Lazarus and The Rich Man

(Luke 16:19-26)

Lazarus received evil things in his lifetime, yet went to Abraham’s bosom, eternally to be with the Lord.  The rich man received his good things in this life and now is in torments even now forever there without any exits.  A soul can either receive evil in this life and eternal good, or good in this life and eternal evil.

Are you ready to receive evil from the Lord as Job was?  Is your goal God Himself, not peace nor joy nor even blessing but God Himself?  At any cost, by any road?  God does whatever He pleases.  Are you willing to receive whatever His hand has to give or are you greedy for gain?  Are you covetous and rich?  Will you be a preacher of the strait gate and poor as Lazarus was yet enter into life everlasting?  Lazarus was a preacher; for when the rich man was in torments he asked Abraham to send Lazarus to his family to preach to them so they didn’t have to endure the torments as he is.  Are you a poor in spirit preacher of the Word of God as every Christian is?  Will you be a preacher of the strait gate and find yourself poor and forsaken?  Jesus Christ had no place to rest his head, for this vile world is not a friend to grace to help men onto God. 

Will you be as the rich man?  Like those murmurers, complainers, wakling after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage(Jude16)?  Or as the writer speaks of in James five, telling rich men to weep and howl, for your miseries that shall come upon you.  Your riches are corrupted and your garments are motheaten.  Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and being wanton, ye have nourished your hearts as in the day of slaughter(James5:1-6).  Faring sumptuously, living in pleasure in riches yet condemned.  Will you die trusting in uncertain riches?  Or will you be as Peter saying, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee(Acts3:6).  Will you say, with Paul, what things were gained to me I count but loss that I might win Christ?

This is not to say that you cannot have any money.  But there are many charges and commands to the rich throughout Scripture.  And if you be found handling your money as did the rich man, then you will be found wanting on that day.  This rich man did not heed Lazarus’ words in the time that he was able, or he would be in Abraham’s bosom as well.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables(2Tiim4:3,4).  Lazarus had sound doctrine, but if you are rich and not poor in spirit by the grace of God working upon your soul you will not want sound doctrine.   

I do wonder if the rich man was a false christian, because he calls Abraham his “father.”  Though Abraham is not his father or he would be in his bosom, he calls him thus.  The Pharisees also call Abraham their father but are headed to where the rich man went for eternity.  But those in the church of Laodacian were saved, but Jesus says unto them, thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked(rev3:17).  They thought they were rich, and probably had many good things to show for themselves, but in God’s eyes it was all as filthy rags, all in vain, they were perishing.  He warns them to repent if they are to get to the kingdom of God.  Will you be found as these?
 

No man will be able to escape God, not even in hell.  Some say that hell is a place without God, but this is untrue.  Whether you go down to hell or up to heaven, God is there and you cannot escape Him (Ps 139).  Men try to escape God now but for eternity will not be able to.  You will either experience the everlasting torments of his eternal wrath, hatred and anger against evil and sin, being eternally judged as a vessel of wrath.  Or you will spend eternity with the Lord where he will shower his everlasting kindness upon his vessels of mercy.  Will you be as Lazarus, forsaking all reputation and life you once knew for an eternity in the love of God or spend forever under the just wrath of God where the worm dieth not, the fire is never quenched, where you will never be able to escape the wrath of God being poured upon your head?