Looking for Lazarus

Scripture – Luke 16:19-24: 19“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

Reflection: Jesus tells another story. This is part one. Like most of His parables, there are layers of meaning that each of us can discover in our own lives.

Here we find a rich man and a beggar. (Only one of them is given a name. What does that mean?) The scene illustrates the great divide between rich and poor. While I would say I’m not at either of those extremes, I must admit I’m far closer to the rich man than I am to Lazarus.

After each man dies, Lazarus finds comfort. The rich man finds torment. What’s striking is the rich man can see the alternative. He can see the eternal life he’s missing. There are choices I will face today that can have eternal ramifications. By the grace of God, I have the assurance of eternal life with Him. I’ll live with that in mind today. And along the way, I’ll look for Lazarus.

An Invitation: A small group will be meeting this coming Sunday morning from 9:45 – 10:30am to share what we’ve learned and seen in this week’s readings. We meet in the Pastor’s office at Bethel Baptist Church, 13330 Trenton Road in Southgate. Everyone’s welcome to join us.