If Only We’d Known!
Day 28
We hadn’t had our brand new 34-foot long travel trailer 24 hours before we broke it. I was so excited to see Dale backing it down the driveway, having picked it up from the dealership. It still had that brand spanking new smell and I couldn’t wait to see everything. The fact that it was lightly sprinkling did not deter us; we hooked it up to power, started moving the slideouts and extending the large awning that covered most of one side. We were hoping to take it out for a practice trip that weekend, so we left everything out - the slides and the awning - for the night. Now those of you who are campers are already thinking, “Uh oh, they left the awning out overnight? And in the rain?” Exactly.
The next morning, we woke up excited to see everything in the daylight. Dale beat me outside and let out a howl so loud I thought he’d wake up the neighbors! The awning had collected rain water throughout the night and was now so weighted down that when he went to bring it in, the metal frame bent in half! Needless to say, we didn’t go camping that weekend; instead, Dale had to take the camper back to the dealership and order a new awning!!
If only we’d known!! When our next door neighbors came over to “ooh and ahh” over our new purchase and we showed them what we’d done, they said, “We broke two awnings when we used to camp.” Another veteran camper told us the same thing that next week. Why hadn’t anyone told us about how finicky camper awnings are? If only we’d known, we wouldn’t have broken our camper before our first trip! And yet, we could have known, if we had taken the time to read through the owner’s manual before pushing any buttons. The warnings were all right there!
Today, Jesus continues to confront and repudiate the abuses of wealth in this second parable of Luke 16. Refusing to listen to Moses and the prophets could have eternal consequences. There wouldn’t be as easy as ordering a new awning!
Read Luke 16:19-31
An excessively rich man, who wears nothing but royal purple robes and daily partakes of lavish feasts is contrasted with poor Lazarus, who is homeless, hungry and hurting from the open sores that covered his body. The rich man lounges around in his luxuriously appointed home while Lazarus huddles outside the compound gates. Lazarus dreams of being able to just eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table but that is never to be.
And then one day, both men died. Lazarus was not buried but was carried up to heaven and seated at Father Abraham’s side. The rich man was buried and transported to Hades, where he was tormented continually. In one short day, the previous earthly situations of the rich man and Lazarus are completely reversed. It appears that the unbelieving dead have some awareness of the blessed state of believers in heaven, as the rich man could see Abraham and Lazarus from a distance and called out to them, “Have mercy 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 flame!” (v 24) While a parable, and therefore unclear how literally the actual details should be taken, the story seems to clearly teach that, immediately after death, both believers and unbelievers have a conscious awareness of their eternal condition and enter at once into either suffering or blessing. The Apostle Paul seems to confirm this conclusion in his letter to the believers in Corinth, “For we walk by faith, not by sight. In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to him.” (2 Corin 5:7-9) Abraham refuses the tormented man’s request, reminding him that he had all of the resources for life and happiness at his disposal in life, but now Lazarus would be comforted for all eternity.
The rich man then begs Father Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers, who are also apparently living self-indulgent lives of luxury. He wants Lazarus to go back through the death portal, walk the earth again and warn the man’s family of their coming doom? This man who had never paid any attention to Lazarus, attempted to ease his suffering or even called him by name? (although it seems he knew Lazarus’ name) “If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.” (v 31) The rich man believes that if Lazarus would just return from the dead he would be a sign confirming what Moses and the prophets have said and his brothers will repent. But such repentance would need to include a change of both heart and behavior on the brothers’ part, including the use of their wealth and possessions for the notice and care of the destitute. Jesus concludes that the rich man, his brothers and anyone else who refuses to repent and believe the gospel will not change by seeing more evidence but only by a regenerate heart. And sadly, more evidence is coming, when Jesus, the Messiah, will die and be raised to life, and still many will refuse to be convinced.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;
I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.
You will live in the land that I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. ~ Ezekiel 36:26-28
Big Picture Questions for Today:
Are you missing signs, instructions or warnings of Jesus’ imminent return for His bride, the church?
Do you see those hurting around you? This entire week’s readings have centered on Jesus’ heart for the outcast, the poor and hurting.
Pray for eyes to see those that Jesus sees as you go about your day - at work, school, playing pickleball, or caring for your infants and toddlers.