A Reversal of Fortunes
“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.” (Luke 16:19-21)
The human experience is a story of haves and have-nots. There are those who are wealthy and don’t seem to have a care in the world, while others struggle even to keep clothes on their backs and food in their stomachs. The disparity between rich and poor is nothing new – it’s as old as time itself. Jesus highlighted that disparity when he was talking to the Pharisees. Luke tells us that the Pharisees “were lovers of money,” so Jesus shared a parable that was directed right at them.
There was a rich man who fared well every day, but laid at his gate each morning was a poor man named Lazarus who desired to eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Apparently, the rich man had grown accustomed to ignoring Lazarus, but all that changed when both men died and passed into the afterlife. From there, Lazarus could be seen in “Abraham’s bosom” in heaven, while the rich man was in torment in hell. He begged for comfort but found no way out of hell.
The rich man even begged Father Abraham to send someone to witness to his 5 brothers, but Abraham reminded the rich man that his brothers had the Law and the Prophets. The story very vividly explains that there is going to be a great reversal of fortunes at the end of time. The wealthy that have trusted in their riches will be banished to hell, while the poor who have trusted Christ will experience something far beyond their wildest dreams. Ask yourself – am I trusting in riches, or am I trusting in Jesus?
The human experience is a story of haves and have-nots. There are those who are wealthy and don’t seem to have a care in the world, while others struggle even to keep clothes on their backs and food in their stomachs. The disparity between rich and poor is nothing new – it’s as old as time itself. Jesus highlighted that disparity when he was talking to the Pharisees. Luke tells us that the Pharisees “were lovers of money,” so Jesus shared a parable that was directed right at them.
There was a rich man who fared well every day, but laid at his gate each morning was a poor man named Lazarus who desired to eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Apparently, the rich man had grown accustomed to ignoring Lazarus, but all that changed when both men died and passed into the afterlife. From there, Lazarus could be seen in “Abraham’s bosom” in heaven, while the rich man was in torment in hell. He begged for comfort but found no way out of hell.
The rich man even begged Father Abraham to send someone to witness to his 5 brothers, but Abraham reminded the rich man that his brothers had the Law and the Prophets. The story very vividly explains that there is going to be a great reversal of fortunes at the end of time. The wealthy that have trusted in their riches will be banished to hell, while the poor who have trusted Christ will experience something far beyond their wildest dreams. Ask yourself – am I trusting in riches, or am I trusting in Jesus?
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