Tuesday was All Saints Day and therefore this Sunday is All Saints Sunday. I don’t know if you realized it. I remember how it was in Poland – a national holiday – one of the big ones. Mostly people spend the day with relatives, walk in the cemetery, clean the graves of family members. Flowers and candles are lit and placed on the graves. Among Catholics, prayers are spoken for the dead.
What is the purpose of this day for us? The intention is to remember those who passed on before us – those who trusted in Christ and are therefore members of the heavenly host. We praise God for his mercy on their lives and thank him for those loved ones. It’s a time to look back but also a time to look to your own life – are you ready to face death?
Today’s story, told by Jesus, is about two men who did just that. They died and this story has several powerful lessons to teach us about both our present life and the life to come.
The first lesson we learn from this story is that every person is responsible to God for what he has been given. Luke 12:48b says “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required.”
Notice this rich man. Do we know how he became rich? Did he inherit his riches or maybe he worked hard all his life and used his talent of administration to make money. And what about Lazarus? Why was he poor and homeless? What tragedy happened in his life? How did he become lame – for the Scripture says that he was laid at the gate. He was not able to walk and covered with sores. We don’t know the whole sad story.
But what we do know is that both of these men die. One man went to heaven and the other went to hell. We are not given the reasons for why Lazarus went to heaven. It wasn’t because he was poor and a beggar (Abraham was a rich man, after all). This story does not really focus on Lazarus and his salvation. But it does focus on the rich man.
You see, he lived in luxury every day of his life. And at his gate was this poor man who begged for food, for medical help, for shelter and the rich man did nothing. He didn’t lift a finger to help him. God had blessed this man with an abundance of supplies – his cup was running over! And what did he use his gifts for? Himself.
Was his neglect of poor Lazarus that caused him to go to hell? No! No one is saved by their good works, by their charity or love for neighbor. We are all saved by our trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
But the fact that he ignored a needy man day after day at his gate reveals his heart. The fruit of his life reveals where his roots are. This is not a man who loves and serves the Lord. If he did, he would have blessed his neighbor. He would have reached out in mercy and compassion as Jesus would have done.
And so James writes these powerful words: “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:15-17) No we’re not saved by our good works but our good works are always a fruit of our relationship with God.
And so when this rich man is blessed with so much, he has a marvelous opportunity to bless many with all that he has. How many blessings has the Lord poured out upon you? No you may not be rich but in what ways has the Lord given YOU an abundance in order to bless someone who is right around the corner? Watch for those opportunities! Pray that your eyes would be open to the ways you can bless others – even in small ways.
Yes, we are responsible for all that God has given us in this life.
A second lesson from this story is that with death there are no second chances for repentance.
This rich man realizes his failure after he has died. He pleads to Father Abraham for pity, for mercy. But after death mercy is no more. There is no second chance to repent and call upon the name of the Lord. All of life he had the opportunity to turn to God and call upon his name. Now it’s too late.
Nowhere in Scripture does it teach the doctrine that one can be cleansed and purified from sin after death. In fact the Bible says just the opposite in 1 John 1:7 “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from ALL sin.” When we repent and trust in the blood of Jesus which covers our sins, we are wholly and completely pure. We are acceptable to God. There is no need for cleansing or for further purification. Our sins of past present and future are 100% paid for.
But repentance must take place during this life you’ve been given. No one else can repent for you. No one can pray you into heaven. Every one of us must stand before the throne of God to give an accounting for our life and he will ask you: “Why should I let you into my kingdom?” There is only ONE WAY to get in. Through trust in the blood of Jesus that covers you completely. If you are trusting in the blood of Jesus for your salvation, you are ready today.
Another lesson we learn according to Jesus, is that heaven and hell are real places.
Oh, today you will hear all kinds of talk about hell being a myth. We will all die and meet God in a white light and be at eternal peace. You can believe that if you want – many people do. But one thing is for sure – the Bible does NOT teach that there is not a hell! Those who deny hell deny the Scriptures and Jesus as teaching us falsehoods.
In this story, Jesus was using pictures to help his disciples understand what this rich man was experiencing in hell. The Lord uses the picture of fire so we can understand the intense pain and suffering that this man is experiencing. In Matt 13 Jesus describes the last judgment: “The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”(Mat 13:49-50). There will be pain continually without release and without hope - only weeping and crying.
Hell is a place from which God’s mercy and goodness have been withdrawn. God’s wrath is revealed as a terrible judgment. Separation from God is part of this terrible suffering as well. I tell you, there will be no atheists in hell, for they will all fully experience the reality of the righteous judgment of God. He will be real to them but they will realize it too late! There is no possibility to change because they will be separated from Him.
But still we hear the objection day after day: “God is love. How could a loving God condemn any person to an eternal hell?” Let me ask another question: “How could someone turn down a loving God and refuse to receive the free gift of eternal life? How could you reject God Almighty?”
Friends, we are not born good. We are not born kind and loving. We are born selfish, arrogant, self-seeking sinners. Scripture says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23) Every day through our words and actions we prove that we do not deserve to be in God’s presence. We say things that wound those around us. We refuse to help the needy. And worst of all we give excuses for our sins: “I can’t help it. It’s just my weakness.” None of us deserves God’s mercy and love. I deserve hell and so do you.
But still God reaches out to us with his love, his blessings, his open arms willing to receive us. He’s paid 100% of the way for us to be in his kingdom. We merely are asked to repent – turn from this selfish life and surrender out lives to him in trust.
This rich man never did receive the love of God and therefore he was rejected from God’s heaven. God loved him but he won’t force anyone to turn to him in repentance and faith. Yes, let us never forget that heaven and hell are real places – and sooner or later every one of us will experiences that truth.
A final lesson we learn from this story is how to warn those around us about this great danger.
The final plea of this rich man is in verse 27-28. And there he pleads that Lazarus be raised from the dead and then go to his five brothers and tell them all about the reality of hell and their brother who is suffering there. And then, they will all repent and trust in the Lord.
What is the response? Verse 29 “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them’” and then verse 31 “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.”
What will convince those we know who are not saved to turn to God in repentance and faith? Well, we know what will NOT convince them: miracles will not do it. Nor will logical arguments. Lazarus can talk and talk and tell them all about his conversation with his brother and what happened. But that will not bring them to repentance. You cannot argue someone into the kingdom of God.
What WILL touch them is “Moses and the prophets” – what Jesus means by that is that the Scriptures are the key. Moses and the Prophets represented the entire Old Testament for them at the time. Today he would say: The Bible!
And this is where today so much of the church is missing the boat. When we are not using the Scriptures to convict of sin, to bring to faith, to change lives – NOTHING HAPPENS. Oh sure, you can make people happy by telling them nice stories, and jokes, and positive messages.
It’s like telling a person who is sick with appendicitis to just relax, think positive thoughts, listen to some nice music and everything will be fine. No it won’t! He needs to see a doctor, realize that he’s going to die unless he has surgery and has that appendix removed. This is SERIOUS business – life and death!
It is the Word of God that has supernatural power to touch our hearts and convict us – it brings us to our knees. It offends us because it points out our faults and problems and makes me realize: “I’m sick and need help!” Do you think this rich man would have been happy to hear what the Scripture said about his lifestyle while he was living? No he would have probably been angry, offended, but it would have touched his conscience. That’s the power of the Word of God – to touch our heart.
And so when we don’t proclaim it. Or when we water it down. Or when we give excuses for certain sins – that they were just cultural – we deny the power of God to change lives. People don’t get convicted and don’t repent and are lost!
I want to encourage you to both read and USE the Scripture with those who are lost. Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. It is the power of God for salvation.” You don’t have to read the Bible to them every time you meet. You obviously handle it gently. But share your testimony and what God spoke to you in the Word. One person I know keeps a card of verses in her pocket throughout the day at work and when discouraged or tempted to sin, she takes out the note-card and reads it. The people at work noticed her doing this and it gave an opportunity to testify of the Gospel.
What could the Lord do through you? How can you warn others? Pray for it and God will give you ideas and opportunities. So as we think of life and death today, first make sure that you are ready – that you have assurance of salvation – that you are trusting in Jesus alone for your salvation. And secondly, be on the alert for those who are NOT ready. Be ready in season and out of season for God’s Spirit to prompt you with a word of testimony. So, as we remember those passed on, let’s not forget to remember the living and honor them and bless them before it’s too late!
