Abraham told him that there is a great chasm that is established to prevent people from crossing over to. it was the rich man who now cried out to Lazarus. We all know the story of Lazarus and the rich. A CATHOLIC MOMENT DAILY MASS READINGS AND. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell yes, I say to you, fear Him!” Jesus’ use of the term “Abraham’s bosom” was a part of His teaching to focus the minds of His hearers on the fact that our choices to seek God or disregard Him here on earth literally affect where we spend eternity. Am 6 1A, 4-7 Ps 146:7-10 1 Tm 6:11-16 Lk 16:19-31. As we read in Luke 12:4-5, Jesus also said, "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. License: You have the right to copy or print this story, as long as you do not sell it. Jesus taught that we ought not to fear physical death, but we should be most concerned about spiritual death. Produced by: Bible for Children 2020 Bible for Children, Inc. Physical death is the separation of our body from our soul/spirit, while spiritual death is the separation of our soul from God. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”ĭeath can be thought of as separation. So, verses 22 and 23 are significant: “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. Lazarus of Bethany (Latinised from Lazar, ultimately from Hebrew Eleazar, 'God helped'), also venerated as Righteous Lazarus, the Four-Days Dead in the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the subject of a sign of Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores him to life four days after his death. While the rich man had lived for the day and only focused on life here on earth, Lazarus endured many hardships while trusting in God. These two destinies are portrayed in Jesus’ story. Each person who lives will spend eternity in one of these two places. In a sad contrast, the rich man finds himself in torment with no one to help, assist, or console him.Ĭontrary to some contemporary thought, the Bible does teach that both heaven and hell are real places. These various translations speak to the enigmatic nature of the Greek word kolpos.Īll these translations are attempting to convey the sense that Lazarus went to a place of rest, contentment, and peace, almost as though Abraham (a highly revered person in Jewish history) was the protector or patron. “Abraham’s bosom” in this story is also translated “Abraham’s side” (NIV, ESV), “next to Abraham” (CEV), “with Abraham” (NLT), and “the arms of Abraham” (NCV). In the name of the One who has compassion on us, Amen.The term “Abraham’s bosom” is found only once in the New Testament, in the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), in which Jesus was teaching about the reality of heaven and hell. Lord, instill in us your heart of compassion, and lead us to do some good with the earthly treasures you have given us. His stony heart ignored the call to share food with the hungry and to provide shelter and clothing for people in need (Isaiah 58:7). In Jesus’ parable, the rich man’s sin was not that he was rich it was that he refused to care for a person in need. And he will bring justice to the oppressor. One of their spiritual songs speaks of God as the “Rock of my soul” in “the bosom of Abraham”- an expression referring to “Abraham’s side.” Where could those slaves find justice when their children were ripped from their arms and sold down the river, when the earthly powers-that-be were stacked against them? But the Lord saw their plight. This parable was a comfort to many slaves in the American South in the 1800s. Lazarus had had no comfort in life, but in death he received the blessings of life with God in heaven. The rich man had lived for his own pleasure and had ignored the message of Moses and the Prophets. In Jesus’ parable, the poor man Lazarus who died was carried by angels to Abraham’s side in heaven, and the rich man was sent to hell, where he was in torment. Like the prophets who brought God’s Word to the people, Jesus had sympathy for the poor and often rebuked rich people who were selfish and did nothing for the poor.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |