Jump Start # 1349

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.”

  We conclude our week long look at the powerful story of the rich man and Lazarus. It is a look into the next world. It lifts the curtain and allows us to see what happens after death. There are several things we notice.

• Both men were alive after they died. It is not just the righteous that live after death
• Father Abraham knew about both men and how they did in life
• The text uses the expression “no” several times to the rich man. No water would be given. No Lazarus would be sent back. No special warnings to his brothers. There was no crossing over allowed.
• After death there was a sense of identity, memory, feelings and desire.
• The rich man was in torment with no hope of it ending nor any relief on the horizon
• The rich man no longer could boss his way around others. He was at the mercy of God

There are layers and layers of lessons for us in this text. This is a passage that applies to all,  for unless the Lord comes, all of us will pass through the doorway of death. There are two final thoughts that I want to share with you today.

First, in many ways, both of these men were already judged. They were not in a neutral holding place awaiting the final judgment. The rich man was being punished and the poor man was being comforted. In Hades, there was no crossing over. A great gulf or chasm separated the comfort from the torment and Abraham declared 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.” There was no changing their positions. From that I gather that the rich man couldn’t suddenly become righteous and then change his status nor could poor Lazarus mess up and be sent to torment. There was no crossing over.

Now two questions come from this. I’m not sure if I have the answers but will give it a try. First, if they are already “judged” then why is there going to be a final judgment? It seems that it has already taken place. In some ways that is true. However, both the rich man and Lazarus have yet to stand before God. That hasn’t happened yet. The books were not opened and they were not judged from the books. Also, there will be some who never died when Jesus comes. There will be some who have never been to Hades. The judgment will be the gathering of all people of all time. It is then that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess. That has never happened. It has never happened because first of all, not all creation has ever been alive at the same time. Second, until the judgment, our free will has allowed us to deny Christ instead of confess Him. That will change. There will be no doubters, deniers or scoffers at the judgment. Every knee, every tongue. Also, at the judgment, the final sentence will be given out. Criminals are often found guilty by the court system and they have to return for sentencing. They know they are guilty. They return to find out their punishment. Likewise, track runners and marathon runners know when they cross the finish line and they break through the ribbon that they have won. Often there is a ceremony later where they are given a trophy or a medal. They know that they are going to get it, they came in first. In a similar way, this is what the judgment will be. The guilty will hear their sentence. The righteous will hear their reward. It is then that the wicked and the righteous part for the final time.

A second question that comes from these thoughts, “Is it possible for one in torments to still make it to Heaven and is it possible for one in Abraham’s bosom to eventually be cast into Hell?” Fair questions. It leads to worry and concern though. Although Lazarus never speaks in this text, I do not see that the comfort he received was somewhat tarnished because he may still end up in Hell. The text doesn’t lend itself to that conclusion. We all must stand before the righteous God, who is our judge. How merciful and forgiving He will be is up to Him. Much of what we have done to others will be how God treats us. If we do not forgive, God will not forgive us. We can’t be right with God and wrong with one another. There will be no mercy for the one who has shown no mercy. James tells us that. So is it possible that we can flip flop our destiny from where we are in Hades? We know that there is nothing after death that will change us. No prayers. No baptisms. No burning candles. None of those things will change the dead. I would like to think and hope that those, like the rich man, can find mercy from God. The rich man did not receive any mercy from Abraham. No one should wish that anyone should be lost forever. We should never use the expression, “Go to Hell.” That is the right of God alone. Jesus wanted all to repent. Jesus did not want any to perish. That should be our wish as well. To answer the question, I see nothing other than the righteousness of God that makes me think that our position can change from what it is in Hades. I expect that the rich man would be sent to Hell. I would expect to see Lazarus in Heaven. I tend to think that Hades is a prelude to the eternal. As nice as Paradise is, it’s not Heaven. As terrible as torment is, it is not Hell. There is nothing to hang our hats upon that would lead us to a conclusion that after we die we can always change things. That isn’t supported by the text. The rich man certainly tried. He wanted water. Not happening. There was no changing that was taking place.

Second, from our verse today, some people refuse to be persuaded. The rich man’s five brothers were that way. They ignored the Bible, as the rich man had. Abraham declares that if someone would be resurrected from the dead, they still would not be persuaded. Persuaded to what? Persuaded to change. Persuaded to commit to God. Persuaded to follow Christ. And someone did rise from the dead. There was another Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha and the friend of Jesus. He was raised in John 11. In the next chapter, the Jews sought to kill both Jesus and Lazarus. They were not persuaded. And, of course, the greatest resurrection was Jesus. When Paul preached about the resurrection, some sneered. The resurrected Christ was preached throughout the world. Are people persuaded? No. It wasn’t for a lack of evidence, but rather stubborn hearts that refused to change. People want to be allowed to do what they feel like. Let us marry multiple times without consequences. Let us marry people of the same sex. Let us party. Let us have fun. Let us worship self. Let us bow to the god of happiness. No rules. No commitment. No responsibilities. Let us drink until we pass out. Let us do drugs until we are addicted. Let us be selfish, immoral and irresponsible. Let us neglect our children. Let us ignore the Bible. Then, when we die, take us to Heaven.

People want to live like the rich man and go to Paradise like Lazarus. Live like a sinner and die like a saint. Doesn’t work that way. Live like a sinner and you’ll be sitting next to the rich man in agony. Live like Lazarus and you’ll be embraced by Abraham.

Those final words of our verse today were prophetic in many ways. When Jesus said, “even if someone rises from the dead,” He must have thought about His own coming death and resurrection. Some of those very Pharisees He was telling this story to, would be the very ones who would not be persuaded when the news spread about the risen Savior. They would deny. They would cry ‘blasphemy.’ They would remain indifferent and unchanged.

And, now we come to you and I. Are we walking with the rich man or with Lazarus? Each day, every choice, every decision puts us closer to one or the other. Another day without God. Another Sunday without worship. Another selfish decision. Closer and closer to the rich man we move. Or, another day with prayer. Another opportunity to help others. Another day to walk by faith. You look up and there are the footprints of Lazarus. It’s not about the rich man or Lazarus, it’s about Jesus. Am I moving closer to the Lord or staying at a distance? Do I have a heart that can be persuaded? Have these articles and these verses moved me? Am I fighting God?

One day, one day sooner than most of us would like to think, we will be on the other side. One day.

Each day is one day closer to Heaven. I hope this series has been helpful.

Roger

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

Jump Start # 357

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.’ “

  This chapter of Luke ends with the powerful scene that allows us to see what happens when a person dies. We are given two perspectives. From earth, there were funerals and trips to the cemetery. That’s the view we understand. The other view is what happened to the soul.

  Two men who were very different. One wealthy and selfish and full of opportunity. His name is not given to us. We know him only as “the rich man.” The other is Lazarus, a common name back then. He is hopeless. Someone, possibly his family, lays him at the gate of this rich man. The hopes are that the compassion of this rich man will help sick Lazarus. It didn’t work. The rich man ignores Lazarus. They both die. They are both cast into Hades, Lazarus in comfort and the rich man in torment.

  Hades is the place the soul goes until Jesus comes. It is not all bad. Jesus went to Hades, that’s what Peter said in Acts 2. On the cross He told one of the thieves, ‘you’ll be with me in paradise.’ That’s where Lazarus was.

  The rich man was in torment. He was miserable. He longed for the simplest thing, a drop of water on his tongue. That wouldn’t last long. That wouldn’t do much good. It illustrates how extreme his condition was.

  For the first time he thinks about someone other than himself. He is concerned about his five brothers. Even after death, he remembered. He knew he had five brothers and he knew the kind of people they were, most likely just like him. He knew that if they didn’t change, they’d be right with him in that terrible state. For the first time he is thinking of things other than self, money and pleasure. His thoughts are spiritual. He knows why he is there. He knows his five brothers will follow. Successful in life and a failure in death. Rich in stuff, but poor in God. That was the condition of that family. Many are following that same direction today.

 The rich man wants word sent to his brothers. He begs, “send Lazarus.” Interesting, he doesn’t suggest, “let me go and tell them.” He knows he is stuck and it’s by his own doing. He is sure that if someone from the dead would talk to them they will repent and avoid the pain that he is in. He is sure of that.

  Father Abraham says, “No.” The brothers are given the same chance he was. They have Moses, they have the prophets. If they ignore God’s word, then they will ignore a message from the dead. There are no special favors. Everyone gets the same opportunity.

  Interestingly, there was a Lazarus who came back from the dead. Not the same Lazarus, but one in John 11 that Jesus resurrected. In the next chapter, the Jews set to kill Jesus and Lazarus. His return didn’t do anything. More than that, our Lord came back from the dead and is the first raised to never die again. He reigns in Heaven today. Do people listen? Do they repent of their sins?

  Our passage today reminds us that God has provided warning. God has told of His promises. They are there in the Bible. Read the Bible. Believe it, follow it. You don’t have to waste your life.

  What a contrast these two men make. While on earth, no one would want to be Lazarus. People envied the rich man. Wish he was my dad, wish I had what he owned…But in death, how everything was reversed. The rich man himself, longed to be Lazarus. His riches didn’t help him, in fact, they hurt him. He could have used them to help others, especially Lazarus. But he didn’t. He spent. He lived the way he wanted to. He ignored others. He ignored God.

  I wonder how many of us have “five brothers” who are walking in the steps of the rich man. They are good people, successful people, but God is not on their radar. There is no concern for the spiritual. This passage tells us what will happen. It’s no secret, nor a surprise to anyone. This passage also tells us that after we die, we can do no more. Now is the time to warn them. Now is the time to talk to them. Now is the time to open God’s word. Now is the time, because some day there simply won’t be any time.

  It is not God who sends someone to torment and then Hell, it is a person who chooses that by ignoring God. It’s time to start putting God in our life, every day. Spend time with His word. Be thankful to Him. Follow Him. If you do, He will take you to Heaven, that is where the journey ends. It’s hard not to see our selves in this passage. We are right there!

Roger