The Story, The Point
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Luke 16:19-31
Some have thought that this story in Luke’s Gospel to be just another one of Jesus’ parables…
But it does not begin that way…not the way Luke will say: “He spoke by a parable,” and Jesus does not end it with “he who has ears, let him hear…” either.
Of course, Jesus has a few of these stories…somewhat like this one…but what are we to make of this one?
A few things.
First, notice that the rich man has no name, but Lazarus does? Do you know why?
He who has not been made a child of God does not have God’s name…and so when all things are over with… …when all has been remade…
These people will not be part of it. They are judged and headed to that same place where the rich man went: HELL.
Where there is a dark fire that burns but never consumes. And then it will be closed up and forgotten.
Why forgotten?
Because where Abraham and all the saints are there is only light, joy, peace…ever-gladness…
And absolutely… is there no place for any darkness, pain, suffering or sin…no death or the devil anymore. Out of sight and out of mind forever.
So… for us to have to see THAT…that which is black and sinful…is to have back what we have now…
This valley of the shadow of death…sin riddled bodies….
No! That will be done with…forever…
But these things aside…
The other reason… is that God calls things into existence.
He would have had Adam name them. That was his job…
Yet these have rejected Him—all humanity has. We have renamed ourselves. And so… a new Adam needed to come to name us anew. We need a new parentage…a new lineage…a new name.
Yet these like the Rich man… they have rejected His call and that which names them anew. They reject His name…the name that gives them life eternal…Jesus.
They refuse to be called by His name in Truth, by His means. Many still think they can name themselves to suit their fancy. They think they can remake themselves into anything. They think they can reverse the curse…
All so they don’t have to be named again by their creator.
But it is the only way. There is no other way.
Be called Christian… by Water and the Word and message of Jesus Christ alone…
… or become unnamed.
But Lazarus had been called…by name…as God promises us. He knows Him and continues to know Him into eternity.
This can either be Law or Gospel… this story, I mean…depending on where YOU are now.
But the other point to what Jesus is saying… is all about how we end up in one place or the other.
So… just what does get us to heaven?
Is it manifestations of the supernatural…of God’s power and such? Well, obviously not. If it were THAT then many more would have followed Jesus and Jesus would not have been crucified….
But this only shows the depths of our sinfulness…our refusal to believe. How could anyone refuse to believe after Jesus healed and raised the dead…not to mention all sorts of other things?
Even Jesus’ friends believed very little…they of little faith…those disciples…this even after being right near all of it all the time….
We are no different.
So, when the rich man was concerned about his five brothers that were still alive on the earth…
…that they would suffer the same fate as he was… and asked to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn them…
What did Jesus state very clearly?
I will quote it: , ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’
I will also quote St. Paul: “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the message of the Christ.” Romans 10:17.
People are only saved by the faith that is given to them from the Holy Spirit through the actual Word of God that they read and hear.
So, this discounts–puts a kibosh on all those stories…of all those people…who supposedly came back from the dead… that tell us is all so that people have new reasons to believe there is such a place as heaven…or hell.
They have the Scriptures… and they still don’t believe what God has been telling them all along.
The devil is messing with them…and trying to get them away from God’s Word. To trust something else.
Anything else.
Feelings will do, if he can’t get you chasing after these near-death or return from death hoaxes that seem to crop up from time to time.
Heaven is for real because God says it is, and not because some little boy tells us he saw it. But in truth, that is not the truth. That little boy made it all up at the prompting of his father, a pastor…of all people! Apparently, his father thought people needed more than just God’s Word to get them to believe in heaven.
The other thing about these stories…and there are many of them…is that they never describe heaven like the Bible does.
Well… people like to embellish…to change how we have been told… which means they are changing the Word of God!
So then… who are we to believe? God at His Word, or people having dreams and visions?
‘If (we) do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will (we) be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’
Is this Law or Gospel for you?
The Law is that the wages of sin is death… as described right here by Jesus.
The Gospel is: BUT the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Is it going to be: Hang out with the rich guy, or with smelly ole beggar Lazarus…
Only Lazarus isn’t smelly, a beggar or poor anymore.
So again, how do we go and party with Abraham and Lazarus?
Hear the Word of God and live. Hear the Word of Jesus’ story of salvation and live like we have never lived before.
Hear the message of free Forgiveness, Grace, and Mercy… from and because of the life and work of Jesus. He died to pay for what that rich man did. If that rich man had listened and believed those words read to him by his parents, and church…
He would not be where he is still today.
The greatest wonder of it is that believing is not something we can do…
…but comes freely as well…in and with and under THIS WORD OF GOD…by the Holy Spirit.
He provides the ability for us to hear, accept, and believe…
So do so. He is always willing and ready to call you by NAME… and then make you His, a child of God to live with Him in righteousness and purity forever. Amen.
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