“There was a certain rich man who clothed himself in purple and fine linen, and who feasted luxuriously every day. At his gate lay a certain poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. Lazarus longed to eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Instead, dogs would come and lick his sores. “The poor man died and was carried by angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. While being tormented in the place of the dead, he looked up and saw Abraham at a distance with Lazarus at his side. He shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I’m suffering in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received good things, whereas Lazarus received terrible things. Now Lazarus is being comforted and you are in great pain. Moreover, a great crevasse has been fixed between us and you. Those who wish to cross over from here to you cannot. Neither can anyone cross from there to us.’ “The rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, Father, send Lazarus to my father’s house. I have five brothers. He needs to warn them so that they don’t come to this place of agony.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. They must listen to them.’ The rich man said, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will change their hearts and lives.’ Abraham said, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, then neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’” (Luke 16:19-31, CEB)
“neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.” Well someone did rise from the grave and some people still don’t get it.
I wonder as I read this passage is it about hell, Jesus rising from the dead, or something else? Or is it about all of these and more?
One could argue it is about hell and the river is the river Styx, but is that biblical? One could say it is about Jesus foretelling his death and resurrection. Or you could take in the context of the chapter and see the story before is about divorce and marriage, or relationships and maybe this is a commentary on how we treat those around us, or if we even see those around us.
I would argue it is more about the last above than either of the others. I would say that hell, as we know it in Evangelical Christian understanding, does not exist, and is not biblical. Jesus will die and rise again, so he will come back from the dead and people still don’t buy, but honestly, I believe Jesus is commenting on relationships and the lack of people seeing other people as people. We come up with all kinds of ways to say those people are not like us so therefore they do not belong.
No one is less of a person than anyone else.
Gender doesn’t make you less of a person.
Skintone doesn’t make you less of a person.
Nationality doesn’t make you less of a person.
Sexuality doesn’t make you less of a person.
We are all children of God.
See each other through God’s eyes.
Siblings. Fellow travelers.
Love Like Jesus.
Loving People. Loving God.
aSacredRebel 