Text:
‘So now he is here being comforted and you are in anguish’ – Luke 16:25 Living Bible
Thought:
Jesus used parables to illustrate and explain about the Kingdom of God, heaven, hell and life in general. Some are easier to understand than others but all are true and we ignore them at our peril. Such is the case with the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. 1
- In life there will always be the have’s and the have not’s
The latest survey reveals that the top 1% of the richest people in the world have more combined wealth than the other 99% put together. Jesus said, ‘For you have the poor with you always.’ 2 and ‘Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.’ 3 He also said, ‘How hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God.’ 4 Yet there are many rich people who are true Christians in spite of their wealth and there are countless poor people who do not give God or Jesus a moment’s thought. It is not what you have in life that really matters, but what has you! One can have everything yet be generous and others with nothing yet are driven with envy and greed.
- The end of your life on earth is not the end of your life
In this parable Jesus reveals an existence after death for both the rich man and the beggar. Our spirit lives in our body that ages, gets illnesses and diseases and eventually dies, but it is an eternal creation and can never cease to exist. The Bible warns that after death there is judgment. 5 You may run from God on earth and have nothing to do with Him, but there is a day coming when you will have to meet Him face to face.
- The awfulness of hell
This parable reveals some key facts about what hell is really like. It is certainly not a place to joke about.
Unending pain – ‘for I am tormented in this flame’
We often see death as freeing someone from pain and suffering, but not if you leave God out of your life.
Unanswerable prayer – ‘I beg you, therefore that you would send him to my father’s house’
He never prayed on earth but started in earnest. He did not want any of his family to end up where he was, but it was too late, his prayers could not be answered now.
Unsurmountable gulf – ‘Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us’
The idea of purgatory does not exist in the Bible and is the result of man’s imagination. If there was a second chance after death, there would be no need to earnestly preach the gospel now.
Uncontrollable regret – ‘remember that in your lifetime you received your good things’
Never ever thankful to God for the good he had enjoyed. If only he could say thank you now but it was too late. There were opportunities to have shared it with others, even that beggar but he kept it all for himself.
Untold misery
No words can truly describe what someone will experience who ends up there. Sufficient to say that the awfulness of what Jesus endured dying on the cross, taking the punishment for our sins, was so that nobody needs to end up in hell.
- The wonderful place called heaven
It is so difficult to imagine a life without tears, pain, suffering and death, but that is what heaven is really like. 6 God cannot force you to go there, He invites you. He has made it possible for every person who has ever lived to go to heaven. This is why Jesus came, for ‘He is the way, the truth and the life’ 7 He is, ‘The Saviour of all men.’ 8 Is He your Saviour?
Christians have a responsibility to share their faith. While we cannot continually preach at our family, friends and work colleagues, we can and must ensure that we have told them at least once, where we stand concerning Jesus Christ. Jesus told us not to hide our light. 9 Do not be a secret Christian, too scared to talk about your faith. If you are determined to talk about Jesus, God will ensure that you will always have someone to talk to! After all, what could be more wonderful than knowing you have helped change someone’s final destination from hell to heaven!
If, as you are reading this, you are not sure of going to heaven, it is time to do something about that right now. The Bible urges, ‘Call on the Lord while He is near.’ 10 ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your heart.’ 11 ‘Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ 12
If you do not know what to say, use the following prayer. If you mean the words you pray, God will hear, answer and save you.
“Heavenly Father,
I am sorry for my sins that Jesus took the punishment for on the cross. I ask you to forgive me and I ask Jesus to be my personal Saviour and Lord. Come into my life right now and help me to live for you from now on. Help me to talk to others about my new-found faith so that they too will have the opportunity to be saved. I thank you for hearing this prayer and saving me right now. Amen”
1 – Luke 16:19-30 2 – Matthew 26:11 3 – Luke 6:20 4 – Mark 10:24
5 – Hebrews 9:27 6 – Revelation 21:4 7 – John 14:6 8 – 1 Timothy 4:10
9 – Matthew 5:14-16 10 – Isaiah 55:6 11 – Hebrews 3:15 12 – Romans 10:13
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