Luke 16:19-31
Most of my readers have read the story of the rich man and
Lazarus, and you will recall these words from Jesus: “There was a rich man who was
clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his
gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table.
Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The
poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man
also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in
torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his
side.” (Luke 16:19-23)
Most of us do not
identify with the poor man who is laying at the rich man’s gate covered with
sores, so by default we must enter the story as the rich man, and this rich guy
had the latest in technology, the best and newest clothing, and his chariot is the
coolest in the neighborhood, but it bothers him when he leaves the gate for
there is this poor guy, someone called him Lazarus, and all he is asking for is
the stuff we throw in the garbage can after each meal.
We do not understand the poor guy, he has
got sores and no telling what else, he is dirty and he smells real bad, and I
know it sounds bad but someone, maybe the government needs to move these kind
of people out of our sight, it would make life so much better if they were not
at the intersections begging for my crumbs.
I’ve been that rich man and it breaks
the heart of God when we have contempt and not mercy, when we act as the
religious Pharisee and not as Christ.
For it has been stated correctly, when one looks down on another they
cannot see the Father or His love.
Isaiah has a good word for each of us rich, religious acting Pharisees; “Seek the Lord while
he may be found, call upon him while he is near, let the wicked forsake his
way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he
may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah
55:6-7) I’ve found that anytime I’ve
felt superior to another, my thoughts and eyes are out of focus.
Now the rich guy who lived in the nice home and had the best
of the best, never needed anything while on planet earth, finds life does not
end with the grave, and these are Jesus’ words; “The rich man also died and
was buried, and
in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far
off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father
Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in
water and cool my tongue, for
I am in anguish in this flame.” How can we stop and ponder on what Jesus has just said, the
guy in hell, he is in torment, and in anguish in the flames. I know your priest or pastor, teacher, guy
next door, told you God is good and never would send anyone, maybe Hitler, no,
not even Hitler to Hell. So who are you
going to trust, Jesus the Creator, or some person who is created like yourself?
I find it of interest that the rich guy
in hell can see Lazarus but Lazarus is not part of the conversation, so it sure
seems Lazarus has no knowledge of this exchange between Abraham and the rich
man. Verse 26 states this fact; “And besides all
this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who
would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to
us.” It is an eternal hell
and the rich man chose by his acts of “I did it my way” to reject God’s plan
for his own.
So the rich man asked Abraham to send
Lazarus back to warn his five brothers so they would not end up in such a
place, and this was the reply, please listen for these are the words of our
LORD: “But
Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said,
‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will
repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and
the Prophets, neither will
they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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