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LIFE NOW AND HEREAFTER (III)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 9
Luke 16:19-31

Hebrews 9:27-28

 

“…it is appointed unto men
once to die, but after this

the judgment.”

 

LIFE NOW AND HEREAFTER (III)
 
Hell’s flames had caused the rich man to be so thirsty that he now became the beggar, begging Abraham to allow Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue (Luke 16:24). But this was impossible. Abraham responded to his request in two ways. Firstly, he said that the rich man got what he deserved (Luke 16:25), and secondly, there exists “a great gulf (chasm)” which prevents movement either way (Luke 16:26).
 
At this juncture, the rich man became very evangelistic. He requested that Lazarus be sent to his father’s house to witness to his five brothers who were not believers yet. The rich man wished his brothers to be converted so that they would not have to experience the horrors of this place (Luke 16:27-28). But Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (Luke 16:29). In other words, Abraham was saying that the Old Testament Scripture is sufficient for men to prevent themselves from ending up in eternal damnation. Moses (Deut 18:15) and the Prophets (Isa 53) have pointed towards the redemptive work of the Messiah, “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Furthermore, the Law and the Prophets have instructed that true faith will manifest itself in good works (James 1:27 cf. Mic 6:8). The rich man might have appeared very religious, but his failure to attend to the needs of Lazarus showed that he was still unregenerate. This no doubt was a direct rebuke against the Pharisees who were not only blind towards their Messiah, but also towards the needs of their fellow men (Matt 23:1-36). If these men would not listen to the Word of God, neither would they be convinced by a miracle of such magnitude as that of a man returning from the dead (Luke 16:31).
 
The justice of God requires Him to punish all evil-doers. And the greatest evil one can do is to reject Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. The Mosaic teaching of lex talionis (Deut 19:21) demands a judgment that is commensurate with the crime. The crime of rejecting the eternal God deserves the punishment of eternal torment in hell.
 
THOUGHT: In hell, everyone is evangelistic.

PRAYER: Father, grant me grace to share the good news.

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