SAINT NICHOLAS

Byzantine Catholic Church
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4700 Metro Parkway, Sterling Heights, Michigan 48310  *   +1-586-791-1052   *   stnicksbyzantine@yahoo.com

The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

     “There was a rich man who used to dress in purple garments and the finest linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would have been grateful to be fed with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs would come and lick his sores.

    “Now the poor man died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In the netherworld, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham, far off, and Lazarus by his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.’

    “But Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that during your lifetime you received many good things, while Lazarus suffered greatly. Now he is being comforted while you are in agony. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm has been established, so that no one who wishes to do so can pass from our side to yours, nor can anyone pass from your side to ours.’

    “ ‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘to send him to my father’s house, to warn my five brothers, lest they too end up in this place of torment.’ But Abraham responded, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.’

    “He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Abraham answered, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”

• First of all, Jesus teaches here that heaven and hell are both real, literal places. Sadly, many preachers shy away from uncomfortable topics such as hell. The Bible is clear that every person who has ever lived will spend eternity in either heaven or hell.

• Once we cross the eternal horizon, that’s it. There are no more chances. The transition to our eternal state takes place the moment we die.

• The rich man wrongly saw his material riches as evidence of God’s love and blessing. Likewise, he believed the poor and destitute, like Lazarus, were cursed by God.

• True followers of Christ will not be indifferent to the plight of the poor like the rich man in this story was. God loves the poor and is offended when His children neglect them. In fact, those who show mercy to the poor are in effect ministering to Christ personally.

• When death comes knocking on our door there is only one thing that matters: our relationship with Jesus Christ and with others.