finger in
water, and cool my tongue, for I am
in anguish in this flame. But a short
time ago the beggar was pleading for
the crumbs that fell from the rich
man's table; now the rich man it
Heading for one drop of water at the
hands of the beggar. I
Abraham could make but one ans
wer. The rich man sould have grant* .
ed the request of the beggar when he
was pleading for bread, but now Ab
raham cannot grant the prayer of the.'
rich man. It is too late. "Child,"
Abraham said to the rich man in
Hades, "remember that you in youi' ,
lifetime received the things that you ,
pronounced good, and Lazarus in ]
like manner had the evil things. You
chose the life that you lived, but
? Lazarus could not help the suffering
that was heaped upon him. He was
poor, and ill, and society, which you
headed in your day on earth, re
fused to relieve the suffering of
Lazarus, but now he is here and in
comfort while you are in bitter aiv
?;ruish." Continuing, Abraham said:
"And in addition to all this, there is'
a great gulf between you and us, and |
no ur.e can cross over to you, and no
one on your side of the gulf can cross
over us us. Therefore, Rich Man, it
is forever and eternally too late to do j
anything for you. You have asked
but one drop of water, and that little
cannot be given unto you. You are|
there, and Lazarus is here, and the :
great gulf stands between the two. 1
Too late, Rich Man, too late! Your
| die is cast, your doom is sealed, for
jever and ever." |i
And the rich man saw it, and then 1
'cried unto Abraham to send Lazarus i
back to earth, where this rich man '
| had brothers living as he himself had <
lived, and warn them against the <
awuful fate which had befallen him. 1
He himsel cannot be saved, for the 1
awful words: TOO LATE, TOO |
LATE, are ringing in his ears, but <
he would save his brothers from a i
like fate, so he begged Abraham to <
send Lazarus to speak to these pre- <
cious brothers who were at that very i
hour, no doubt, living much as the 1
rich man had lived. But Abraham ]
answered: "They have Moses and the I
prophets; let your brothers hear ]
them." Just as He would tell us today <
that we have the Bible, the New Test- I
tianity and Christ's life and teach- i
ament, and all the evidences of Chris- 1
in^s and death and resurrection. Yet 1
this rich man knew his brothers. He i
knew that they would not heed the i
teachings of Moses and the prophets, 1
for he said to Abraham: "Nay, t
Father Abraham, they will jiot heed i
them, but if one go back from the l
dead, they will repent and believe." s
How familiar that is to us, and how 1
thoroughly we can understand this <
argument. How many of us would 1
have .proof from beyond the grave in 1
order to believe on the Lord Jesus j
Christ! But it is not to be, and -it (
was not to be with this rich man's i
relatives, and Abraham closed the
argument and the pleading by saying i
to the rich man: "If your brothers ;
will not hear Moses and the proph- 1
ets, neither will they be persuaded, J
even if one does rise from the dead." !
Faith is the only way, for signs and 1
wonders have never converted any 1
one as yet, and never will. It takes i
faith to become a child of God, and
faith alone will open the door. _ I
Jesus gives yet another parable in :
this same sermon, contained in the
remaining portion of this lesson ?
which embraces the 1 7th Chapter.
and the student should read and study
this continuation of the lesson,
wherein it is said that it were better
for a man to have a millstone about
his neck, and be cast into the deep,
rather than to live a life of selfish- 1
ness, all unconcerned about the wel
fare of those about us. I
Do we not have the rich man, des
ignated in this less as "Dives," in
every community, in whose neighbor
hood there is also to be found the man |
Lazarus, poor and afflicted, needing
even the crumbs that fall from ouri
tables? This past winter has wit
nessed scenes like these pictured in
the lesson. But be it said to the credit ,
?f the people and to the glory of '
God, that but few characters like the
rich man have been found. Most of
the people who have had things to '
jive away to the poor have given lib
irally, freely. The orange barrels
?nd food boxes placed about the en- i
;rance to stores have been filled time
ind time again during the hard ,
nonths of the winter. Appeals by
:he Red Cross for assistance to peo
ple in stricken areas have met with
jreat response. Yet there have been
present this Dives, this rich man
iharacter as pictured in the lesson.
Some have not helped the poor and
leedy. Some have gone on about
:heir way, dressed in fine purple and '
inen, faring sumptuously every day,
ipending heaps of money on wine and
women, song and dance, and have
je'en deaf to the cries of the dis
tressed. Awful, indeed, is the future
'.or them. One of these days they
Tiust be in great torments, for Jesus
says so, and then they will see clear
y, as this rich man saw, the victims
)f their selfishness, the sufferers who
were denied relief, and a great cry
will go up from the throats of these,
ind the answer will come back: "It is
:oo late. There is a gulf between you
ind us, a gulf that cannot be crossed.
JTou had your day on earth, your op
portunity to do good unto others, and
pou failed and refused to do it. Now,
there is no one who can do anything
for you. Suffer, child, and pay in
suffering and in great torments for
the sins committee in your selfish
life. It is too late, too late, for any
ane to assist you."
Can you imagine more fatal, heart
breaking words than these two little
short words: "To late, too late!'* |
Selfishness is a sin ? a dangerous,
damning sin. Look you well, there
fore, to the suffering of the poor and
UPPER GLADE CREEK |l
II
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Johnston of Bre
vard were Sunday afternoon guests
of Mr. and Mrs. R. L. Capps.
Guy Newton left Sunday for Stan
ley, N. C., where he has accepted a
position with the W. Gi Hawley Lum
ber company.
Alden Drake of Pleasant Grove was
visiting in this section Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. George Merrill of
Little River were guests of Mrs. Guy
Newton on Sunday.
Miss Kathleen Poore of Davidson
River, was the week-end guest of Miss
Orlena Capps.^
Mrs. Wade Lyday recently visited
Mrs. Virgil Galloway, of Turkey ,
Creek.
Bob Mackey and family of Pisgah
Forest, have moved into our section.
Mrs. Lena Newton of Cullowhee.
visited in this section last week.
Mr. and Mrs. Herman Brown were
Sunday afternoon guests of Mrs.
Clarence Orr.
Wade Merrill of Little River, vis- 1
ited his sister, Mrs. Rawleigh Capps,
here last week.
needy about you. God never intend
ed for one group of His children to '
wallow in wealth, dress in purple and
fine linen, faring sumptuously every .
day, while there are those, like Laz
arus, lying at the gate, begging for
the crumbs that fall from the table,
and being denied even these. To so
deny this small contribution to the
relief of suffering humanity is to
place yourself in the position of the
rich man, and yourself be denied one
little drop of water, some day, in your
exteremity, as you writhe and twist
and turn in your torments. All the
riches of the world cannot buy the
one little drop of water, when that
hour comes. The rich man of the les- j
son could not buy wines and liquors i
by the case and barrel, but there came
the day when all of his possessions
could not buy one little drop of
water.
Isn't it better, therefore, for us to
do as Jesus says to do, here in this
Golden Text:
"Lay up for yourself treasures in
Heaven, where neither moth nor rust
do;h consume, and where thieves do
not break through nor steal."
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