The Sin Of The Rich Man Was Selfishness

There was nothing sinful in his being rich--Abraham himself has been a wealthy man.

It is not hinted that the rich man of the story had made his money in unlawful ways.

He is not charged with oppression of the poor, nor with enriching himself by others' ruin.

Had you asked his boon-companions what they thought of him, they would have called him the finest fellow in town.

It was neglecting Lazarus that was his sin. His crime was the unrelieved beggar at his gate.

And he could not plead that he was ignorant of Lazarus, for he recognized him at once in Abraham's bosom.

It was not want of knowledge, then, but want of thought that was the innermost secret of his tragedy.

He was so engrossed in his own life of pleasure, that his heart was dulled to the suffering at his door;

And every day he lived he grew more selfish till at last he went to his own place.

Let the children learn how needful it is to begin doing kindly deeds when they are young.

We grow so accustomed to misery by and by, that our hearts turn callous before we are aware.

It is a priceless blessing when the sympathies of childhood are turned into the channel of activity.

Caught in their freshness, and expressed in deeds, they form those habits of help and brotherly kindness that were utterly wanting in this rich man's heart.

~George H. Morrison~