A remote Reality

The story of the sin of the rich man Lazarus is one of the stories that our Lord spoke to the Pharisees who were lovers of money.

They looked upon wealth as a sign of His judgment as one being blessed in both worlds. They saw wealth and prosperity as signs of God’s approval and blessings, and poverty as a sign of God’s curse. This misconception in regards to God’s righteous judgment of man’s eternal destiny had fooled men for many generations, and even now it has infiltrated the Church of Jesus Christ.

Men’s view of God and His judgments without the leading of the Holy Spirit is so defiled that it is very much against the truth that is in God alone.

This has become a remote reality from the absolute truth that is in Christ alone.

Our Lord Jesus speaks this story so that a new standard is established with those who had an ear to hear Him on Histruth.

The story in Luke 16:19 to 31 has many deep truths in itself and if we have an ear to hear, we will discover its depth by the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

Here we hear Jesus speaking about two men with the same name, one poor and the other rich. They are both called Lazarus. Both Israelites living at the same address. One robed in purple (signifying royalty) living in riches and the comfort of  his riches and the other one living at his doorstep extremely poor and sick with sores all over his body.

One accompanied by street dogs that licked his sores and another one living in abundance of his earthly riches.

However Jesus says both these men died, yet the scripture tells us that the beggar died before the rich man did and was carried by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. A place called Paradise known to us by Paul that he says is in the 3^rd heaven today.

A remote reality was this fact that while the poor man was alive and in agony  we do not read  the rich man extending a helpful hand to the him who was laying at the door of  his  dwelling place every day. It was in this way that the riches of this wealthy man was to no benefit of the poor dying soul placed by the Lord’s sovereignty at his door.

His riches were spent in selfishness and no act of mercy was found with him while the Lord was testing him I believe.

In the Old covenant readings we read many times that there are the poor brothers who are in the presence of the rich and their lack of care or compassion decides their future predicaments and that even following them to eternity.

Jesus here presents two extreme cases to prove the greatness of man’s rebellion towards His eternal law of love.

By this He also demonstrated many misunderstood conceptions in life.

One thing we must take notice of, is that the story specifically says the poor man’s soul was carried to by the angels to paradise, where Abraham and all the Old Testament saints were kept waiting for Christ’s own resurrection from the dead. Here once again we see the angels being the carrying vessels of the Lord to welcome and bring the righteous to their final resting place.

Here we also read the smoothing comforts of Abraham’s bosom or paradise in comparison to Hades were the rich man Lazarus was to found. This also gives us a very fine understanding of the reality of both of these abodes. Also that there is a big gulf fixed in between them. Many thought since they were living in comforts of this life they will be comforted in the next also, but Jesus destroyed their faulty misunderstandings, with explaining His spiritual realities. Although He did confirm the presence of souls in both places, but in the prospective of God vs. men.

He mentioned about a great gulf existing between the two and said although they are visible to both side and even conversations were permitted in cases like this, but access from one to another was denied. He also expressed the measure of the suffering came with an extreme heat being present in Hades or Hell.

This story also is telling us specifics about the measure of suffering and the unknown spiritual body that was involved there, since the rich man Lazarus’s tongue was on fire which tells us that he was tormented physically in the heat of this very real fire.

I trust that the Lord is saying that what kind of torment is waiting all who live ignorantly in this life, playing with their eternity with blind folders on.

The story says that when the rich man died he was buried and being in torment in Hades he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom.

This also tells us that Hades or hell is located not only a far off, but that it is in the lower section of this unfathomable spiritual abode with definite physical realities in it.

This man saw that while he was tormented his earthly poverty stricken neighbor was comforted.

Although his discovery was very real, but we read it causes a concern in him for his remaining family members. This also does away with the wrong teachings that say in hell or heaven we would not have a memory of our departed love ones, or the ones yet leaving on this side of both spiritual worlds.

Here once again we learn from Jesus that the rich man finding himself in the reality of the torments in Hades is now begging for the other man the poor Lazarus to go and tell them about the truth of hell, but Abraham says it is not going to work. First of all why did he not ask Abraham for himself to be sent instead of the man in Paradise? Wouldn’t he be a better witness of the torment he did experience there? I believe even there he must have known for him there was no chance to return, but he saw the promise of the resurrection of the righteous a far off.

This also teaches us the faulty and wrong teachings of the Church for years that they had manmade priests intercede for the dead after they are gone to Hell.

The answer Abraham gave is the center of our discussion today.

He said they have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

But the rich man from Hades was not satisfied with his answer and told him. “No father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.”

“But he said to him  …if they do not hear Moses and prophets, neither will they be persuaded through one who rises from the dead” Ofcource here Jesus speaks directly to the Jews and their rejection of the words of the prophets about Himself, yet it has a direct effect to us too.

Well actually a third man name Lazarus the brother of Martha and Mary was resurrected from the dead, but we see even then many hurried to report Him to the Sanhedrin as a man who is overthrowing the faith of many who believed in God of Israel.

Well what do we learn from this part of the story of the rich man Lazarus?

I believe we learn no matter what miracle or sign is performed the heart of man would not change if they are not born again from above.

This teaches us that true conversion and repentance is an act of grace through the spirit’s work of conviction in the heart of men and no amount of human zeal even raised from the pit of hell can out bring this to pass.  Yes we have to carry the burden of the soles of the unsaved while they are alive and we need to heed the demand that says to bring them the message of salvation through Christ for repentance while they are alive, but after their death it is too late.  Also we learn that in the following verses that contain the verses of chapter 17^th of Matthew’s gospel Jesus keeps on speaking to His disciples, saying it is impossible that the offenses would not come. Why this saying now?, because He is still trying to make a point with His own, that our faith based actions are that which would decided where we would spent our eternity, not our mere confession of Him as through many words.

This is why when we say oh if God would only keep this one from dying or if God would heal this person or if God would perform this and that miracle they would believe is not a Biblical statement. All these are just our misconceptions of the truth. That is why Apostle Paul in 1^st Corinthians chapter 1 speaks the truth about salvation. No amount of miracles of God would turn the wicked hearts of men, but the miracle of salvation through repentance.  Even then Jesus says in Mark chapter 9 verses 42 to 50 that offenses committed after the so called salvation towards other believers can endanger our eternal place with God. This is why He says it to us now that if we do not walk in serious repentance towards God and men our souls would still be in the danger of going where the Bible says “ Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” a place very well known as Hell soon to be given over to the Lake of Fire.