The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Luke 16:19-21,
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores."
Here is an account of the earthly conditions of two men, one, a rich man, and the other, a poor beggar named "Lazarus". The rich man had all the best life had to offer. He wore the best in clothing and "lived in luxury every day." Lazarus, on the other hand, was a poor beggar, sickly with sores and starving. He longed "to eat what fell from the rich man's table."
What may come as a surprise is that the man with all the "blessings" life had to offer - good health, financial stability, living in luxury - was hell-bound. The poor beggarly Lazarus in his miserable condition of hunger and poor health was heaven-bound. Since Lazarus was heaven-bound, why did he have such a miserable existence in this life? Didn't God love Lazarus, since he was heaven-bound? Wasn't his destination following his departure from this life an indication that he had a favorable position with God? Why didn't God "bless" him with better health? Why didn't God heal him from his infirmities? Why was it that the rich man was so "blessed"? Why did God allow him to enjoy life here so much since he was apparently not in good standing with God, given his destination following life here?
The story of the rich man and Lazarus is an actual account of two men provided us by Jesus. Given the particulars provided and the conversation as quoted, Jesus clearly wanted us to understand this, not as a fable, but as an account of real events concerning real people.
What Jesus teaches us in this account is that in spite of what our quality of life may be here, no matter what we have been blessed with or what has been withheld from us in this life, life after death awaits us all and what we experience here is no indication of what awaits us beyond the grave. What awaits us has everything to do with the point at the end of the story. In considering those who are hell-bound, "they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." Verse 31. Not being convinced is not having faith. Faith determines what awaits us following the grave.
Many, including those who use the Scriptures to further their own "personal empires" and build massive ministries and buildings, mislead so many with the false promise that they hold the key to God's blessings of health and wealth in this life. They teach that when God loves us and is happy with us he will heal us. When God loves us and is happy with us he will bless us financially. When God loves us and is happy with us he will remove the challenges and problems we face in this life. Apparently they never met the rich man or Lazarus.
Perhaps revisiting the account of the rich man and Lazarus might be helpful here.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores."
Here is an account of the earthly conditions of two men, one, a rich man, and the other, a poor beggar named "Lazarus". The rich man had all the best life had to offer. He wore the best in clothing and "lived in luxury every day." Lazarus, on the other hand, was a poor beggar, sickly with sores and starving. He longed "to eat what fell from the rich man's table."
What may come as a surprise is that the man with all the "blessings" life had to offer - good health, financial stability, living in luxury - was hell-bound. The poor beggarly Lazarus in his miserable condition of hunger and poor health was heaven-bound. Since Lazarus was heaven-bound, why did he have such a miserable existence in this life? Didn't God love Lazarus, since he was heaven-bound? Wasn't his destination following his departure from this life an indication that he had a favorable position with God? Why didn't God "bless" him with better health? Why didn't God heal him from his infirmities? Why was it that the rich man was so "blessed"? Why did God allow him to enjoy life here so much since he was apparently not in good standing with God, given his destination following life here?
The story of the rich man and Lazarus is an actual account of two men provided us by Jesus. Given the particulars provided and the conversation as quoted, Jesus clearly wanted us to understand this, not as a fable, but as an account of real events concerning real people.
What Jesus teaches us in this account is that in spite of what our quality of life may be here, no matter what we have been blessed with or what has been withheld from us in this life, life after death awaits us all and what we experience here is no indication of what awaits us beyond the grave. What awaits us has everything to do with the point at the end of the story. In considering those who are hell-bound, "they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." Verse 31. Not being convinced is not having faith. Faith determines what awaits us following the grave.
Many, including those who use the Scriptures to further their own "personal empires" and build massive ministries and buildings, mislead so many with the false promise that they hold the key to God's blessings of health and wealth in this life. They teach that when God loves us and is happy with us he will heal us. When God loves us and is happy with us he will bless us financially. When God loves us and is happy with us he will remove the challenges and problems we face in this life. Apparently they never met the rich man or Lazarus.
Perhaps revisiting the account of the rich man and Lazarus might be helpful here.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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