Heaven and Hell
Luke 16: 19-31
Pentecost 16 (Proper 21)
Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ amen. The sermon text for the sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost is the Gospel reading Luke 16. In our reading for today Jesus tells us a story about a poor man named Lazarus and a rich man. Both of them die. Lazarus goes to heaven, and the rich man goes to hell. In order to fully understand this story we need to remember that our reading is connected to the last two Gospel readings from Luke. In our Gospel reading from two weeks ago you may recall that the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to Jesus to hear Him speak. The Lord was calling them to repent and to believe in Him for their salvation. The pharisees and the scribes grumbled about this because Jesus was with sinners. The Lord explained to them through the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin that it was His mission to go and find lost sinners and bring them into God’s kingdom. It was His mission to save sinners. In last weeks Gospel reading Jesus told the parable about the shrewdness of the dishonest manger. Jesus taught us that we are to trust in the generosity of God rather than money and we are to use our money to support the proclamation of the Gospel. When the Pharisees and the scribes heard what Jesus said they once again scoffed at Him because they were lovers of money.
That takes us to the story that Jesus tells us in this week’s Gospel reading. Lazarus represents the sinners whom Jesus called to repentance and saved. The rich man represents the Pharisees and the scribes who had rejected Jesus and were lovers of money. Lazarus died and was received into heaven not because he was poor and suffered but because he had faith in the Savior. The rich man also died but went to hell not because he was rich but because of unbelief. Rich or poor, everyone dies. This is true. What is also true is that every person will either go to heaven or hell. Heaven or hell are the only two possibilities.
The rich man went to hell because he rejected Jesus. How he lived his life is his unbelief in action. The rich man did not trust in God, nor did he look to the needs of his neighbor. He only looked to self. We are told that he feasted every day. This is telling us that this man was excessive when it came to his own comfort and pleasure in this life. We are also told that he failed to notice Lazarus, who was poor and covered with sores and who obviously needed help. Lazarus was most likely put there by the gate with the idea that he would receive charity from the rich man. But the rich man was too busy indulging in the things of this world to care about Lazarus. We see the same thing described for us in our Old Testament reading from Amos. As we look at the rich man we are remined of the words of Paul from 1 Timothy 6: 9-10. “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
The rich man died in his unbelief and went to hell. Our reading gives us a vivid description of hell. We are told that the rich man is in such torment that he thinks that a drop of water on his tongue will give him relief from the flames. The rich man will be in agony forever. Hell is a very real place. To be in hell means total separation from God. Jesus gives a brief description of hell, but we get the idea that it is not a place we want to go.
Our Lord also tells us what happens to Lazarus. When he died, he went to heaven. He had faith in Christ and so even though he suffered in this life he ended up experiencing perfect peace and perfect comfort in heaven. Lazarus was carried to Abraham’s side. It was a comforting way of saying that he was in eternal fellowship with all believers. Think about what it will be like in heaven. You will be with Abraham, Moses, Mary, Paul, and Luther. You will be with all of your loved ones who have died in the faith. You will be in the full presence of the Lord. Heaven is a very real place. It is where you want to be. There is no sin, pain, suffering or death in heaven. You will see the glory of the Lord and bask in perfect bliss forever.
Lazarus went to heaven, and the rich man went to hell. Notice that the rich man asks Abraham if Lazarus could give to him a drop of water to relieve his suffering. Abraham tells him that it would be impossible to do and then he reminds him of his unbelief. All that the rich man had was given to him by God to use kindly. The rich man refused to believe in the Lord, and he instead used his gifts for his own selfish purposes. No, the rich man would remain in hell forever. Once the rich man understood that there was no hope for him, he asks if Lazarus could go warn his brothers so that they would not have to come to the place of torment.
Abraham tells him that his brothers have Moses and the Prophets (term for the Old Testament) and if they don’t listen to them, they will not even be convinced if someone should rise from the dead. Remember the rich man represents the Pharisees and scribes. They had the Bible, but they did not recognize that the Scriptures were speaking about Jesus. After Jesus rose from the dead they still did not believe in Him. That is the way of all unbelievers. They reject the Word of God, and they refuse to believe that Jesus rose from the dead.
But the words of Abraham about Moses and the Prophets also apply to the Christian but in a positive way. Not only do we have Moses and the Prophets, but we also have the words of Jesus and His apostles. In other words we have both the Old Testament and the New Testament. We have received the Word of God. Throughout history God has revealed Himself to certain people at certain times. He then inspired Moses and the prophets to write it down so that every generation could receive the revelation of God. It is the same in the New Testament. Jesus walked the earth, performed miracles, died on the cross and rose from the dead. There are eyewitness accounts of Christ and what He said and did. The Lord inspired certain apostles to write down what happened so that every generation could receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only is the Bible a historical record but it is the means that the Lord uses to create and sustain our faith.
In our Lord’s story we see that Lazarus suffered greatly in this life, but we also understand that the Word of God would have comforted him. It is the same with all believers in Jesus. You will go through ups and downs in your life but through it all the Word of the Lord will comfort you and sustain you. The Lord comes to you in His Word and says that you are forgiven and restored through Jesus. God’s Word tells you that Jesus laid down His life for you and saved you from sin and death. God’s Word tells you that Jesus rose from the dead and gives to you the gift of everlasting life. The Lord makes a promise that He will never leave you or forsake you. He blesses you and gives you the assurance that He will work all things for your good. Jesus Christ, by His death and resurrection has secured for you a blessed end which He will display at the proper time. And so we trust in Jesus, we look to Him for all that is good, and we follow Him as He brings us to heaven to be with God forever. Amen.