Jump Start # 997

Luke 16:31 “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

  Our verse today ends the 16th chapter of Luke and it is the conclusion to story of the rich man and Lazarus. This account doesn’t end on a happy note. Note everyone rides off into the sunset with a smile on their faces. Not everyone lives happily ever after. We leave the rich man in torment, suffering and begging for relief. We leave his brothers with the same coming destination. It’s a train wreck that is about to unfold. Nothing is able to prevent the coming disaster.

There are two observations that I want to share here. We have written several Jump Starts on this context. There is much to be learned from this teaching of Jesus.

First, the rich man and Lazarus lived on even though they were finished with their bodies. They both died. They were buried. I expect the rich man was buried in the cemetery with an elaborate funeral and tomb. Lazarus, most likely, was dumped in a common grave and for many poor people, the grave was unmarked. God knew.

It’s hard for us to imagine existing without our bodies. There never has been a time when we were separated from our bodies. We didn’t leave our bodies at home and go out on for a drive. We cannot separate our souls and our bodies. Death can. Death does. Our bodies are not forever, our souls are. Our bodies serve us now. God has made each of us special. We recognize each other by the way we look. We have certain eye color, hair color, height and mannerisms. Some are strong. Some are sickly. Some have the movie star beauty to them. Some are plain. We carry scars from childhood mishaps and surgeries. We have wrinkles and callouses and this and that, that have become a part of our bodies. Some have taken good care of their bodies. Others have been rough with their bodies. Our bodies have allowed us to do many things. Some day, we will part from our bodies. Have you ever given that much thought? Our bodies are tools. They are given to us so we can get about life. Paul would tell the Corinthians that the outer man decays, yet the inner man is renewed day by day. What happens on the outside doesn’t reflect what is going on in the inside. Some days are bodies are sore and ache. Some days we don’t feel well. Some days we are very tired and dragging all day long. Our spirits, our souls, can still soar when the body wants to return to bed.

Some day we will be finished with our body. It will have served it’s purpose. We will part. I don’t think we will be sad over that fact. If we’re walking with Christ, where we will be when that happens is more exciting and hopeful than we can imagine. Our bodies cannot go where our souls are going. The end of this life is as far as these bodies can go. The resurrected body will be different. It will be imperishable. What that will look like I’m not sure. I’ve worn glasses since grade school. The resurrected body won’t need glasses. It will be different. Some walk with a cane. The resurrected body won’t need that. The same goes for hearing aids, false teeth, pills, medicine and all the things necessary to get our bodies moving in this world. All of that will change.

The second thought is that the rich man’s brothers wouldn’t listen. They ignored Moses and the Prophets and it is stated that they would not be persuaded even if someone from the dead spoke to them. They were stubborn. Moses and the Prophets represents the totality of the Old Testament. There was enough in the Old Testament to generate faith in God and an obedient life. They would have none of that. We are not told why. Too busy making money like the rich man? Too busy chasing after things that made them happy? Too busy. Or, was it that they had the time, but just not the interest. God didn’t interest them. The things of God were of no concern. Let’s talk sports. Let’s talk politics. Let’s talk fun. The thought of religion is for old women and kids. Don’t need it. Getting by just fine without it. And dumb talk like that never realizes that all five of the brothers were racing toward a cliff. So many of us have family members just like these five brothers. Hard working people. Good people. But no interest in the things of God. They are living for today and that is it. The rich man, too late to do anything, wanted to warn his brothers. He had ignored the warnings himself. They were ignoring warnings. Most folks don’t think much about death and what happens after that. Many don’t like to talk about it at all. Maybe if it is not talked about, it will just go away. No. It never goes away. Death comes. It comes when we are ready and it comes when we are not ready. It comes at the wrong time and it comes when there are more things to be done here. It comes. It always does.

This reminds us, especially at the holiday season, when many family members are gathered together, to say something. To remind our family. To show them. To share with them. To teach them.

Some people are not interested in spiritual matters. That is hard to understand. It’s hard to understand because all of us have a spiritual side to us. All of us will live after death. All of us will part with our body. All of us. Not all of us are interested in the arts. Not all of us are interested in sports. Not all of us are interested in finance. You can live without ever knowing much about the arts, finance or sports. You can ignore those subjects. The spiritual is a part of who you are. You will be on the other side some day. There will be a funeral for you, and you will still be alive, in the spiritual world. This does affect all of us. The rich and the poor. The busy worker and the bored teenager. The American and the non-American. The actor, the athlete, the politician, the plumber, the preacher, the retired guy. It affects my neighbors, my co-workers, my friends, my family, and yes, me.

We will part from this body and be cast into the eternals. What we believe and what we have done will determine if we are in comfort like Lazarus or tormented like the rich man.

His five brothers wouldn’t listen. Will you?

Roger