Jump Start # 3519

Luke 16:23 “And in Hades he lifts up his eyes, being in torments, and sees Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

I was working ahead on some Jump Starts and other things I do around here and I noticed that next week we have a “Leap Day.” An extra day is added to February every four years. I’m sure those who keep track of  yearly calendars, atomic time and such things could give a full reason as to why we are given an extra day every four years. It probably also makes sense to those who understand such things why every spring we “spring forward” with time and every fall we “fall back” with time. For the most of us, it’s an inconvenience and we don’t get it. I don’t get it when it is explained.

So, next week, we get an “extra day.” And, that brings us to our passage today. The story of the rich man and poor Lazarus. The rich man seems to have everything, but he really didn’t. He had a full belly, full closets but an empty heart. His eyes could count his money, but they couldn’t see the opportunity to help a poor man laying at his gate. There are many people who would have envied this rich man. He had it all, but he really didn’t. And, in death, he and Lazarus trade places. The rich man in death is begging and has no one to help him, just as Lazarus was in life. In death, the rich man was in a place that no one wanted to be. In life, no one wanted to be where Lazarus was. Comfort in life, comfort in death. Agony in life, agony in death. Those two men were complete opposites in life and in death.

Several years ago, we produced a Jump Start book on the rich man and Lazarus. If you would like a free copy, email me (Rogshouse@aol.com).

Imagine in the Luke 16 account, that the rich man was given one extra day. It’s leap year for the rich man. What would that look like?

First, it is very, very likely that the rich man would have spent an extra day pursuing wealth and pleasure. The lessons he learned came after he died. Given another day, we’d expect that nothing would have changed. Given another week…another month…another year…his eyes could not see and his heart was closed.

I appreciate being able to pray for family and friends of our church family. We pray for their physical wellbeing through surgeries, treatments and hospital stays. And, after their recovery, rarely is anything ever said about them again. What about their souls? We’ve prayed for more days, but what have they done with those days? Maybe it’s time we prayed for the souls and the salvation of our friends and neighbors. Like ole’ Hezekiah, if they are given another 15 years to live, that’s wonderful. But, what if those 15 years are just a continuation of an indifferent spirit about the Lord who gives them that time?

Second, may the Lord open our eyes to see lessons before it’s too late. The penitent rich man saw things in death that he never saw in life. They were there. He could have seen them, if he looked. But his attention was drawn to making money, eating fine foods and wearing rich clothes. Because of that, he never saw what was really important. He never saw what would happen to his gated house, his fine clothes after he left this place. Where are those things today? Faith, hope, conviction, being a servant, those are the things that he saw too late. He saw how valuable Moses and the Prophets were after he was dead.

And, what about us? Do we have opportunity laying right in our path and we fail to see it? Opportunity to shine light? Opportunity to serve? Opportunity to teach? Right there, every day when we walk into work or school. Everyday as we have conversations with family members. Everyday as we share things on social media.

Poor Lazarus was not in Africa. He was at the gate of the rich man’s house. There was no going or coming without passing by Lazarus. Open our eyes, Lord.

Third, the walk through any cemetery is a stroll through time with those who wished they had one more day. One more day to seek the Lord. One more day to come to the Lord. One more day to apologize. One more day to resist the devil. Cemeteries are islands of regret of so many that lived for themselves but not for the Lord.

How about spending next Thursday, Leap Day, in deep prayer and thankfulness. An extra day given to you. Don’t  waste it. Don’t treat it as just another day.  You are given a blessing that multitudes who are gone would love to have. An extra day…what a blessing.

Roger

Jump Start # 2765

Luke 16:23 “And in Hades he lifts up his eyes, being in torments, and sees Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

(This was written on Sunday January 17th).

My sweet dad passed away this morning. The tears flow even though this is what I wanted. His long journey here has ended. A World War II vet, a man who never stopped learning and being a delight to others. His smile was endless and his faith was strong. My siblings gather in the morning to plan his funeral, which I will preach. We were so blessed. One of my final words to him, as I kissed his head was to say, “thank you.”

My dad passed through that door of death on a Sunday. He would have liked that. If I was given the choice, that would be my day of the week as well. Sundays are always the best day of the week. And, as I was driving to the church building this morning, my mind was filled with thoughts about dad, what I was to preach this morning, I thought of this passage. Dad was a blessing. He was an example of faith and love.

Our passage is taken from the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man died. He lifted up his eyes and saw things. He saw things that he had never seen before. For instance:

• He saw that there was nothing he could do about his situation. All the money, all the land, all the power he once had, were worthless on the other side.
• He saw that his choices in life put him where he was. It wasn’t God that sent him there, it was his choices. He chose to live a life without regard to anything spiritual. In death, he saw the consequences that come with such a life.
• He saw that there was nothing he could do for others on earth. No messages would be sent. No warnings given. No secret signs. His family had what he had, the word of God. If they followed that, they would not be where he was. But he knew. He knew them. He knew that they wouldn’t pay attention as he had not paid attention.
• He saw that there was no going back and having a do over. He wasn’t allowed another chance to get things right. That wasn’t going to happen.

But, on this Sunday morning, I thought about what my sweet dad saw when he opened his eyes on the other side. Just what does a righteous person see when they cross through the doorway of death? What’s on the other side for the righteous?

Here are my thoughts:

• First, there is unbelievable comfort. That’s what Lazarus found. Feeling good, feeling well. I think this is much more than the absence of pain, suffering, and being bothered with pills, shots and procedures. There is an inner comfort. One has reached his journey. This is where God wants him to be. The race is over. The battle has been won. Safely home, never to be tempted again. Safely home, never to be troubled again. Safely home. No other place to be. My dad was one who smiled. Picture after picture shows him smiling. A happy man. And, I expect that journey that ended brought the biggest of smiles to his face.

• Second, there must be some connection with the people there. I don’t know how all of this works, and I do not worry about it. God will take care of it. The other side is made up of the people of faith. People from all over the globe. People that my dad never met. More than that, people from all times. I like to think he is with my mom and his parents once again. All of those wonderful heroes in the Bible would be on the other side. I like to think that this morning, as he first opened his eyes, and saw that great host of Heaven, that he said, “Boy, I wish Roger was here to see all of this.” And, I do too.

• Third, I like to think that my dad opened his eyes and saw beauty like he has never seen. Greater than sunsets, mountains and oceans, which he loved, are the joys and splendor on the other side. There is nothing to ruin things. No pollution, graffiti, rudeness or unpleasant sights. Pure, like the Lord. Wonderful, like Jesus. I think he would have seen things that he has never seen before.

• Fourth, I believe he saw the Lord. The Lord who he has loved, followed, trusted, prayed to and praised for nine decades of his life. The Lord who has blessed him so often. The Lord who forgave him. The Lord who has been there for him. More than anything else, when he opened his eyes this morning, he saw Jesus.

I’m saddened that he won’t be around for me to talk to. I’ve enjoyed my drive home from the office and talking to him on the phone. There will be things that I want to show him, but I won’t be able to. The passing of a parent, especially the last one, closes a huge chapter in one’s life. I have always had a dad around. And around he has always been. Always. Our love and our relationship runs rich and deep. The last thing I said to him, as I kissed his head, was, “I’ll meet you on the other side.”

The more deposits we have in Heaven, the less this ole’ earth appeals to us. Ballgames, politics, TV—just doesn’t seem the same any more. He lifted his eyes…

Someday, it will be our turn. Make sure you’re on the Lord’s side. What things await us…

Roger

Jump Start # 1348

Luke 16:23 “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.”

  We continue our journey through the story of the rich man and Lazarus, as told by the Lord in Luke 16. Only Luke records this story. This is the only detailed picture of what life is like after death. Without this, we are left with questions, curiosity and wild speculations. In our last Jump Start, both men died. That’s not the end of the story. This is where most movies end. Luke takes us beyond the grave to a place that the living cannot see. He shows us Hades.

Hades, it’s not hell. Older translations, such as the King James Version, do not use the word hades. They use the word hell. They are different words in the original and they have different meanings. Hell is the final destiny and eternal destiny of the ungodly. Those whose names are not in the book of life will be cast into Hell. Hell takes place after Jesus returns, the dead are raised and the judgment takes place. Hell is still future. Hell hasn’t happened yet. Hades, meaning the unseen world, is the place that the dead go until Jesus comes. Hades contains Abraham’s bosom as well as torment. Both men in our story went to Hades—just different parts of Hades. As Jesus died upon the cross, He promised the penitent thief that he would be with Him today in paradise. Paradise, what and where is that? Luke tells us in Acts 2 that Jesus’ body did not suffer decay and His soul was not abandoned to Hades. There’s our word again. Abraham’s bosom, Paradise are part of Hades.

So both men died, the rich man and Lazarus. Their bodies were buried and their souls went to Hades. The rich man was in agony. He was in a flame. He was hurting. Lazarus was in Abraham’s bosom. He was comforted, loved and accepted. Two different places. Two different outcomes. Determined by their choices in life, their souls would remain there until the coming of the Lord.

There are some interesting things our text reveals. First, they both felt. The rich man felt misery, pain and agony. Lazarus felt comfort. There was a sense of recognition. The rich man knew Abraham. He knew Lazarus. He requested that Lazarus be sent on a mission to bring some water. These souls were not ambiguous, cloud like spirits that had no identity. The rich man didn’t call Abraham Lazarus. He recognized the difference.

Also, as Luke continues Jesus’ story, Abraham responds to the rich man and reminds him, “Child, remember that during your life time you received your good things and likewise Lazarus bad things.” Remember. There is memory after death. The rich man remembered that he had been rich. Later in the text, he remembers that he had five brothers. He remembered their moral condition because he feared that they were going to end up exactly where he was. There are things after death that we still remember. You will remember if you were married, had kids, had “good things,” or “bad things.” You remember.

Also, the rich man had wishes. He first of all, wanted some water. That couldn’t be given. Next, he wanted to warn his brothers about the awful torment of Hades. He didn’t ask to go back, but instead, he asked for Lazarus to be sent back. In our modern times, Lazarus would have gone back and written a book about all the things he saw and felt. A movie might have been made based upon that book. That’s the flavor of the month these days. Didn’t happen in the Bible. Lazarus wasn’t sent back. No word was sent back. Abraham declares that the brothers have all that they need to avoid that awful torment. They have Moses and the Prophets. They have the Bible. That is all that one needs. But the rich man knows his brothers. He knows that they won’t pay attention to the Bible. They are too busy, too stubborn, too much like he was. If a resurrected person came back and warned them, they would change. That request was denied. Not going to happen. No messages from the dead to the living.

What we see in this picture is that after death we are not sleeping. We see that the dead have not ceased to exist. We see that both the righteous and the unrighteous were alive. They felt, knew, desired and understood. All that a person is, except for the physical body, continued on. Nothing had changed, except their location and what they could now do.

A couple of thoughts for us.

First, this tells us that not everyone is saved. The rich man was in torment, fire and agony. His life was a terror. It seems these days that everyone is preached into Heaven. Folks that never darken a church building. Folks that lived wild and reckless. Folks that were mean and selfish and abusive. Everyone goes to Heaven it is believed. Heaven is viewed as a giant party. Rock ‘n roll, playing golf, eating chocolates, fishing, and having a good ole’ time—is the concept that most have of Heaven. Current statistics indicate that 81% of Americans believe in Heaven. However, a huge number believe in Heaven that do not believe in God. That’s odd and not Biblical. Without God, there is no Heaven. God is in Heaven, Jesus tells us. Jesus said that the road to destruction is wide and crowded. More won’t make it than those who do. Why? Just like the rich man, it’s their choices in life. No time for Moses and the Prophets. No time for Jesus. Don’t like rules. Don’t like being pure and holy. Would rather live it up and take the chances. Mark Twain reportedly said that he liked Heaven for the climate and Hell for the company. Really? Look  at the rich man in this text. Nothing could be done to change his condition. No water. No prayers. No mercy. Stuck. Trapped. Lost. Hopeless. Helpless. Not everyone is going to Heaven. God doesn’t determine it, we do. We do by our heart, our choices, our walk in life. The rich man was lost because he didn’t want to be saved. His choices put him on a dead end path to destruction.

Second, we must be careful in telling folks that their loved one is better off now after they have died. So many will say, “at least their suffering has ended.” You can’t say that about the rich man. His suffering was worse after death than it was before. He wasn’t better off. He was in the worst way possible. Death is gain, as Paul defined it, for the righteous. For those who choose God, death is not something to be feared nor dreaded. Death opens the door so we can go home to God.

Now, another thought here. The picture of the rich man reminds us that life doesn’t end at our death. Suicide doesn’t end our misery. Suicide throws us into eternity and places us in a world where we no longer have options, hope and a chance to change things. Suicide is never the answer. It makes our problems greater than God. It gives up on God. It throws in the towel on life and too often is not thought out nor is this passage considered. The rich man was not better off after he died. His sufferings had not ended.

The picture from Luke 16 reminds us that death is only a doorway into the next room. Death is just the opposite of birth. With a birth, a living being moves from the unseen world of the womb into the room of the living. With death, a person moves from this world into the room of hades. They are alive. They know. They remember. All that has happened is that they have switched rooms. The womb is different than the world we live in. Hades is different than the world that we now are in. Each room has limitations. Each room is different. In the room of the living, where we are now, we have choices and freedoms. In Hades, that changes. The rich man wanted water. He couldn’t have any. He wanted word sent back to his family. That wasn’t allowed. He probably wasn’t used to being told “no.” He certainly wasn’t used to flames, agony and torment. His world had changed. There was no going back. There are no do overs. There are no mulligans. There are no second chances once we’ve switched rooms. Now is the time for salvation. Now is the time to make the right choices. Now is the time for God.

This story is told by Jesus as a warning. No one has to be where the rich man is. Jesus wanted the selfish, arrogant Pharisees to see what was awaiting them if they did not change. Jesus wants us to see the same.

This passage ought to scare us. It ought to drop us to our knees now and beg for mercy from God. It ought to make us open our eyes to our ways and to God’s ways. It ought to bring about positive and godly changes in our lives. To ignore this, is to do exactly what the rich man did. He ignored Moses and the Prophets. He took his chances. He did as he wanted to do. It cost him his soul. What a terrible mistake.

We can do better. We can do right.  Can we help you with this? Would you like a Bible study? Would you like to talk about this? You do not have to follow the rich man’s steps.

Roger

Jump Start # 621

Luke 16:23 “And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

We continue our look this week at the Lord’s story of the rich man and Lazarus. This powerful lesson teaches us not so much about what happens after death but more so how we ought to live today. What we do now determines what happens later. That’s a hard lesson for us. The temporary and the present seem to trump the eternal and the later. We do that in many areas. We’d like to lose weight, but a bag of chips and dip sure taste good late at night. We need to save money, but the latest I-something just came out and we sure would like to have it. It’s hard to live beyond today. Maybe the rich man thought that way as well. Sooner or later, he, as well as us, will run out of todays.

Both the rich man and Lazarus died. Lazarus was taken to Abraham’s bosom—an expression of love, comfort and acceptance. It’s like a huge bear hug. He was wanted and loved. The rich man didn’t make it there. His word was flame, agony and torment. He was not in Hell. That was still to come. He was in Hades. (For those with the King James Bible, the word ‘Hades’ is not used. It ought to be). Hades means the unseen world. It is not purgatory as some folks believe. It is where ALL souls go at death. Jesus went there. The penitent thief went there. Jesus called the place, “Paradise.” This is the same as Abraham’s bosom.

Notice a few things here:

First, the rich man recognized Lazarus. He was not a ghost or a cloud. He was recognizable. Also, he communicated with Abraham. They had a discussion. He asked for things. He didn’t receive them. He also had memory. He remembered that he had five brothers. He remembered what Moses and the Prophets were. He had feelings. He felt the agony of torment. This tells us that all that we are, remains beyond death. You will know whether you had a good life or not. You will know if you were married, how many children you had.

Second, the suffering after death is worse than the suffering in life. We don’t talk this way very much. A friend dies with a dreaded disease and immediately we say, “at least they are not suffering any more.” You couldn’t say that about this rich man in our story. Lazarus’ suffering ended. He was comforted. He no longer had dogs licking his wounds. He no longer was dumped by a stranger’s gate. His problems were over. For the rich man, they were just beginning. What does this say about suicide? What does this say about one who lives without Jesus? Death is not the worst thing that can happen. For the rich man there was no one to help him. He had no hope of improvement. He had no hope that this would end after a while. The picture Jesus gives us is not pretty. It’s not supposed to be. Don’t soften this. Don’t water it down. The feel-good gospel that is being preached in too many places today would remove the rich man from torment. Jesus didn’t. We need to obey Jesus!

Thirdly, the good life doesn’t look so great for the rich man in this scene. His fine clothes, his fancy meals, his big house, his gates—none of those things helped him. He probably thought that Lazarus was a poor, pitiful bum. Now look at them. The rich man is in a world without choices. He is begging. He has no one to wait upon him. He has no status.

What do we learn from all this? Maybe, we shouldn’t be so occupied with the material and start to get our spiritual house in order. Maybe, we ought to spend more time following Jesus instead of keeping up with what ever is the hottest item out there. Maybe what we think is so important, really isn’t. I wonder who got the rich man’s house? I wonder what they did with all his fancy clothes? Did his descendents follow his path to torment? Did his brother’s ever sober up spiritually? Did his death change anything? Will your death change anything? Will others walk in your steps and follow you to where you are going? Do you want them to?

If the rich man and Lazarus could go back for one day, what do you think would be different? I expect the rich man wouldn’t go to work. I tend to think that he’d rush to the gates and carry Lazarus into his home and find the best doctor and bring the best care. That’s what he should have done. Too late. I wonder what we would do different if we could come back for one day after we died? Do you think Jesus told this to possibly get people to think that way? It is interesting how this chapter falls in the gospel of Luke. In chapter 15, we have the prodigal who wasted given wealth. Then chapter 16 begins with the dishonest steward who found a way to keep from getting into trouble. Then our story of the rich man, who horded his wealth. Jesus is teaching about wealth, responsibility and discipleship. God is concerned about you and your money. Don’t waste it like a fool. Don’t horde it. Use it properly. Bring glory through your money.

• Make money without neglecting your soul
• Save money without ignoring others or the kingdom of God
• Spend money without it defining your life

Simple principles—the prodigal didn’t get it. The rich man didn’t get it either. I hope we do!

Roger