Prosperity

Prosperity in life does not correlate with prosperity in the afterlife.  It's easy to get caught up in this world and focus on what we can do, but this can be eternally damning.  This is what a rich man learned in a parable told by Jesus:

"There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.  And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. [...]  The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side.  The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.  And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.'" - Luke 16:19-24

Note that in the passage above, the rich man recognized Abraham.  He had knowledge of the icons of faith, but he did not have faith himself.  It is not enough to recognize symbols and have knowledge of Christianity.  We must believe.  "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." - Romans 10:9.

The poor man, Lazarus, though he was poor and weak physically, was rich and strong in faith.  We know this because we see him in heaven by Abraham's side and "for by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." - Eph. 2:8-9

Faith is what determined the fate of Lazarus and of the rich man.  And once they died, that fate was sealed, for the parable continues, "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.  And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.'" - Luke 16:25-26.

So that's that.  The man who was rich physically but bankrupt spiritually went to hell while the man who had less than nothing physically but had faith went to heaven.  Is that all there is to this story?  It is a profound and important point that we are saved by grace through faith, but I can't help but wonder if there is more we can learn from this parable.  I wonder: why did Lazarus not witness to the rich man?  Could the rich man have been saved?

The rich man certainly seems like a villain who got what he deserved, yet he got what we all deserve,  "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 8:23).  And in like manner, Jesus came for all people and once we believe, we are all the same in Christ.  "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."  (Galatians 3:28).  I imagine it would be fair to say that there is also no difference between the physically rich and physically poor when it comes to having salvation as a result of faith in Christ.  Looking back to the rich man in the parable, just as his riches did not save him, they should not automatically condemn him either.  We as Christians are tasked with witnessing to all alike, people like Lazarus, people like the rich man, and everyone in between.

It can be difficult for people like the rich man in the parable to give up their faith in themselves and their riches in exchange for reliance on God, but that does not mean we should give up on them.  After all, in another exchange involving a rich man entering the kingdom of heaven, Jesus said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

So let's remember the magnitude of the result of a lack of faith seen in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus and not only be thankful for our salvation, but share the prosperity of salvation with others, just as Christ calls us all to do.

Inspired by the sermon "Not Ashamed" by Pastor Kevin Lentz at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Omaha, NE on Sept 25, 2016.