He Doesn't See It As Exploitation (2/25/2011)

Luke 16:19-28

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: ²⁰And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, ²¹And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ²²And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; ²³And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. ²⁴And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. ²⁵But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. ²⁶And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. ²⁷Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: ²⁸For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

Not too long ago, Ray Comfort wrote a blog post about a man whom he knew who was an atheist. This particular man was tragically killed when he was hit by a car while riding his bicycle in the street. Ray’s overall point in writing that post was to warn people not to overestimate their time upon this earth. In doing so, Ray was accused of exploiting the situation in order to promote Christianity. You may also feel that this was an issue of exploitation; however, I beg to differ.

The above story taken from Luke 16:19-28 says it all. Many may believe this to be a parable; however, I believe it to be a true story. In this particular situation, both Lazarus—the beggar—and the rich man die. Lazarus goes to Heaven, and the rich man ends up in Hell. Upon realization of where he is, the rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus to inform the man’s five brothers of where he is, that they might not end up there also.

I am sure the rich man was just like many of you and thought that he would never end up in Hell; therefore, he knew that his brothers felt the same way and needed to be told the truth. (By the way, this proves that those that go to Hell really don’t want to be with their friends.) So he pleaded with Abraham to send Lazarus to tell them. However, Abraham responded by saying, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:31).

The rich man’s concern for his loved ones not only backs up the title of this post, but Abraham’s response proves your need to hear what I am saying today. The Bible tells us that what Ray did was indeed not exploitation. If those who have gone before you could speak to you today, they would tell you to place your trust in Jesus Christ before it is eternally too late for you. But since they cannot plead with you, I will.

Please, if you do not know Jesus as Lord today, come to know Him before it is eternally too late for you. Admit that you are a sinner in need of a Savior, and repent of all sin and place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to save you. You’ll be forever glad you did!