Jump Start # 622

Luke 16:26 “And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.”

We continue our look at the Lord’s teaching about the rich man and Lazarus. These two men were so different in life and so different in death. They both saw things after death that they never saw in life. The Bible up to this point doesn’t say much about the world beyond death. There are a few insights, but not the details we have revealed here. I expect neither knew nor thought much about the “great chasm fixed.” God allows us to know about it. We know more than they did. We need to give that some thought.

Some versions use the word “gulf” instead of “chasm.” I think of a canyon—wide and deep and impossible to jump across. It is a separation between Abraham’s bosom and torment. There is no crossing from either direction. I can understand why the rich man and those in torment would want to cross over. They want to flee the pain that they are in. They want to be comforted. Our passage also states that “those who wish to come from here to you” cannot cross either. That is, from Abraham’s side or comfort to torment. No one who wishes to leave comfort for torment can cross over. That seems odd to us. Why would anyone want to do that? I don’t think that’s so much a real problem as it is showing that there is no changing positions or crossing over from either direction. Separation has taken place and it will remain that way.

For both men, life as they knew it has changed. Choices, freedoms, the ability to do as one pleases is gone.  They cannot go where ever they want. The rich man could not go back and make amends for the way he had lived. He could not cross over to where Lazarus was. He could not get a drop of water for his tongue. He could not send word back to his brothers. His pleas were denied. He once was in the position of commanding and giving orders. Not any more. He was stuck and there wasn’t anything he could do about that. He is truly the poster child of hopelessness. He lived after death without hope. There was no hope of things getting better. There was no hope of someone coming to bust him out of there. There was no hope of someone pleading his case. I expect his brothers had no idea had terrible his plight was. A man that lived with choices, now had nothing.

There is an Old Testament passage that says a “a live dog is better than a dead lion.” The reason is, there is always hope with life. Today can be a disaster. Tomorrow offers the hope of a better day. A dead end job doesn’t have to be a life sentence. There is always the hope of finding a better job. Even those with dreaded diseases have hope that some medicine, some treatment might give them a bit longer to live. Hope. When all hope is gone, desperation sinks in. A person gives up when there is no hope. Here the rich man now lived in a world without hope. There was nothing nor no one that could help him. He was stuck. The mighty hand of God was upon Him.

In the opposite way, Lazarus faced a similar fate. His world changed as well. He was removed from temptation, Satan and sin. He didn’t live with the fear of upsetting God. He didn’t live with the anxiety that he might mess up and be kicked out. There is no crossing over. Satan couldn’t touch him anymore. Which means, the choice of doing wrong, the temptation of sin was gone. He, like the rich man, but in the opposite way, did not have freedoms, choices, or decisions. He was comforted and would remain that way. He was in the presence of Abraham and all the faithful of God. He was comforted. Comforted from his pains of suffering. Comforted with the company of others. Comforted with the knowledge that he had pleased God.  We sing a song, “Safe in the arms of Jesus.” I tend to think of Lazarus that way. Safe. Home safely. There is something peaceful and assuring about that.

Lazarus was a poor man. That’s the impression we are supposed to get about him. He didn’t have the resources to help others, he couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t travel. Someone dumped him by the rich man’s gates. There are many things that he couldn’t do. There is no indication that he preached in foreign lands. There is no indication that he helped dozens of people. I doubt that he built any places to worship. I doubt that he ever fed Jesus. What he did do was trust God.

I think some where along the line we’ve gotten the idea that we must do something big to impress God in order for us to make it to Heaven. Overseas evangelism…leadership role in the church…donate tons of money…something big. Something impressive. Those that can’t do those things, seem inferior to those that  can. Some feel like they haven’t done anything. First, we are not saved by what we do. You can’t impress God by doing things. You impress God with faith. The times Jesus marveled in the Bible, it was about faith of others. Second, look at Lazarus. He made it. He was poor, sickly, and without a friend. He made it. He trusted God. If he could have done more, he would have. Faith will do that to a person. So, stop trying to win God’s favor. You already have it. Do what you can do. If all you can do is raise your kids to be godly citizens who have the heart of a servant, you’ve done great. Don’t compare yourself with others. Look within. Love God. Let God use you and work with you. Great things will happen.

Get busy now. We have choices now. We have opportunity now. After death, things change. Many will have regrets because they spent too much time chasing things that didn’t matter. They ignored the spiritual. They neglected their soul. The rich man knew that. It was too late for him. It will be too late for us if we walk in his steps. Hebrews tells us to encourage one another while it is still called today. That’s the idea. Get about things now.

Roger