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LIFE NOW AND HEREAFTER (I)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 7
Luke 16:19-31

1 Timothy 6:17-19

 

“Charge them that are rich in this world,
that they be not highminded,

nor trust in uncertain riches.…”

 

LIFE NOW AND HEREAFTER (I)
 
Jesus tells a true story. It is the climax of Jesus’ teaching concerning wrong attitudes towards possessions (Luke 15) and people (Luke 16). Jesus was in particular speaking against the Pharisees for their proud reaction to His words in Luke 16:13. Jesus exposed the Pharisees for who they truly were: a covetous lot of people who were worshipping money and not God (Luke 16:14). Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus to rebuke them for their false piety. The tone of the story is one of warning or threat. It is set within the context of Jesus’ admonition of the Pharisees who were (1) not following the OT Scripture (Luke 16:17-18 cf. 16:29, 31), and (2) not building up treasures in heaven but material wealth on earth (Luke 16:13-14 cf. 16:19).
 
In this story, we have the rich man who was well-dressed and well-fed. In those days, only the very rich or the very powerful were able to afford to purchase purple dye used on expensive clothes. This rich man was totally oblivious to spiritual matters for he was interested only in the pleasures of the flesh. William Hendriksen has no kind words for this man: “He was not just rich. He belonged to that class of people to whom the epithet filthy rich is often applied, and not without reason. His living day by day in dazzling splendor marks him as a show-off, a strutting peacock. He wanted everybody to know that he was rich. He was in love… with himself.” He may be likened to the rich fool of Luke 12:19 who said to himself, “Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” The words of God to the rich fool is equally applicable to the rich man, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided” (Luke 12:20). The divine warning applies here too, “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 2:21). Calvin rightly advised, “If we believe heaven to be our country, it is better for us to transmit our wealth thither, than to retain it here, where we may lose it by a sudden removal.”
 
THOUGHT: It is better to be rich in heaven than to be rich on earth.
PRAYER: Father, help me to work for riches in heaven through faithful and loving service.

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