JAN 19

Luke 16:19-31
Memorise Matthew 7:13
“…between us and you there is a great gulf fixed…”

The episode of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 is not a parable but an actual incident. First of all, Jesus did not introduce it as a parable, and also one of the persons is named (Lazarus) which never happens in a parable. Thus, unlike a parable, we can see important truths in every verse of this episode.

In Luke 16:26, Abraham told the rich man who was in hell that there is no escape. The great gap between heaven and hell is permanent, and no one can travel from one to the other. The Greek word for gulf is “chasma”, from which we get the modern word chasm - a huge gap between two elevated bodies. Lazarus was together with Abraham on the side of heaven, and the rich man on the side of hell. Between them was this chasm that can never be bridged. He was there because of his sin, and God’s verdict is that he must stay there for eternity.

How long is eternity? It beyond our imagination to begin to comprehend how incredibly long it is. Let’s just try to take a glimpse at how long eternity really is:

“Suppose that a sparrow took a drop of water from the Atlantic Ocean, hopped across the country, put that drop in the Pacific Ocean, then hopped back to the Atlantic Ocean, and repeated the same thing. When that bird had emptied the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific Ocean, eternity would have just begun. And how tragic to spend that eternity in hell.”

Dear teen, which side will you be on? Realise that you can only be on one side, heaven or hell, eternal rest or eternal torment. There is no half-way, or movement in-between. Once you arrive on the side of hell, there is no more evangelism, no more gospel, no more opportunities to accept Christ as one’s personal Saviour. While we are still on earth, Christ is the bridge to heaven for all of us who call upon Him to save us. Once we breathe our last breath, which may happen in a flash before we realise it, we no longer have any opportunity to use this bridge.

Thought: Am I on the right side? Am I sure?
Prayer: O Lord, may I live with eternity’s values in view!