The Rich Man & Lazarus: This parable doesn't mean that rich go to he'll and poor go to heaven. No one can go to heaven except through Jesus.
Lazarus was poor and in earthly misery but inside he knew God's love and had peace in his soul. But many rich people in the Bible also knew God's love and peace in their soul.
The point is that the rich man here was content in his worldly riches and didn't think he needed God. His condition was far worse than Lazarus'. The rich man was quite happy for God not to be a part of his life... until it was too late.
Which are you most like?
The time will come to all of us when we will die. For Lazarus this was a happy day because he was able to put behind him all his earthly suffering and take up his place in heaven where he would enjoy all it's goodness for ever more. Sadly the rich man also died and no doubt had an expensive funeral. But what good was that? Where was he? He was in hell. The day he died was unquestionabley the worse point of his life. He entered eternal torment. It's a terrible picture and is not just imagination, it's very real. He could see now for the first time what a fool he'd been. He is desperate. He sees what he has missed out on through his own selfishness.
His call for a drop of water to cool his tongue shows his desperation. How the tables had turned. Now he begs as Lazarus had in the passed life. Lazarus called out in need to God while he was alive, but the rich man didn't call out to God until he was in hell when it was too late.
The Rich man prayed to Abraham, but it did no good. Only praying to Jesus is effective. His prayer was misguided and too late. On top of his sorrow, he had failed to set an example to his brothers and couldn't bear the idea that his brothers would follow him into hell, and torment him further for leading them the same way he went.
This speaks to all of us. We're hearing Gods word now and we have time to do something about it. Will we do something about it now or continue to ignore God and get on with an empty life that chases after pleasure that doesn't last.
Death is the end of any opportunity. It is final. We're all going to enter eternity. Seek heaven, Jesus and forgiveness now.
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