Luke 16:19-31
19 There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us. 27 And he said, Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house 28 for I have five brothers - so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 But Abraham said, They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. 31 He said to him, If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.
In this story of the rich man and Lazarus, one thing that strikes me is the rich man's claim that if he had only known his eventual doom he would have repented, so he asks that his brothers be warned: "I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house - for I have five brothers - so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment" (verses 27-28). But Jesus answers that "If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead" (verse 31). We may claim that we would act differently if we had known the sorrow we would bring on ourselves, but the fact is that we have already been warned. Most of our sins are not due to our lack of knowledge. They are due to our rebellious will that chooses the sin over what we know is right because we want pleasure more than obedience.
Lord, thank you for your warnings, and forgive our rebelliousness.
19 There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us. 27 And he said, Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house 28 for I have five brothers - so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 But Abraham said, They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. 31 He said to him, If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.
In this story of the rich man and Lazarus, one thing that strikes me is the rich man's claim that if he had only known his eventual doom he would have repented, so he asks that his brothers be warned: "I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house - for I have five brothers - so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment" (verses 27-28). But Jesus answers that "If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead" (verse 31). We may claim that we would act differently if we had known the sorrow we would bring on ourselves, but the fact is that we have already been warned. Most of our sins are not due to our lack of knowledge. They are due to our rebellious will that chooses the sin over what we know is right because we want pleasure more than obedience.
Lord, thank you for your warnings, and forgive our rebelliousness.