The Big Picture

The Big Picture Is Seeing The Eternal

The Big Picture Includes the fires of hell and the Comfort of Abraham the Father of those of like faith.

The context from the previous verses is the strictness of the Law, and Jesus also said to the religious leaders, "You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God." Jesus also said to the religious leaders, "You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God."

The Big Picture Beyond rich and poor

It is in the 16th chapter of Luke's Gospel that Jesus shared the story about a rich man and a poor man. It is easy for sinful people to focus on the present and overlook the bigger picture. "Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day." The point of this opening statement about the rich man is that his wealth was a constant presence in his life. Secondly, "And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table;" The point of our Lord's second statement is the misery that the poor man experienced constantly. The rich man cared nothing for the poor man. Why? My guess is he just figured they both got what they deserved. Adding insult to injury, our Lord continues, "Besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.

The Big Picture Beyond This Life

"Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried." The poor had an escort of angels, while the rich man was buried. His burial was not his end, but the fact that our Lord emphasizes his burial may suggest that his concerns revolved around his body, the temporal, that which is passing away.

"In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom." "Being in torment" is one of the saddest phrases in the Bible. We all fear pain, and we all hope that it will end as soon as it begins. However, in the next life, once the torment begins, it never ends.

The Big Picture Changes Everything

"And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' The rich man's cry is more than loud speech; it is to summon another. After he pleads for mercy, everyone pleads for mercy when they are in torment. His torment was so great that even a drop of water would have given him some relief. Abraham tells the rich man to remember the way things were and realize they are not that way anymore. Quite the opposite, and there is never going to be an end to it.

The Big Picture Is For Those Gifted With Eyes To See

"And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house— for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' "But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' "But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent! "But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'"

The previous verses explain what every child of God can see: that repentance and faith are gifts of God's grace. For this reason, it is not that a person sees someone rise from the dead, as if that will give them repentance and faith; only God can give such gifts. For this reason, Abraham said to the rich man, "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead." Here's the big picture: repentance is recognizing that our sins originate within us, making us what we are: sinners. Only when such recognition occurs can repentance take place. A person rising from the dead cannot enable anyone to recognize their sins as worthy of eternal punishment.