Have you seen these bumper stickers around town? (Show a BLE bumper sticker.) Do you know what it means? BLE stands for “Best Life Ever.” These bumper stickers were designed in 2015 to celebrate the life of Nate Avery, a talented neurosurgeon who was born and raised in Flagstaff and who also practiced medicine here. BLE is not just a bumper sticker, it’s a non-profit group that honors Dr. Avery’s adventurous spirit and quirky nature. Dr. Avery’s favorite saying after any adventure was “That was the best day ever!” Best Life Ever Flagstaff was formed to encourage acts of kindness and philanthropy in Dr. Avery’s memory.
I’ve been told that the BLE bumper sticker is also a way for Flagstaffians to celebrate their good fortune of getting to live in such a beautiful part of the world. We have mountains, forests, canyons, red rocks, creeks and rivers at our doorstep, and even an ocean that’s only a day’s drive away. On top of that, we don’t have the oppressive heat of the valley to deal with nor do we have to put up with long and bitterly cold winters like they do in the Midwest. We’re living the Best…Life…Ever!
But are you really living the best life ever? A common refrain I hear around town is the cost of living here is difficult. I’ve met many NAU students who have fallen in love with Flagstaff and would love to stay, but they don’t know if they can find a well-paying enough job that will allow them to do so. Others may have the means to live here, but their health is starting to give out so they don’t know how much longer they can manage the altitude. And so what do you do? You put in extra hours to pay off debts. You do your best to manage your health. You keep working hard to live the best life ever.
But have you considered how the Bible teaches us that rather than living the best life ever we should be more concerned with dying the best death ever? Through our Gospel lesson today, Jesus teaches us that dying well is better than living well. Let’s find out why.
If there was anyone who should have sported a BLE bumper sticker, it was the rich man in our text. Jesus tells us that he was dressed in purple, a sign of wealth in those days, and he lived in luxury every day. Big fancy dinners weren’t just reserved for special occasions, they were everyday occurrences for this man.
Contrast the rich man with Lazarus. He was described as a beggar covered in sores who sat at the rich man’s gate. Actually, the original Greek gives the impression that he was just dumped there as if he was a bag of garbage. The rich man didn’t have anything to do with Lazarus. For while Lazarus longed to eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table, he didn’t receive anything. Lazarus had no food. And he had no friends except the dogs who would come and lick his sores. While the rich man was living the Best Life Ever, it seemed as if Lazarus had the Worst Life Ever.
But then the great reversal happened. Lazarus died. Bad luck? A pity? Hardly! For upon death, the angels immediately carried his soul to where Abraham was in heaven. Lazarus didn’t slink in the back door to heaven. He wasn’t sitting in the bleacher seats. He was right there with one of the most famous believers of all time. And how was it that Lazarus ended up in heaven? It wasn’t because he was poor, and therefore God decided to have pity on him. It’s because he was a believer. The Apostle John makes that clear when he writes: “Then I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord…’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labor…’” (Revelation 14:13) Lazarus seemed to have nothing while he was on earth, but he had faith in the God of the Bible. And that is the most precious thing that you and I have as well.
In time, the rich man also died. But where did he end up? We don’t hear of an angel-escort like Lazarus received. Instead, he ended up in hell where he was in great torment. Why did the rich man end up there? Was it because he was rich? No. Abraham himself had been a very wealthy man and yet he was in heaven with Lazarus. Whether or not we have faith in Jesus as our savior from sin determines whether or not we go to heaven or hell (cf. John 3:16, 18). And faith in Jesus doesn’t just mean acknowledging with our lips that he is Lord. It means showing that truth with our lives as we daily repent of our sins, and turn away from them. The rich man didn’t have this kind of faith. He was too busy living the best life ever so that he failed to prepare for a good death. As a result, he was suffering in a real place called hell and would do so forever.
The rich man was in such agony that he felt that even a drop of water would bring him soothing. So he asked Abraham to send Lazarus down to bring him that relief. Do you see how the rich man’s attitude had not changed? In life, he had ignored Lazarus. Now he wants to treat Lazarus as if he’s nothing more than an errand boy. But Abraham tells the rich man that he cannot send Lazarus to hell. What’s done is done. There are no second chances. Those who are in hell cannot get to heaven, and those who are in heaven cannot go to those who are in hell.
Friends, did you just hear what I said? Are you living in such a way that you acknowledge this truth that there are no second chances? Or are you too busy trying to live your best life ever? If that means partying it up, or trying to achieve a certain income or social standing no matter what, are you going to be ready when death comes calling? Don’t think that the comfort you may now enjoy is God’s stamp of approval on your life. The rich man enjoyed a comfortable life, but it was a gracious blessing from God despite the rich man’s unbelief. And note well how the one thing that seemed to help the rich man in life—his wealth—failed him in death. On the other hand, the thing that seemed to fail Lazarus in life—God’s promises—helped him in death.
This truth becomes evident when the rich man sends up his second request. If Lazarus can’t come to him, then would Abraham send Lazarus to his brothers who are still alive? The rich man had five brothers who also thought they were living the best life ever, but they had disregarded the one thing needful—the need for a savior from sin. But Abraham replied that no, there was no need to send Lazarus. For the rich man’s brothers already had Moses and the prophets—they had the Bible. From that they could learn what they needed to know about what was truly important. But the rich man’s arrogance continued. “No, father Abraham. The Bible? That will never do. After all, it didn’t work with me! But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.”
Do you remember Abraham’s response? His words were truly prophetic. He said: “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” Wasn’t that the case with the real-life Lazarus, the brother to Mary and Martha? Many of the Jewish leaders had seen Jesus raise him from the dead, but this didn’t bring them to faith. It only hardened them in their unbelief and desire to kill Jesus (cf. John 12).
What’s the lesson here? If you, like the rich man, have thought: “If God would just do a miracle, then I would put my faith in him,” you’re treading dangerous ground. The way that God interacts with sinners is through the quiet whisper of his Word. If you don’t believe that, you wouldn’t believe even if you saw a miracle. It’s true, God’s Word didn’t seem to do much for Lazarus when he was alive. He had no food. He had no friends. He had no medical care. Likewise, God’s Word might not seem to be doing much for you either. It hasn’t kept cancer away. It didn’t keep your loved one alive. And you’re not living in one of the mansions around town. But even if we should end up becoming beggars like Lazarus, how long would such suffering last? 80-100 years at most if we have to suffer our whole lives like that. But listen to what God has in store for those who persevere in the faith. John writes in the book of Revelation of the believers in heaven: “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:14-17)
Money and fame have never been able to wipe away tears. The rich still get sick. They too struggle in their marriages and with coworkers. There’s only one place where all suffering will end forever—in heaven. And the only way to get to heaven is to have faith in Jesus. Why? Well, when you heard the rich man ask for Lazarus to come to hell to bring him a drop of water, you can understand his desperation. But if the rich man had asked Abraham to send Lazarus to hell to trade places with him, how incensed would you be if Abraham had said: “Sure. I’ll send Lazarus to take your place in hell and you come up to heaven forever”? What!?! The rich man had rejected God while he was alive because he was too busy living what he thought was the best life ever, while Lazarus humbly held on to God’s Word and suffered for it. Why should Lazarus go to hell for the rich man? And yet, isn’t this exactly what the sinless Son of God, Jesus did for all the sinners of the world, including you and me? He traded places with us. If we don’t believe that and thank Jesus for it as we hold on to his Word, then we only have ourselves to blame for spending eternity in hell.
So the question remains. Are we investing in living the Best Life Ever now, or are we investing in dying the Best Death Ever? Investing in the Best Death Ever means spending time in God’s Word. It means making time for Sunday worship and our daily devotions. It means that we don’t tell God his business like the rich man tried to do when he told Abraham that it wouldn’t work for his brothers simply to listen to God’s Word. Likewise we won’t say, “Oh, I’ve tried to use God’s Word to fix my marriage, but it hasn’t worked.” “I’ve tried to read God’s Word to fight my addictions, but it’s pointless.” Or “I don’t know why my parents insist on church every Sunday. It’s not helping me become a better athlete or become more popular at school. In fact, people think I’m weird for spending so much time here.” Friends, you may not be living the high life like the rich man in our text, but if you have faith in Jesus, you are living the best life ever as you continue to prepare for the best death ever.
The rest of the world might think you’re a fool, but God doesn’t. Did you notice how while Lazarus was ignored by the rich man and seemingly everyone else, Jesus calls him by name? The rich man, on the other hand, was no doubt known by everyone around town, but Jesus doesn’t bother naming him when retelling the story. Take comfort in that truth. The world may not know you or think very highly of you because you’re not rich or successful. But if you have faith in Jesus, you’re known to the one who really matters. God spoke your name at baptism and he will call you by name when he brings you to his side and into an eternal life of happiness. Keep preparing to meet this God as you keep seeking to die the best death ever. Amen.
SERMON NOTES
Vehicles around Flagstaff often sport “BLE” bumper stickers. What’s that all about?
Why did the rich man in our text seem to be living the best life ever? Why did Lazarus seem to have the worst life ever?
How was Lazarus’ death (and the death of every believer) a blessing?
The rich man ended up in hell. What determines whether we will end up in heaven or hell?
The rich man enjoyed a comfortable life just as you may be enjoying a comfortable life. Why shouldn’t we mistake a comfortable life as God’s stamp of approval on us?
(Fill in the blanks and then explain the two statements.)
What seems to help in life — _____________ — fails in death.
What seems to fail in life — _______________ — helps in death.
The rich man asked for Lazarus to come to hell to bring him a drop of water. The request was denied. But how did the Son of God, Jesus do something even more spectacular for all sinners?
What comfort does it give you that Jesus called Lazarus by name but not the rich man?
So how does one prepare for the best death ever?
