Luke 16 relays an account of two individuals, Lazarus and “the rich man.” As we dig into the passage, we discover two men from polar opposite economic extremes. One rich man lives sumptuously with all the finest luxuries. In our mind’s eye we picture a large table of endless supply as this aristocrat feasts on more than he could ever consume, while outside his gate sits a man with no more than the scraps he wears for clothing. Lazarus begs, not for a seat at the table, nor for a penny to spend, but only for the crumbs that fall from the master’s table. His self-worth has reached a lower pit than any of us could even imagine, that the chewed remains falling from a fat man’s mouth would suffice his need for this day. We do not know for how long this pattern continued, but we do know that no matter how rich or poor, death is a common fate we all share.
Luke 16: 22And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; This chapter continues on to tell us that the rich man lifts up his eyes in hell, being in torment and seeing Lazarus a far off in eternal comfort. The man who was once the pinnacle of the capitalistic society now pleads for Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool his tongue. My how the tables have turned. The rich man pleads for the lives of his brothers still alive on earth. Through every request he is reminded of the great gulf between hell and “heaven.” He is reminded of the preachers and words he was blessed with during his time on earth. He is sentenced with an eternal, inescapable fate, with nothing but remorse for his wasted years.
The character the rich man displays in hell can serve as a key example for Christian living today. In hell, he is “on fire for God.” The fire of this place consumes every thought and ounce of his existence.
Being reminded of the “great gulf” we find that there is separation in hell. All too often we spend our days incorporating elements of the world into our life. God commands “come out from among them and be separate! Touch not the unclean thing…” Today’s culture will forsake separation and sacrifice its purity on the altar of temporary satisfaction. Friend, separation is coming…
This Luke 16 account quotes the rich man as saying “I pray…” He who once had no needs, therefore no desire to seek an Almighty provider, now humbles himself to pray to the one greater than himself. Take an example from this man, and invest your “on fire” existence into a passionate prayer life.
Finally, in hell there is a passion for souls. You may have met, or may individually believe that hell is the place for you. In moments of frustration you may have wished someone to this all too horrific place. “GO TO HELL!” Upon his first second in hell, the rich man’s earnest plea was that none of his relatives join him in that place. If we could but tap into that desire today, how many more could be saved from that torment?
Friend, I cannot speak for you, but my desire is to catch fire today, rather than wait until it is everlastingly too late. We encounter a church so tuned in to an off brand of “love” that it has forgotten the preceding fire. Fire always brings warmth, and without the fire of God, the world will never feel the warmth of our love. Fire is contagious to everything it touches. Would you like to live a contagious, effective life? You can be the “Christian from Hell” without ever visiting that place. Think about it…
No comments:
Post a Comment