We read in Luke 23:43, Jesus said to him, "I can guarantee this truth: Today you will be with me in paradise." (GW)
These are the words of Lord Jesus as he hung on the cross to the thief who was also hanging on a cross adjacent to Him. In his last dying moments, the man called out to Lord Jesus to have mercy on him, and these were the comforting words of Lord Jesus to him. Our Lord Jesus assured him that there was a certainty of life after death, and He also ensured him that he would have a place with Him in paradise.
In Luke 16:23 we read, “And in Hades he lifted up his eyes as he was in torment and saw Abraham from a distance, and Lazarus at his side.” (LEB)
For a background to the above mentioned verse, this was an incident that Jesus shared with the people about a rich man, and a poor man named Lazarus. In this event, Jesus is talking about a place called Hades or Hell that the rich man found himself in after his death, a place of intense torment.
Many people in the world today live complacently, completely engrossed in the temporal, giving no thought whatsoever to what lies ahead after their death. There are others who when faced with struggles and hardships decide that the only option for them is to end their own lives, not realizing that their life is not just for here and now, but that they have a soul that lives on to eternity. As much as our physical life on earth is a reality, we must constantly remind ourselves that the life after death is also a reality. The important thing to realize is that while paradise is a place of joy and comfort, hell or hades is a place of unending agony and torment.
In Luke 16:19 we read, “There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:” (Webster)
This is the description that Jesus gave about the man mentioned in the verse above; He was a rich man, dressed in expensive clothes, ate the best of food and had a good house. Here was a man who had everything that a person on earth would wish and desire to have.
In Luke 16:20-21, we read, “And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.” (Webster)
If one were to compare the poor beggar Lazarus with the rich man, he had a very pathetic life. He was a poor man, with no proper clothes, a body filled with sores, had no food and longed to be fed from crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table, he was also so weak that he couldn’t even drive away the dogs that came and licked his sores. Obviously he had no home as he lay helplessly at the gate of the rich man. However the Lord referred to the poor man by his name Lazarus, which means ‘God is my helper’ and true to the meaning of his name, God helped him.
Both of them died, but after his death the rich man went to Hades while Lazarus was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. Strangely the Bible says that when the rich man looked up from the place of torment, he recognized Abraham and Lazarus in paradise. The fact that he identified Abraham implies that he must have been familiar with the scriptures and probably went to the temple regularly. Though he was a man with great affluence and pomp, the Lord Jesus did not even care to mention his name, except for the fact that he was a rich man.
The rich man had his trust placed entirely on his wealth, and didn’t care one bit about poor Lazarus. When the Lord looked at the rich man, he saw him as one in deep poverty with no empathy whatsoever for the one who was destitute and helpless. Moreover the rich man had the wrong perception that because of the kind of wealth he possessed, he could continue to live in ease and extravagance forever. The poor man Lazarus on the other hand had to depend on the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table for his very sustenance.
In Luke 12:21, we read "Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God." (NLT)
The Lord calls him a fool who has all of the worldly wealth, and is so obsessed and enthralled by it, that he misses out on having a relationship with the God of the universe. There are so many who are simply satisfied with the thought that all is going well with them and do not care to reach out the lost, the sick, needy or anyone else.
The Priest and Levite who walked away
In Luke 10:31-32, we read, “It so happened that a priest was going down that road; but when he saw the man, he walked on by on the other side. In the same way a Levite also came there, went over and looked at the man, and then walked on by on the other side.”(GNB)
Jesus shared the parable of the Good Samaritan, where a man was way-laid by robbers who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and left him half dead. We notice how both the Priest and the Levite, probably going on to perform their duties at the temple, chose to walk away and ignore a helpless man in need, while that was the precise reason they were called by God.
The Good Samaritan on the other hand was a picture of Jesus who stopped, bound the wounds of the man with wine and oil, put him on his own donkey and took him to the safety of an inn. In doing so, his work was disrupted but he knew what his real purpose was. So too, the purpose of the church is that we be a blessing, and serve those outside who are in all kinds of needs. When we meet those wounded people on the way, those whom Satan has robbed of their joy, peace, health etc., instead of walking away, let us take time to reach out and bring them into fellowship of a church.
The bondage of being content with church attendance only
There are many people who are simply content with being members of a church where they worship regularly, give their tithes and offering and are content with thought that they have an institution where they can get their children married, and their funerals taken care of. Here’s a word of caution to such people, if we know the word of God, but have no personal relationship with the Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we too like the rich man are destined for hell. Our church attendance is of no value, if there is no transformation in our everyday lives, and if we don’t go and share the good news of the gospel to those outside. If our only goal is to receive all God’s blessings, and keep it to ourselves and don’t share the love of Jesus, and the salvation he offers to those needy ones outside the gates of our church, we too are selfish, and in no way better than the rich man who kept all the good things God bestowed on him to himself. We may not realize it, but this is a bondage the Lord must free us from. It is only when we are freed from this bondage can we be a blessing to others.
The rich man was probably renowned and accomplished, but the Lord did not even care to mention his name. Though Lazarus was a poor and destitute man, he must have had great faith in God, for the Lord was mindful to mention his name. He may not have been able to go to church, but right where he was he must have sought after the Lord. Like the poor beggar we may be those not recognized by society, but the point we need to ponder is, whether the Lord know us, for only then can we have a place in paradise.
There are so many leading self-centered and self-indulgent lives, amassing wealth, never considering the needs of those around, not grasping the reality that when we die we can take nothing with us. It is only when we come to terms with this fact, will we change the way we live. Our physical death is not an end in itself, it is the beginning of an eternal life in either one of two destinations, paradise or hell. In order to get to paradise, it is imperative that we live the life of obedience to the word of God as Jesus commanded us to. Our zeal must not be for the church we attend or for leaders, our caste or language but our zeal must be only for the Lord.
We read in James 4:17, “If, however, a man knows what it is right to do and yet does not do it, he commits a sin.” (WNT) James explains it this way, sin is not only doing wrong things but if we don’t do the right things (acts of love and service to others) deliberately, that too is sin.
Many people downplay the incident of the rich man and Lazarus because they don’t want to believe that there is a place called hades. This is not a parable as some would like to think, but an event Lord Jesus Himself explained as He went on to specifically mention the names of Lazarus, Abraham and Moses. Two destinations were also clearly portrayed, hades or hell where the rich man ended up in, and paradise where Lazarus was seen with Abraham. Let us not deceive ourselves to believe that there is no life after death or that there is no place called hell. It is only when we keep these two destinations in perspective, will we be guided to live in a way that is pleasing to God.
In Luke 16:22, we read, “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.”(NKJV)
When the poor man died, his body might have been unclaimed, but he was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. On the other hand the rich man might have had a good burial with much honor but he ended up in hell.
There are so many who are gripped with the fear of death, but for those who believe in the Lord Jesus and live in obedience to His word, we have the assurance that we will be with the Lord forever.
In Luke 16:23-24, we read, “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’”(CSB)
As the rich man agonized in hell, he looked up and recognized Abraham and Lazarus and was in total shock. He begged Abraham to have mercy on him and to send Lazarus to dip his finger and place a drop of water on his tongue to cool it down, as the heat and torment in hell was unbearable. The one who didn’t care to show sympathy to poor Lazarus, was now in a place begging for benevolence. If we turn away from those who are in dire straits, one day we too will call on the Lord and receive no favor or mercy from Him.
We read in Luke 16: 25-27, But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, or I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ (NKJV)
Our physical death spells a finality, and there is no way anyone can make changes or redo those things that were left undone after we die. The rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth to warn his brothers, but it was too late. We must be burdened for the lost while here on earth. Let us make the best use of this life the Lord has gifted to us to share the good news with others, serve the needy, wipe their tears and pray for others, for only then will we find our way to the place that the Lord has prepared for those who love Him. Life after death is a certainty, and we can choose to be in either one of two places forever, a place of great joy and peace where the Lord lives and reigns or a place of complete turmoil and agony shut out from the presence of the Lord forever. The decision is ours and it has to be made while we are here on earth.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by Sis. Esther Collins
