By Guest Columnist Spencer Sullivan, Pastor, Pelahatchie Baptist
Do you ever try to avoid certain topics of conversation? Sometimes certain things can be difficult to talk about. Certain topics can cause conflict. There are some subjects that can be awkward. Some matters are considered taboo. Spiritual conversations are often avoided by many in our culture and for all of the reasons listed above. But, within the broad genre of spiritual conversations, the specific subject of Hell is often avoided most of all. Some don’t want to even acknowledge the possibility of Hell. You’ll find that the reality of Hell is not avoided in the pages of the Bible. In fact, Jesus spoke on the subject more than anyone and it’s not close. One day, Jesus shared a parable on the subject. It is often called the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. I encourage you to give it a quick read. You can find it in Luke 16:19-31.
By sharing this story, Jesus is communicating the reality of Hell as a warning to all who have ears to hear. Pastor and author John MacArthur says: “The story has one purpose: to warn the hearers that Hell will be full of people who never expected to be there.” The story centers on 2 primary characters: the rich man and Lazarus. Jesus makes it clear that the rich man is over- the-top wealthy. Purple garments and clothing were rare and incredibly expensive. They were reserved for royalty and those that could pay the exorbitant price. In addition, Jesus tells us that he didn’t just eat, but that he feasted each day. He was also a religious man. This is evidenced by how he addressed Abraham. For those listening to Jesus on this day, their immediate assumption was that this man was blessed by God. Of course, Lazarus was the exact opposite in every way. He wasn’t just on the poorer end of the social spectrum. He was among the poorest of the poor. Each day, he was laid at the rich man’s gate to beg. Lazarus had a miserable existence. And just like the hearers would have considered the rich man blessed (worthy of Heaven), in the same way, they would have considered Lazarus cursed (worthy of Hell). Yet, the story that Jesus revealed was completely flipped. Lazarus was in Heaven, while the rich man was suffering the torment of Hell.
But why was the rich man in Hell in the first place? To be clear, all are sinners and guilty of breaking God’s Law, but no egregious sins were charged against the rich man. Only that he was uncaring to the obvious needs of Lazarus who was daily laid at his gate. His plea to Father Abraham was to send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water to cool his tongue for some measure of relief. Abraham reveals that it is impossible and that the chasm is far too wide. No one can go from one to the other. The destination in that moment is final and no relief is possible. Therefore, the rich man’s last plea is to send Lazarus to his father’s house so that he can warn his 5 brothers. Perhaps it is easy for us to resonate with the rich man’s thinking here. If a dead man comes back to life, surely it would get the attention of his beloved family members enough to lead them to repentance and faith! But, notice Abraham’s final and firm response: “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.”
So, what’s the point of the story? Interestingly, a few months later, a man named Lazarus actually died, but this time it wasn’t a parable. When Jesus arrived, he had been dead 4 days. Jesus raised Lazarus back to life. It is one of Jesus’ most remarkable miracles. However, miracles do not save. That was never their purpose. Miracles merely validated the message of Jesus. Through this parable, Jesus affirms the reality of Hell and the scary part is that people will be there that didn’t expect to be. Our hope is Jesus and Jesus alone. I urge you not to dismiss the subject of Hell as if it isn’t real. However, by repenting of your sin and placing your faith alone in Jesus, assuredly Hell will not be your final destination. Eternal life in Heaven is the free gift of God for all who believe!
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