Paying Attention to the Word
There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. Luke 16:19-21, ESV.
Here is Jesus at His graphic best as a storyteller. The thing to note is the absolute contrast, with the rich person having it all in luxurious profusion and the poor individual being about as destitute as one can imagine. Notice the "nice" touches, with dogs licking his sores and his just wanting a few scraps from the table. With Lazarus we have the only person Jesus ever gave a name to in all of His parables. Interestingly enough, his name means "the one who God helps."
In due time "the poor man dies and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom," while the rich man died and ended up being tormented in "Hades," from which he spotted Lazarus. "And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy upon 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.' " But Abraham merely told him to remember the past, in which he had had all the good things and Lazarus the worst. Well, then, he requests, at least send him to warn my five brothers, "lest they also come into this place of torment" (see Luke 16:22-28, RSV).
And then comes the punch line: "Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead' " (verses 29-31, RSV).
Some have viewed the details of this parable as literal. But think about it for a moment. Is heaven so close to hell that you can converse between the two? Beyond that, it is based on a Greek view of life after death and of Hades rather than the Jewish idea of sleep in the grave (Dan. 12:2).
Jesus put together some interesting folklore and mythology of the day to make three points: (1) being rich is not a sign of God's blessing or eternal reward, (2) we need to remember those less fortunate than ourselves, and (3) even a miracle as a sign will not change a person unwilling to learn from the Word of God as presented in the Bible.
Help me, Father, to let Your Word shape my life today. Help me to appreciate it more while it can still do me some good.
There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. Luke 16:19-21, ESV.
Here is Jesus at His graphic best as a storyteller. The thing to note is the absolute contrast, with the rich person having it all in luxurious profusion and the poor individual being about as destitute as one can imagine. Notice the "nice" touches, with dogs licking his sores and his just wanting a few scraps from the table. With Lazarus we have the only person Jesus ever gave a name to in all of His parables. Interestingly enough, his name means "the one who God helps."
In due time "the poor man dies and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom," while the rich man died and ended up being tormented in "Hades," from which he spotted Lazarus. "And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy upon 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.' " But Abraham merely told him to remember the past, in which he had had all the good things and Lazarus the worst. Well, then, he requests, at least send him to warn my five brothers, "lest they also come into this place of torment" (see Luke 16:22-28, RSV).
And then comes the punch line: "Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead' " (verses 29-31, RSV).
Some have viewed the details of this parable as literal. But think about it for a moment. Is heaven so close to hell that you can converse between the two? Beyond that, it is based on a Greek view of life after death and of Hades rather than the Jewish idea of sleep in the grave (Dan. 12:2).
Jesus put together some interesting folklore and mythology of the day to make three points: (1) being rich is not a sign of God's blessing or eternal reward, (2) we need to remember those less fortunate than ourselves, and (3) even a miracle as a sign will not change a person unwilling to learn from the Word of God as presented in the Bible.
Help me, Father, to let Your Word shape my life today. Help me to appreciate it more while it can still do me some good.
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