January 25
“Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead,’” Luke 16:29-31.
Whether the text quoted above contains the concluding words of a parable or whether it contains the concluding words of an account that actually happened, we do not know. The lessons that we learn remain the same in either case. Jesus spoke of a rich man who lived in luxury every day. And there was a poor beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at the gate of the rich man’s home. Lazarus was sick, and desired to live from the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. The dogs came and licked Lazarus’ sores.
Lazarus died, and the angels carried his soul into Abraham’s bosom – that is a biblical expression for heaven. The rich man died, and his soul went to hell. He suffered the torments of hell, and saw Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom. He begged Abraham for some relief with a refreshing drink of water, which was denied. Furthermore, the account records that it is not possible for souls to pass from heaven to hell or vice versa.
Then the rich man pleaded that Lazarus be sent to earth to his five brothers, so that he could persuade his brothers to repent and not also end up in hell. To that request, we have the response, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” The rich man said, “No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead they will repent.” Abraham’s response was, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”
What is the point of the whole account given by Jesus? In this life, we must come to repentance and faith in Jesus as the Son of God and our Savior, who suffered and died to cleanse us from all sin. After we die, it is too late! The soul goes to heaven or to hell! There is no other place in between. Jesus speaks clearly: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned,” Mark 16:16. The jailer at Philippi asked the apostles, “‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,’” Acts 16:30-31.
How are we brought to faith in Jesus as our Savior? We have Moses, and the prophets, and the apostles, and the evangelists. We have Holy Scripture, the Word of God, through which the Holy Spirit calls us to repentance and faith. This is the clear teaching of God’s Word: “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit,” 1 Corinthians 12:3. The apostle Paul wrote, “He called you by our Gospel,” 2 Thessalonians. The apostle Peter wrote, “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light,” 1 Peter 2:9. As a believer in Jesus as your Savior, the Holy Spirit has called you out of spiritual darkness into the glorious light of salvation. To the Romans, Paul wrote, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God,” Romans 10:17. Jesus asks you to search the Scriptures to find Him as your Savior.
“Abiding, steadfast, firm, and sure,
The teachings of the Word endure.
Blest he who trusts this steadfast Word;
His anchor holds in Christ, the Lord.” Amen.