andy-brown.org/2021/02/08/eternity-in-the-balance/
Over the next few days, I will be sharing some of the most read posts of this year.
This post, from way back in February, discuss is the idea of eternal punishment and how we can avoid it! I know that may not seem like the most uplifting of themes… But there is nothing more important!
What are your thoughts on this subject? Do leave me a comment or question.
Thanks for reading!
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Luke 16:19-31 (NIV)
This is the third part in a series on the Rich Man and Lazarus from Luke 16. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
There is a great deal to learn from this short account, and so far we have thought about what happens when we die, how we spend our earthly life and a few other points. It is hard to understate the importance of what we have seen here. Eternal judgement is a very serious matter, and this passage suggests a conscious torment – something we should all want to avoid!
Last time, the rich man had asked Abraham to send Lazarus to him to give him a little water for comfort. Abraham explained that the rich man was receiving just reward for his life on earth, and that is simply was not possible for anyone to travel between the two halves of eternity.
We pick up the story in verse 27, and the rich man now begs Abraham to send Lazarus to his family to warn them about hell. Again, this rich man is ordering Lazarus about. He cannot seem to let go the idea that he is somehow above Lazarus, and that the poorer ought to be serving the richer. One aspect of hell may be that it amplifies our worse characteristics or selfishness. If we choose to reject God and wallow in our sin, then God grants us our wish for all eternity.
Yet, for the first time in this account, the rich man shows some concern for someone other than himself. He fears for his brothers – all five – that they too may end up in the place of torment. He pleads with Abraham that Lazarus would go and warn them to change their ways. In a small way, it reminds me of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The ghost of Marley returns to warn Scrooge of what is to come if he does not change. In reality sadly, no such warnings are given to the rich man’s brothers.
Verse 29 is fascinating to me. Abraham denies the request of the rich man and points to Moses and the Prophets. The still living brothers have the Law to instruct them, and Abraham is clear this is sufficient.
We must never underestimate the power of God’s Word. The Bible is the key witness of truth to the things of God. If we fail to believe what the Bible says, then nothing else will convince us. People argue that if they see this or that miracle, then they will believe. This is rarely so. Only conviction by the Spirit of God and the testimony of the Bible can really convince someone that God is indeed real.
In retort in verse 30, the rich man argues that if someone comes back from the dead, then surely his brothers will believe. But Abraham again denies it, saying that if they refuse to accept the word of Moses and the prophets, then even someone rising from the dead will not convince them.
You cannot read these words without thinking of Christ crucified and His own rising from the dead. There were many witnesses to the Resurrection, and yet many denied or dismissed the claims of the Apostles. The scribes and teachers of the Law knew the Scriptures inside and out, and yet did not believe them nor believe the One about whom the Scriptures were written.
You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,
John 5:39 (NIV)
The religious leaders studied the Scripture – Moses and the Prophets – and yet totally missed the point. The Scriptures pointed (and still point) to Christ Jesus. Yet, when He came in the flesh, lived and died and rose again, they did not recognise Him.
Many say that they would believe in God if they only saw evidence first hand. What more could God have done? He gave us the Bible, detailed and perfect, telling us the things to come and foretelling the coming of the Messiah. He came as predicted, lived as He promised and then was killed – and on the third day He rose again to new life, exactly as the Scriptures said He would.
Yet the religious of the day did not believe. Many living today do not believe. This rich man would have been well aware of the Scriptures and knew both Moses and the Prophets’ teaching, yet he refused to practice them. The Law which foretold of Christ also instructed the people to take care of orphans, widows and the poor, and it is clear that this man did not.
Unlike the rich man, you and I do not have to follow the Old Testament Law in the same way. We can believe the Bible and put our trust in Jesus for our salvation. Once we have that, we should live and act as the Law teaches. We do not follow the instructions of God to become saved, we are saved and in response we live the way God wants us to live.
Do not study the Bible, refusing to believe it or never putting any of it into practice. Give Jesus His proper place in Lordship over your life and willing obey all that He asks of you.
You can avoid the place of torment by trusting Christ and what He did at the cross. As the Holy Spirit begins to dwell in you, you can live to please God in and through Christ.
I leave you with this in closing. The rich man could not warn his family of the dangers of hell once he was there, because it was too late. Only the living can spread the Gospel of Christ and share the good news. It is our responsibility and privilege to tell others about Jesus. It is the best news they will ever receive! Whether they accept or not is not down to you, but your job is to share Jesus as best you can. This is done by both words and actions.
Spend some time this week thinking about this passage. I am sure there is much more to learn than I have pointed out here. May it spur you on to make a decision for Christ, or to keep sharing the Good News with others.
There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
Luke 16:19-26 (NIV)
Last time, we began thinking about this interesting and chilling passage from Luke’s Gospel. You can read part one here.
We briefly considered the stark difference between the life of the rich man and that of Lazarus, whether this was a real life account or just a parable, and also a little about heaven and hell and Hades. Today we continue thinking about the story.
We left off last time with the request of the rich man asking Abraham to send Lazarus to him with a drop of water to soothe him in the agony of fire. I commented that it was a rather odd request. Why not ask for freedom? Why not mercy? Instead, he asks for Lazarus to help him. Given that Lazarus lay at his gate for his entire life, and this rich man apparently did nothing to help, it is rather ironic to seek his service now.
How does Abraham respond? Verse 25 tells us:
But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony
Luke 16:25 (NIV)
Abraham begins his reply with the word “Son.” This is not a term of rejection or dismissal, but a recognition that this (now poor) rich man, was indeed part of Abraham’s family in the nation of Israel. There is no scorn in Abraham’s words, nor joy at just punishment, rather I wonder if I hear a note of sadness?
Abraham tells the rich man that while he enjoyed luxury during his lifetime, Lazarus had nothing. Now, in the afterlife, Lazarus is comforted and the rich man is punished. This comes down to a matter of justice.
Justice is a key theme in the Bible. You can be certain that our God will put all things right in the end. Even if you suffer at the hands of many injustices in this life, like Lazarus did, you will be comforted in the next if you have your sins paid for by Christ’s work at the cross.
The rich man could have helped Lazarus at any time during his life. Day after day, this rich man would have passed this poor beggar as he came and went. Often, I wonder, would he have complained about the unwashed man dirtying up his nice and tidy property. It seemingly never occurred to him to offer Lazarus a roof over his head or food to eat. Lazarus longed to nibble the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table, and yet went hungry.
The issue is not “having wealth” per se, as I wager most people reading this are fairly wealthy compared to the average across the world. I am humbled by this, knowing full well that although I don’t consider myself to be “rich,” I have a roof, clothing, food, car, phone and many “luxuries”. I do not have a “Lazarus” sleeping at my gate, but I would not have to travel far to find one. If I refuse to share my relative riches with the poor, then I am no better than this rich man.
It should spur me and you, dear reader, to some form of action. There are no shortage of those in need in our world, and this passage and others should convict us to bless those less fortunate.
I say again that I do not think this parable is teaching us to have nothing at all. It must be recognised though that having too much or too little can be a temptation. We Christians should be led by the Spirit of God, giving where He prompts us and trusting Him for our needs.
Abraham has pointed out that the rich man is reaping the reward for his actions on earth, but even so, there is a great chasm between the places where Lazarus and the rich man find themselves.
I am intrigued by verse 26 which states that no one can travel from one side to the other. I certainly understand the desire of the rich man to travel to where Abraham is, but why would anyone want to make the reverse journey?
No great insight from me here, except the idea that perhaps those in heaven long for their loved ones lost in hell. Heaven, I imagine, offers total satisfaction and so it is hard to imagine any reason why someone would wish to leave. The chasm which blocks the way prevents any such journey, and the lesson for us is simply that we only get one chance to make the right decision.
What decision have you made? Where do you want to spend eternity? The choice is yours.
I have more to say, and there are verses beyond that which I’ve included above which we will cover next time.
For now though, let’s reflect on the fact that this account highlights justice. It was unjust for the rich man to wallow in luxury while a poor, sickly beggar lay at his doorstep. This was put right in the end.
For us, justice means paying the penalty of sin. We do that ourselves as the rich man did, or we look to Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. I strongly urge you to choose the latter!
If I take you out to dinner, paying for whatever you want, and at the end of the meal you insist of paying the bill again, then I will be more than a little offended. How much more so will God be indignant towards those who, through their sin, forced Christ to the cross, and yet insist on paying the penalty themselves for all eternity?
Jesus suffered and died so that you don’t have to. All you need do is put your faith in Him, asking for forgiveness, and living your life under His authority. Due to His death and resurrection, you can go free, washed clean of all of your sin and live now to please God.
Please choose Christ today! It is not just a life or death matter, but one where all eternity hangs in the balance!
There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
Luke 16:19-26 (NIV)
I have been thinking about this account recently, and am struck by how much it has for us to learn. I suspect my thoughts on this will stretch to more than one post, but we shall see how we get on!
This account occurs during Luke 16, where Jesus is teaching the people through parables and other means. The first thing we need to ask ourselves is – is this a parable or a true account?
This passage clearly has many similarities to some of Jesus’ other parables, and yet has a few differences which may suggest it is a real account of what happened to some real people.
We have a named person – Lazarus. Few, if any, of Jesus’ parables contained the names of actual people in them. Think of the Prodigal Son, the Lost Coin or Sheep, or the Parables of the Vineyard or Sower. None of them had named individuals and spoke only of people in general terms. Here we have a beggar who we are told is named Lazarus, and it is interesting to me that the rich man is not named…
Whether a parable or not, this account has some important, and let’s be honest – terrifying – lessons for us all to take heed of.
Verses 19-21 set the scene for us, and paint a very stark contrast between two men. One is extremely wealthy, living in luxury and having all that he ever wanted. The other had nothing, living in extreme poverty at the rich man’s gate. The latter clearly had health issues with troubling sores all over him and perhaps even lacked the strength to chase away the dogs which licked at him.
The point of this story is not to condemn the rich. The rich man is not bad because he is wealthy, but we will see later that having such riches is a clear danger. It is not the wealth which is the problem, but what this man does with it – or in fact, what he does not do with it.
There is not even the merest hint that this rich man used one penny of his wealth to help Lazarus. Instead, he lived in luxury while Lazarus laid at his gate. Could he have done something to help? I think the point of this story is that he could and should have.
Verse 22 tells us that “The time came…” for Lazarus to die, and likewise, the rich man also faced death. We learn that they did not end up in the same place however. Lazarus was taken to Abraham’s side and the rich man to Hades. Hades should not be confused with “hell” which is distinctly different. Hades or Sheol were the same place and can be described as the abode of the dead. The abode had two compartments, one for the good known as “Abraham’s Bosom,” and one for the bad. Hell is a different Greek word altogether, and is described in Revelation as the Lake of Fire. Revelation tells us that Death and Hades will be swallowed up, and ultimately cast into the fiery lake.
So, Lazarus ends up with Abraham and the rich man in Hades in torment. The torment is not simply the fire he is burning in, but also the fact that he is conscious. “He looked up…” and he could see Abraham and Lazarus far away. Imagine being trapped in eternity, not just in agony, but able to see those not suffering. What a truly terrible thing!
I want to focus on the rich man’s request for a moment, asked in verse 24.
So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
Luke 16:24 (NIV)
The rich man, having seen Abraham and Lazarus far off, calls out to them. Have pity on me, he cries! Certainly, there will be many (if not all) crying for pity and mercy should they find themselves in such a place.
Then, the rich man makes a request. Before considering it, let me ask you – what would be your request if you were in such a situation?
He does not ask for release from the torment. He does not ask forgiveness. Rather, he asks for Lazarus to serve him. Don’t miss this point. Whatever hell or Hades is in reality, it will somehow emphasise our self-centredness. Even now in death, imprisoned in torment, this rich man still believes that he is better than Lazarus and that the poor beggar ought to serve him.
We will study Abraham’s answer next time, but before I close, I really want to emphasise the importance of this account. Jesus taught a great deal about the afterlife and was extremely clear that this life is not all there is. There is an eternity beyond the grave, and only two destinations. Although Jesus is speaking to first century Jews here, there is much we must learn from it. Abraham’s answer will tell us why the rich man ended up where he did.
For you and I though, we read this passage in light of the cross of Christ. Our eternal destination is not determined in the same way as the men described here. Instead, our eternity is determined by our response to Jesus Christ crucified. If we put our faith and trust in Him, then we can be assured of a place in heaven, and hell holds no fear for us. For those who do not know Christ and His sacrifice, this passage should certainly move you into finding out more about what Jesus did for you.
Please do not wait. If you are unsure of your place in heaven, do not delay! Place your trust in Jesus right now, turn away from your sin and ask His forgiveness. None of us know when our time is up, and tomorrow may be too late!
If you want to put your faith in Jesus and don’t know what to do, or if you have determined to trust Christ but now find yourself unsure of the next steps, please do get in touch or comment below. I would be glad to support you in your new found faith in Jesus Christ.
We ought to spend our time here, preparing for there
In our society, which is largely anti-God, anti-Christian and promotes evolution, humanism and secularism, it is hardly surprising that people think very little about eternity – life after death.
If you take a Christian worldview, then you believe and understand that this world is not all that there is. There is an eternity, and what we do here on the Earth determines what that eternity will be like.
We live in a physical world, and must of course live our lives. Rather than living just for the here and now though, spend more of your life preparing for the world to come.
After a thousand years in eternity, you really won’t care quite so much about the problems of this life.
If you do not know Jesus Christ, and aren’t sure of your eternal destination, I encourage you to put your trust in Him. Jesus is the only way to heaven, and none of us know how much time we have left to make that choice.
Read these relevant posts to find out more – “Resurrection Sunday” and “One Way“
Andy Brown 