Pastor's Corner

Note: This is a sermon from Sunday, June 6, 2021, and is slightly adapted from the original.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

Today's Gospel (Luke 16:19-31) is the story of the rich man and Lazarus. I say story because it is not called a parable and is quite possibly a history. Parables, some say, are meant only to teach one thing. But if the story of the rich man and Lazarus is a parable it breaks this rule, because it teaches multiple things and is hard to summarize.

First, this Gospel teaches us that there is both a place of torment and a place of comfort for those who die. This is perhaps not the main teaching in the story, but it is important to it nonetheless. Jesus says, "The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side" (Luke 16:22-23). And Abraham tells the rich man, "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" (Luke 16:25).

This is good for us to remember, and for all people to know and learn. Christians often take heaven and hell for granted, while unbelievers often scoff at both, or at least at hell. Whether Christian or non-Christian, we all pass by this teaching (that there is an eternal heaven and an eternal hell), and we neglect to learn from it. We are not terrified as we should be by what our sins against God's Law have earned us. We are tempted not to talk about hell for fear of scaring away unbelievers. On the other hand, we take heaven for granted, as though it's a matter of course that God should bring us there after death. "I'm a Christian; I believe in God. Of course I'm going to heaven!" we think, all the while neglecting to repent of our sins and to truly love God and our neighbor. On the other hand, still, when we are poor and forgotten by men, we forget to take comfort from this teaching. We feel no heaven on earth, and so we fail to believe and to take consolation that God has a place of endless rest and comfort, bliss and peace, for His suffering ones. Let us learn this teaching, then, from the story of the rich man and Lazarus, and take it to heart and apply it to ourselves at the proper time.

Second, this Gospel teaches us that there is no opportunity for repentance and change of fate after death. Abraham tells the rich man, "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" (Luke 16:26).

Now, someone might say that this does not prove anything, but only is a statement about the rich man and Lazarus, and not about all those who die. But such an explanation cannot be true, as it would make the whole story pointless and meaningless. Jesus tells us this precisely because it applies to all of us and because it is one of the reasons why we must urgently hear God's Word and repent of our evil. Once we die there will be no more opportunity to make things right. People cannot pray for the damned, nor can someone be baptized on their behalf as some believe and practice. There is nothing in Scripture that actually teaches people may yet repent after death. What a marvelous lie the devil has taught the world to believe! The rich man, we see, wishes to receive the mercy that he denied to Lazarus during his lifetime-the same mercy he rejected from the word of Moses and the Prophets (for Moses and the Prophets teach mercy, and testify of Jesus our Savior). But it is too late. Even his desire for mercy, we see, is selfish, because he has no shame in telling Abraham to send Lazarus like a lowly servant to give him water and to go to his brothers-as if Lazarus had not suffered and done enough. And he quibbles with Abraham, as though God had not already done enough in the sending of Moses and the Prophets-who also suffered long and greatly like Lazarus. The rich man never would hear Moses and Prophets, so he cannot repent in hell. He still does not hear Moses and the Prophets.

Third, this Gospel teaches that the names of the damned are forgotten in some way, while God's "poor" are ever known to Him by name. This is not stated in so many words, and perhaps too much can be made of this. But it is noteworthy that the rich man has no name in the story, while the poor man does have a name. Whatever the rich man's name was, it is forgotten. It has no importance. Despite his great wealth and luxury, which undoubtedly made him famous in some way during his lifetime, no one will remember him. We'll remember the rich man's evil example, but we won't remember him. His evil is all that is left of him. He's become something impersonal; he's simply one of the damned. On the other hand, the poor man does have a name: Lazarus. The rich man's name had no importance, but for some reason Lazarus's name does. We see here that the poor man, though utterly forgotten and neglected by the world-which is to say, utterly hated-is of the utmost importance to the Lord Jesus and to God the Father. He is known by name in heaven, and is still known to those who hear his story. His faithful, patient suffering is remembered and treasured by God and all his saints. This reminds us that God knows those who suffer patiently with faith as Christians. He does not forget us, but treasures us, and will treasure us and our deeds for eternity. He does not leave us forgotten or alone.

To be continued next week.