Live As Long As You Are Alive (Luke 16:19-31)
Rev. William L. Barron, March 18, 2018Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
This story is most assuredly a parable, not an actual account about real people. Also, some of the terms used are colloquial within the Hebrew understanding, such as Abraham's side and contact being possible between Abraham's side and Hades (or Hell). There is a question in the conscience of most people: is there a hell, a place of eternal torment and punishment? Some believe all will be justified in the end (universalism). Some simply deny the reality of hell, such as the Saducees of Jesus' time. Some people just don't want to think about it. Scripture tells us that there is a hell, a place for Satan and his angels and also those who follow them. This passage, a parable, has three couplets. The first describes the two personages, the rich man (everyone who rejects God) and Lazarus, an afflicted beggar, whose name means "God has helped." The second couplet contains two pleas by the rich man. The first plea is for water to cool the tip of his tongue. He was told that he already had his reward during his life on earth. The second plea is for a man to return from the dead and warn the rich man's five brothers. The answer is that salvation comes normally by believing the truth of God, the substitutionary atonement purchased by Jesus Christ. The choice is at hand. Delaying the decision can be dangerous and result in a hardened heart, and assuming that we have more time before death than we may actually have. Are we waiting for a miracle or a sign before we believe, as suggested by the rich man regarding his unrighteous brothers? Hell is a place of eternal punishment. Today is the day of salvation. There are no guarantees of earthly life beyond the present moment.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « Focus On The Kingdom | None | Bible Study: Legalism vs. Circumcision Of The Heart » |
Luke 16:19–31 (Listen)
19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house—28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
(ESV)