It’s Not Too Late

Posted: December 16th, 2010   Category: christian

In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus tells us a parable of two men, one rich who lived in luxury every day and one poor, weak and sickly who was laid at the rich man’s gate each day to beg. The starving beggar hoped for food scraps from the rich man’s table, but none were given. Both men died and while the beggar man was carried off by angels to be by the Father’s side, the rich man was buried and went on to be tormented in hell. This is not a bedtime story for little children.

Following their (earthly) deaths, the rich man became the beggar, pleading for relief from his hellish agony while the beggar enjoyed the riches of the Father. Jesus did not judge the rich man in this story, he simply stated facts, which speak volumes. The rich man didn’t share his surplus with someone in great need, someone he knew well enough to call by name. If he had compassion, he didn’t show it. While he had surplus, he didn’t share it. He loved his own life well but ignored his neighbors’ completely. In his continuing agony, the man who’s life had been rich, did show some after-hours compassion, but only for members of his family, brothers who were similarly rich but in need of explicit warnings to avoid this same torment. No others were worthy of his concerns. In death, the man who’d been rich was unable to exercise any more compassion for strangers or acquaintances, than he had during his life.

One lesson from this story is, should we die before we mend our selfish ways, there’s no turning back, no crossing over, no escape and no rescue from the consequences of our earthly material choices. Nobody can undo for us what we have done to ourselves. If we are so entrenched in our own lives that we turn away from the neediest and think only of ourselves and our own kind, then there is no warning that we will heed and there is no one  who will alter our path. The old testament gives us laws, the new testament gives us our role model, the one who left behind His riches to become poor and serve. The Holy Spirit provides us with daily direction, counsel and wisdom. Our part is to welcome all three, to listen, learn and to actually follow.

In this story, God tells us about both heaven and hell. He tells us of the consequences or blessings that await us. We are told that death is often unexpected. We are told of the immediacy of these two outcomes. We are told of body and of the soul. We are told these truths, because we are deeply loved and our Lord wants us to learn them before it’s too late.

JC CALKINS with COMMON SENSE 4 UNCOMMON PEOPLE

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