Luke 16:22-23
“The time came when
the beggar (Lazarus) 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.”
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| Source: Unknown |
I have certain boundaries that I like to believe keep me safe.
I refuse to leave
the house with the clothes dryer running, I don’t play with fire or run with
scissors, and I always avoid shiny plants with three leaves. This helps me to avoid burned houses, lost eyesight, and itchy rashes.
Likewise, I don’t typically play the lottery. It’s too risky. Gambling
addiction is not something to which I want to fall prey. Only if the jackpot is
$33 million, $333 million, or more than $500 million, will I buy a ticket. I
set boundaries for myself when it comes to taking risks. It’s just what I do.
So, when
my husband sent me a text saying his co-workers were going in together on the
$600 million Powerball lottery, my response was simple: “You gotta play to
win.”As I hit send on my return text, the phrase rang a bell in my heart. I
know the sound well. God was giving me another title.
Soon, a question
took up residence inside me: Why don’t
more people accept Jesus' invitation to follow Him? I think many of us
would answer: Because it’s risky.
There is a risk in
going all-in with God. Maybe we believe that we will miss out on certain things
if we become truly committed to His will – comfort, happiness, security,
wealth, our own plan for our lives, relationships … the
list goes on. The truth is there is a risk.
But I have to share
something: In the "following
Jesus" gamble of a
lifetime, both the reward AND the journey itself are worth the risk! If we are not able to surrender those earthly things
we tend to over-value,
we may lose what God values for our eternity. In fact, at the end of our lives,
whether we win or lose in God's eyes is the only thing that matters. The rich
man in the story of Luke 16 was successful by society's standards. The fear of
losing everything of value if He chose to follow God outweighed his
understanding of what he might gain for his sacrifice. He believed the risk too great. He chose his
worldly possessions over a God who could give him everything he would ever need
for thousands of years to come. This rich man didn't play to win; he
played to lose. And he
lost big!
Luke shares a story
told by Jesus to help illustrate the enormity of not playing to win for God's
glory. Jesus wanted the message to be clear: The risk is worth the reward. “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.” Our
lives here are temporary. Possessions, success, material goods and accolades –
they all stay here when we leave this earth. If we choose Jesus now, our
illnesses, our fears, our pain, and our tears will vanish when we meet Jesus in
Heaven.
In his book, “Not a
Fan,” Kyle Idleman writes, “The
most dangerous part of
following Jesus tomorrow isn't what you will lose between now and
then. That’s not the worst thing that can happen. The worst thing that can
happen is that tomorrow might never come.” We are not
promised another day here in our temporary home. One day, tomorrow never came
for the rich man in the Book of Luke. He lost based on his choices on earth.
Once he realized that, he tried to save his brothers who were living much like
he had.
“So he (the
rich man) 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. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set
in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone
cross over from there to us.’
He answered, ‘Then I
beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him
warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
Abraham replied,
‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
‘No, father
Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will
repent.’
He said to him, ‘If
they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even
if someone rises from the dead.’”
For me, this story
is quite frightening. It paints a scary picture of Hades and calls it a
"place of torment” – as in a forever and ever place of torment.
The Bible makes this
plain and simple: There is one guaranteed way to heaven – through a decision for Christ made now. Not tomorrow.
Not next year. Not when the kids are grown. Not when you retire. Certainly not
when you have your life together. Jesus died on that cross and rose from the
dead for you – for me – for now. You gotta play to win today.
Tomorrow just may be
too late.
Oh – and the
Powerball lottery outcome? We won! Eight dollars split eight ways. Kaboom!
Prayer – Lord, I chose to follow You today, tomorrow, and all the rest of my days here on earth. I am all-in for Your cause. Please give me the courage to say yes to You in times where I will be tempted to play to lose out of fear for what I may miss out on here. Heaven is worth it. You are worth it. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen
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