Live the Good Life – October 21, 2019

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.’”
Luke 16:19-25

Live the Good Life

A few years ago, a dog in China made headlines. His owner, the son of a Chinese billionaire, bought him eight brand-new, recently released cell phones. This means Coco’s owner spent about $9,500 to buy his dog cell phones she will never use.

Coco is the kind of dog the rich man we read about in Luke 16 may have had. He wasn’t missing a whole lot of anything. He spared no expense and could get anything.

Lazarus, on the other hand, had a constantly empty stomach, was dirt poor, was covered in sores and his best friends were the dogs who came to lick his wounds.

Whose life would you rather have? You can only answer that question properly when you consider how each of their lives ended.

Despite his great wealth on earth, the rich man ended up in “Hades, where he was in torment” and “agony.”

But Lazarus was “comforted” after he died because perfect comfort in heaven is exactly what Jesus promises all who believe in him.

During their lives on earth, it looked as though the rich man had everything and Lazarus had nothing. But, in reality, it was the other way around. Because Lazarus had a relationship with the true God, he had everything—including eternal life in heaven—while the rich man had nothing and spent his eternity separated from God and all of his blessings.

Whether you are rich or poor in this life, knowing and trusting in Jesus your Savior means you have everything, including eternal life in heaven. May this encourage you to stay close to him here until you are with him in the hereafter.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, may my whole life always focus entirely on you and your love for me. Amen.