Luke 16:19-31 Theme: Going home
Text: Luke 16:19-31; Rev. 21:1-5
Home is always the best place to be. But many people have a wrong idea about where their home really is. If we would only understand that we are spiritual beings in a physical body we would also understand that just as the physical body has a physical home so also does the spiritual body have a spiritual home. Death releases the spiritual body and is the vehicle that takes us to our real home. We should always remember that here on earth we are pilgrims on our way home. Unfortunately many of us call the wrong place home and live our lives as if everything ends here. This place with so many troubles, pain, anguish and hurt cannot be home. The story is told of a missionary who returned to his country after spending many years abroad only to realise that no one had come to meet him. Tears came to his eyes as he asked the Lord why no one had come to welcome him home. Suddenly, he realised he was not home yet. He had been calling the wrong place home. Our brother Kwame has left us but he has gone home to be with the Lord. When Kwame made the choice to follow Christ, heaven became his home and we are assured that he has returned home. Where is your home? We need to be sure of where our home is and whether we are on the right path to heaven. None of us are going to heaven because we have been good or have lived charitable lives. We are going to heaven because Christ died on the cross for us – because He paid the penalty for our sin. The Word of God assures us all that those who are His will spend eternity with Him. Our relationship with Christ in this life determines our relationship with Him in eternity and will determine where our home is. What is your relationship with Christ today?
In our gospel reading the lives of two men are contrasted before and after death. The first man was rich, feasted daily, and dressed in purple and fine linens. Today it would be silk sheets and designer clothing and a daily life of luxury. However what pointed to the terrible future that awaited him was his life without God that was reflected in his lack of concern and compassion for Lazarus. Lazarus, a poor and destitute beggar was laid each day at the rich man’s gate and he had no choice but to notice him. His body was scantily covered and revealed numerous sores and ulcers. He was hungry, malnourished and sick and longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. He could not afford medical treatment and his nurses were the stray dogs in the area that came and licked his sores. In contrast to the rich man what determined his future was a life with God in spite of his poverty.
Lazarus only wanted some of this bread given to the dogs. Eating dog food was considered a disgrace to a Jew as dogs were unclean animals. The rich man could have easily helped Lazarus, but he ignored him completely. He could not deny knowing about his plight because Lazarus was daily at his gate where he could not fail to see him. He thereby missed the opportunity to serve God by meeting the needs of Lazarus. His behaviour confirmed that God had very little place in his life and that he was more concerned about pleasing himself rather than pleasing God. A life without God will inevitably lead to a life of destruction in hell. A story is told of a minister who reported to a new church. Upon arrival some members of the congregation came to see him and asked him “Do you believe in hell”? When he replied that he did not, they asked him to resign. When he asked them for their reason their response to him was “If there is no Hell then we don’t need you and if there is a Hell we don’t want you to lead us astray.” Jesus tells us there is hell and we decide where we are going to spend eternity. Our decision depends on our relationship with Christ. Is Jesus Christ your Saviour and Lord?
There is life after death and our lives decide where we go after death. When Lazarus died his physical body was buried. His burial was probably carting the body away to the rubbish dump and burning it along with the rubbish. But angels were assigned and present to carry his spiritual body to the comfort of Abraham’s bosom. When the rich man died he was also buried. And although we are not told so, we can imagine that he was given a fitting send off with expensive coffin and decorated grave and other extravagant displays of wealth and affluence. But there were no angels to carry him into God’s presence. Rather he finds himself being tormented in hell.
Death takes place when the spirit leaves the body. But death is not the end; it is the beginning of a whole new existence in another world. When people die, only their bodies go into the grave. The real person departs to be either with the Lord or separated from Him. When Christ rose from the grave and ascended into heaven He brought the saints from “Abraham’s bosom” to the third heaven - to the realm where God lives (Eph. 4:8-10). Since then believers’ go immediately to be with Christ, awaiting the resurrection of their bodies when He returns. (2 Cor. 12:1-4).” The revelation of where each man ended up after death would have astonished Jesus’ original audience and shattered their long held assumptions about wealth being a sign of Gods’ favour and blessings. Is it any different today? But why is the rich man in hell? He was not in hell because he had money but because of his disregard of the word of God and his rejection of the Lord. Lazarus did not go to heaven because he was poor. He went to heaven because he trusted in God. Lazarus, meaning ‘God is my helper’ went to heaven because of his faith in God. The rich man went to hell because of his lack of faith in God. His riches were his god and everyday he was given the opportunity to turn to the Lord. He had a witness sent from God lying at his gate looking for a morsel of bread. How many opportunities will we let slip by as we refuse to help the needy? How many times do we as Christians pray for God to meet the needs of the needy when we are in the position to meet those needs? Does not this tell us that we do not have enough faith to trust God with our lives?
It is only our faith in God that will keep us out of hell. Hell is a real place of conscious anguish. Every description of Hell is one of suffering, torment and agony. This man who had many servants in life had no one to send. So he called to him, “Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.” The Rich man in his life had everything he needed. But now he can’t even get a drop of water to cool his tongue. Suddenly money and wealth had no meaning for the rich man. He suddenly had regrets and his priorities changed. All he now wanted was a drop of water. He regretted that he had paid no attention to Lazarus and thereby admitted that he had not believed in God.
The rich man could not send out any warnings from hell to his brethren. Just as the rich man could not influence people from hell so neither could Lazarus influence them from heaven. There was no bridge between heaven and hell and the way to heaven and hell from earth was a one way street. If we’re going to love someone we better love them now and if we’re going to share Christ with someone we better speak up now. There is no salvaging of things, no seizing of opportunities, and no sharing of Christ once life is over. There are no second chances after death. Surely one of the most fearful horrors of hell is the undying memory of what could have been. There are many people who spend a lifetime with the wrong priority. They spend their lives accumulating earthly treasures that they hope to take with them when they leave for eternity but cannot. Money, for instance, is a commodity we use in time but have no use for in eternity. You can take as many Cedis as you like to the US but you will not be able to spend it because the currency of the US is the dollar. Before you can spend your Cedis in the US you will have to convert it into dollars. We cannot even take any money with us into eternity but we can convert money into the currency of eternity now. We do that when we use our wealth to fulfil God’s purposes by helping others and bringing them into His Kingdom. In Hell it is too late to pray, it is too late to change your life and it is too late to repent. Hell is a place without hope. The only way to avoid hell is to listen to God’s word and repent. We have all the information we need; we just need to heed the information we have. God has spoken to us in His creation, in history, in His Word and above all in His Son Jesus Christ our Saviour and Lord.
On entering a graveyard one day a man saw a bold inscription with the words “As you are so was I”. On leaving the graveyard he saw another inscription “As I am so you will be”. And underneath was scribbled in chalk “Not till I know where you are”. Our brother Kwame has gone home to be with the Lord. What about you? Where will you spend eternity? Will it be in the presence of God? Jesus said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. I died, and behold I am alive forever more, and I hold the keys of hell and death. Because I live, you shall also live.” Amen!
