“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 16.27-31
In order to read the full parable, begin at Luke 16:19-31. This is a difficult story. It is a parable — an illustrative story Jesus taught to convey truth. I wonder if this is one from which we draw our understanding of heaven and hell, the gates of heaven, and the torment of the fire of Hades. Although it is just a parable, there is certainly truth in its message.
And what is the message? Follow God while on earth! The torment of the rich man in hell and the reward of Lazarus in heaven carry much truth. Our imagery of these two places is vivid. The way to avoid eternal torment is to trust in the prophets who point us to God — and ultimately in the final Prophet, Jesus Christ himself, who did rise from the dead, just as he foretold.
The rich man, who had not followed or obeyed God in this life, begged Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his family. But God had already sent warning after warning through the prophets of old, and finally through Jesus, who would rise from the dead. Though the imagery of heaven and hell may look different, the outcome is the same: a great chasm exists between those who know and love Jesus and those who rejected him in this life.
One Baptist preacher I met in Kentucky told me he was a “yeller.” He apparently yelled and shouted his sermons. I think that style is unnecessary. No shouting is required to win people to Christ. What is needed is genuine, authentic preaching, relationship-building, and the persuasive work of the Spirit of God. Still, it remains our goal to make sure everyone hears the gospel and has an opportunity to trust Jesus as Lord — so that when that day comes, eternity will be filled with believers. As someone once said, “Heaven will be crowded.”
Today, let us heed the final words of Jesus in the Great Commission (Matthew 28) and his parting message to the disciples in Acts 1: go and make disciples. The world deserves to hear that Jesus is Lord!
“O Lord God, as we finish the 250th celebration of America’s birth, we think about all the freedoms we enjoy. I thank you for the freedom from sin, for the joy of knowing you and walking in newness of life. I thank you for the freedom to live and move and have our being, and for freedom from death, sin, and the darkness that so easily entangles. Come now, Holy Spirit; fill us with your power and love. Thank you for a nation that fears the Lord. I praise you, Lord, and thank you for the coming day when we will be free from this body and fully present with you in Heaven. For you are good, and your love endures forever.” Amen.