The Hagerstown Globe

Improved
SUNDAY
Uniform International
SCHOOL
LESSON
By HAROLD L. LUNDQUIST, D. D.
Dean of The Moody Bible Institute
of Chicago.
Western Newspaper Union.
Lesson for December 11
THE SIN OF COVETOUSNESS
LESSON TEXT-Exodus 20:17; Luke
12:13-21; I Timothy 6:6-10
GOLDEN TEXT-Thou shalt not covet.
-Exodus 20:17.
Lesson subjects and Scripture texts selected and copyrighted by International
Council of Religious Education: used by
permission.
"The word of God is quick, and
powerful, and sharper than any two-
edged sword, piercing even to the
dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow, and
is a discerner of the thoughts and
intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12).
These are the words that came to
the writer's mind as he read the
Scripture portions assigned for this
lesson. He would fain have set
aside his own comments and used
this column to print the words from
the Bible. If any reader of these
lines purposes to read just these
efforts to expound the truth. and
not to read the Bible itself, let me
plead with you to stop here and turn
to God's Word. Let its powerful
truth grip your soul and change
your life.
It seems peculiarly appropriate
that this lesson on covetousness
should come right in the midst of
our preparations for Christmas. for
it directs our attention away from
things to God. from outward preparation to the preparation of the
heart, from greedy desire to true
liberality of heart. Christmas may
be literally "made over" for all of
us if we receive its truth.
I. A Command (Exod. 20: 17).
"Thou shalt not covet."
This last commandment carries
us "beyond the domain of civil magistracy into that intellectual realm
of motive. desire, and thought
where God alone is Lord and Judge"
(Dykes). It deals with the heart.
out of which are all the issues of
life. It reaches to the root of so
much that is wicked and destruc-
tive in the world-the covetousness
of man. The love of money makes
men lie. steal. kill, cheat; in fact
"the whole realm of human inter-
relations is disorganized and broken
up by the dishonoring of the tenth
commandment" (Morgan).
II. A Warning (Luke 12:13-21).
"Beware of covetousness."
The teaching of this passage is so
directly opposite to all ideas regard-
ing such matters accepted by the
world at large, that it may be a
total surprise to some readers and
attendants at Bible school.
The yardstick of success in the
world-for an individual, and organ-
ization, or a nation; yes, even for
many a church-is the possession
of wealth, or property, or other
"things." Write it then in large let-
ters on the hearts and minds of our
boys and girls, "A man's life con-
sisteth not in the abundance of the
things which he possesseth" (v. 15).
The one who was known to his
friends (and to himself) as "a rich
man" (v. 16), but whom God knew
as a "fool" (v. 20), had more than
he could use for himself. He had
to build new and bigger barns,
and could not see the 'barns" that
were already prepared, for, as Am-
brose says, "Thou hast barns -the
bosoms of the needy, the houses of
widows, the mouths of orphans and
infants." He was a fool who loved
money for himself. One wonders
what he had to say for himself when
that very night he was called into
the presence of God to give an ac-
count of his stewardship (v. 20). If
you are similarly situated and have
the same attitude, what will you
say in that
day?
An important
point
which we
must note is that Jesus expressly re-
pudiated the connecting of His name
with the so-called "social gospel" in
His reply (v. 14) to the question of
the covetous fellow who regard-
ed his inheritance as of more im-
portance than brotherly love. Those
who are ignoring the gospel of re-
demption and claiming Jesus as a
social reformer or the "judge and
divider" of some new economic so-
lution for the world's ills, need to
read and ponder this verse. Every
Christian is interested deeply in so-
cial problems, but knows that the
first concern of Christ and His fol-
lowers is the souls of men.
III. A Way of Victory (I Tim. 6:6-
10).
"Godliness with contentment."
As a minister of the gospel the
writer would first remind himself
that this was written by Paul to the
preacher Timothy.
Brethren
in
the ministry, let us not fall into the
temptation
and snare
that comes
with the love of money.
In this dizzy age when many are
so intent on making money that they
have no time for home and children,
church and fellowship; when
men
neglect their responsibilities
and
duties as citizens to get gain; when
any dirty business is all right if it
produces a profit; when "for gold
men
betray
their country,
their
friends,
their God, their immortal
souls" (Farrar)-yes, in this day let
us
remind men that "we brought
nothing into this world, and it is
certain that we can carry nothing
out."
Let us teach and exemplify
in our lives the fact that the only
real and worth while gain in life is
"godliness with contentment."