Title: Rebuke from Hell / Luke 16: 19-30
Contents
scolding from hell
━━━━━━━━━━━━
Luke 16: 19-30
"No one is more foolish than he who does not believe in Hell. What is that different from not putting out a blazing fire, but rather locking the door and lighting a fire in the room?" (Billy Sunday)
The Bible says there is a heaven and a hell. Still, there are those who do not believe. Just because you do not believe in God's Word does not mean that the content of the truth will change. Rather, the truth is the truth, and only the responsibility of the person who does not believe becomes a problem.
In the Bible, Jesus said:
“He lifted up his eyes in hell in torment, and saw Abraham from afar and Lazarus in his bosom, and called to him, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. Abraham said, "Son, remember this, that in your lifetime you received all your good things, and Lazarus suffered. Now here I am comforted, and you are troubled" (Luke 16:23-35).
Today, Jesus is telling us to repent of the Pharisees who have gone astray, who love only the world and riches. Jesus rebuked him at every opportunity, but he increased the intensity of it.
At first, he rebuked in Luke 6:24, "But woe to you, ye rich, ye have already been comforted." Next, in Luke 12:16-22, in the parable of the rich fool, it is said that no matter how much wealth you accumulate in the world, if you die, it is all in vain. Finally, in Luke 16:19-31, he made a very shocking statement to those who still do not understand, warning that such a person will suffer in a dreadful hell. Still, many people clinged to material things and did not know how to reflect. Today, let us share the grace of the Lord with the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.
1. Why did the rich man go to hell?
The rich man in today's verse was a Jew by blood and called Abraham his father. Perhaps he thought that he could go to heaven because he was the descendant of Abraham. However, the status did not guarantee eternal life.
I haven't committed any horrendous sin or anything special that deserves reproach. Judging by the outward appearance, there is no reason for the rich to fall into hell. Still, this rich man went to hell. What was the sin that made this rich man go to hell?
That sin was fundamentally 'unbelief'. If a person does not realize that there is a world after a person dies, and says that there is no final judgment of God, so if all values are based on worldly things, the result is of course only living for self-satisfaction.
About the collapse of the Sampoong Department Store not long ago, it is difficult to understand what ordinary people think. How can you let it go when you know it's going to fall apart? Because values are rooted in this world. He kept that thought until the end of his life, leading his soul to ruin.
This is what unbelief means. In the end, the 'seed of selfishness' caused him to fall into that dreadful hell that never goes out.
Such people are people who have 'the art of faith' but do not have even the smallest amount of faith. 'The art of faith' is to abandon true faith and rely on false beliefs. In the end, it leads to idolatry. They appear to believe in God, but in reality they only believe in their own religious and moral merits and abilities. This is the person like the rich man mentioned in today's Word. Such a person will invariably go to hell, whether he wants it or not.
2. Do you know why Lazarus went to heaven?
Lazarus was sad to be a beggar, but unfortunately he was ill. By the standards of this world, you are a failure and an outcast. But he went to heaven and was embraced by Abraham.
Why was he able to go to heaven? It can be found in the name 'Lazarus'. The name 'Lazarus' suggests that he was a man of deep faith. 'Lazarus' is a Greek word meaning "God is my help." The moment we accept God into our hearts, a person's eternal life begins. "Eternal life will soon know the only true God, and that He sent Jesus Christ (John 17: 3).
According to God's standards, a life with hope in the future, although poor and poor, is far more valuable than a worldly life that clings to only riches. Lazarus was an outcast with no hope in this world, so he depended only on God and hoped for the kingdom of heaven.
In today's sermon, Jesus did not try to determine whether there is a heaven or a hell. Just as there is no need to prove that heaven and earth exist, there is no need to argue about heaven and hell. But Jesus taught us what kind of life a believer should live.
At least those who have should help the poor. Social leaders are accountable to those living in hardship. It is necessary to tell those who fail to fulfill that responsibility how terrible the suffering of the souls judged in the other world is.
The fact that there is a judgment frightens us. This is the last accusation against the harsh and evil people, ever and now. We must prepare for the future with fear.
Then, how should we live today? (Applied to the place of life)
Compared to when Jesus was on earth, we are now enjoying unimaginable material wealth. Would people have thought of refrigerators and TVs back then? This abundance is God-given and should not be used solely for profit. It should be used for good works. Giving a practical helping hand to the lonely and suffering is the right attitude as a steward of God's riches.
Finally, the lesson for us today is not to be religious selfish people who are forced to do things out of fear of going to hell. It is to do good by believing in God, loving Christ, and giving thanks for the grace you have received.
It is said that the famous Indian nun Teresa said this prayer every morning.
"Lord, you have cried enough in the thirty-three years of your life in this miserable world. But today you rest. I will suffer for you, and I will go and weep!"
Who will be held in the arms of Abraham in the kingdom of heaven?” These are the people who work hard on this earth to serve, become the hands of God's love and cry Jesus' tears instead.
Our Lord always stood on the low side, never turned away from even the slightest pain, and always ran to the missing person and kissed him and hugged him. There is no low place before God. In the eyes of the Lord, there is no distinction between the place of a king and the place of a beggar. There is only a place for service.