Luke 16.19-31

Abraham Lincoln ran for Congress in 1846, and he faced a formidable opponent: Peter Cartwright. Cartwright, a raw-boned, circuit-riding Methodist preacher, was known throughout Illinois. During his sixty-five years of riding the circuit, he would baptize nearly ten thousand converts.

During the intense 1846 Congressional campaign, some of Cartwright’s followers accused Lincoln of being an “infidel.” In response, Lincoln decided to meet Cartwright on his own ground and attend one of his evangelistic rallies.

Carl Sandburg, in Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years, tells the story this way:

In due time Cartwright said “All who desire to lead a new life, to give their hearts to God, and go to heaven, will stand,” and a sprinkling of men, women, and children stood up. Then the preacher exhorted, “All who do not wish to go to hell will stand.” All stood up–except Lincoln. Then said Cartwright in his gravest voice, “I observe that many responded to the first invitation to give their hearts to God and go to heaven. And I further observe that all of you save one indicated that you did not desire to go to hell. The sole exception is Mr. Lincoln, who did not respond to either invitation. May I inquire of you, Mr. Lincoln, where are you going?”

And Lincoln slowly rose and slowly spoke. “I came here as a respectful listener. I did not know that I was to be singled out by Brother Cartwright. I believe in treating religious matters with due solemnity. I admit that the questions propounded by Brother Cartwright are of great importance. I did not feel called upon to answer as the rest did. Brother Cartwright asks me directly where I am going. I desire to reply with equal directness: I am going to Congress.”

Lincoln did just that. He went to Congress.

In this morning’s Biblical text chosen for us by the lectionary, Jesus tells us a story of Heaven and Hell.  Just like the Civil War politician and evangelist did with the crowd before him, Jesus asks you to answer similar questions this morning.  Do you desire to avoid the punishment of God in Hell?  And, do you desire to receive the comfort of God in Heaven.

Let’s hear from Jesus’ teaching this morning.

Luke 16:19–31 has Jesus telling this story:

[19] “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. [20] And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, [21] who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. [22] The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, [23] and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. [24] And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ [25] But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. [26] And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ [27] And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house—[28] for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ [29] But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ [30] And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ [31] He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (ESV)

What we see clearly in this text is that Jesus is acknowledging the presence of a real Heaven and a real Hell in everyone’s eternal life after death.

This is very important because they are many, both outside and inside the Church, that deny the presence of Hell.

The argument goes like this:

“If God is truly loving, He would never send anyone to Hell where they would suffer torment forever.”

This argument even made it to the forefront of Christianity about 20 years ago while I was in seminary.

At that time, there was a movement inside Christianity called The Emergent Church.  The Emergent Church removed the Bible from it’s proper place at the center of Christ’s Church.  In place of the Bible, The Emergent Church put the individual’s emotions, feelings, and experiences, at the center of their so-called Christian faith. This heretical teaching led people to believe that they needed to feel warm and fuzzy when they were sitting in Church in order to know that they were a spiritual person and God was real.  In many ways, this led to the popular methods used by Mega-Churches. These “churches” are more like concerts at Madison Square Garden—darkened sanctuaries so that you can’t see your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ which is telling you that you are all alone in your relationship with God; emotionally manipulative light shows paired with and a perfectly curated set of songs performed by paid musicians to create an atmospherically ambient environment to provoke your clapping, dancing, and crying at just the right moments.  It is in this place of “good vibes” that you are ready to receive the Christ-less, sin-less, gospel-less, motivational talk that parallels the Saturday Night Live skit mantra, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!”

Coming out of this movement that promoted the idea that “Christianity is about feeling good about God,” and a dangerously incorrect and damning understanding of “love,” two celebrity pastors of the day both authored books denying the existence of Hell.  Both false teachers, Rob Bell and Francis Chan, masquerading as pastors for millions of people around the world, used the emotionally manipulative Emergent Church moment to remove the doctrine of Hell from it’s home in the Bible.

Another important truth that we need to takeaway from this morning’s Biblical teaching from Jesus is that once we leave this world, and we all will because everyone dies regardless of what you have in this world or what you lack in this world, our destination is final.

Again, there are many false teachings about the presence of after death waiting rooms, some call it purgatory, some call it limbo.  These teaching about people left behind on earth being able to light candles, make monetary donations, and say prayers for those that have already died, are are completely made up and not Biblical at all.  

There is no bridge across the chasm that separates eternal suffering from eternal comfort in the arms of God.  

Jesus himself, with many other Biblical texts, make it clear that your faith or unbelief in this current life have already decided your eternal home.  There is no second chance once you breath your last breath.

The rich man had a very strong faith.  However, his faith was in the completely wrong thing.  

The rich man had faith that his wealth and possessions had the ability to provide for all of his needs.  He trusted in his wealth and possessions so much that he greedily hoarded them.  He refused to share them with those around them that needed help.

We know that the rich man lacked mercy and was completely selfish as he walked past Lazarus, the poor and needy invalid, every day and would not even give him the food scraps off of his dinner table to sustain the poor man’s life. 

The rich man’s money and possessions could not guarantee him a place in the comfort of God’s arms in eternal life.  Instead, the rich man’s faith in the things of this earth, and not in the merciful and forgiving God of Creation and Redemption, that was outlined for him in the Holy Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets—our Old Testament, led him to miss out on the eternal comfort that God, the Father in Heaven, desperately desired for him to have.

As we heard from Jesus last week in the Biblical text that immediately precedes this morning’s text, [13] No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16.13, ESV)

And, in a Biblical text that follows this morning’s text, we hear about a conversation that Jesus has with another wealthy ruler. That conversation unfolds like this:

[18] … a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” [19] And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. [20] You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” [21] And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” [22] When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” [23] But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. [24] Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! [25] For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” [26] Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” [27] But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” [28] And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” [29] And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, [30] who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” (Luke 18:18–30,ESV)

The rich man’s Sin was ultimately his unbelief.  He denied God’s existence and God’s commandments as laid out in the Old Testament scriptures that he was well aware of.

However, that ultimate Sin of rejecting God the Father in Heaven who desires nothing more than to cover him with grace and mercy and forgiveness and love, led him to place his trust in something else.  As we have seen, the rich man placed in trust in what he owned.  In his focus on retaining what he had and gaining more, the rich man misused what he had in this life and did not show mercy and care for those around him. The rich man relied on his material goods to meet his needs.  Even though his material goods could meet his earthy needs, they could not meet his eternal needs.  

The rich man refused to provide comfort to Lazarus.  So, the rich man will not be comforted by God.  Instead, he will experience an eternity of separation from God in a place of torment, anguish, and flame.

The good news that this text contains for each one of us this morning is the good news that God will comfort you who place your trust in Him.

God’s comfort isn’t just for your time in Heaven.  God’s comfort is for here and now as well.

As you live in a world broken down by the corruptions of Sin, you can find rest and comfort in the truth that this is not all that there is.

As Christians, we are not nihilists.

As Christians, we do not believe we suffer and then we are snuffed out by death with nothing to follow. 

No, we believe the truth of God’s Word to us, the Holy Bible, that tells us that He is a just and right God.  He tells us that both Heaven and Hell exist.

Hell, Hades, Sheol, the pit, whatever Biblical name you hear for the place of eternal punishment and suffering for those who do not repent of their unbelief, their Sin, their wrong doing, and disobedience to God, should bring you comfort, not because you rejoice in someone else’s punishment, but you should be brought comfort because you know that God will not just brush the suffering and pain, inflicted on us by evil, under the carpet.  No, in God’s justice, evil will be receive it’s right punishment.

The knowledge of that truth should bring comfort because it means that the injustices that we experience and witness in this life will not go on forever.  God will bring an actual end to all wrong-doing.

The knowledge of that truth should also bring comfort because we who find ourselves believing in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our own Sin, we be ushered into God’s eternal presence once we exit this life.

Here is a vision of the Heaven that you who trust in Jesus will experience.

Revelation 21:1–4 says this:

[1] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2] And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (ESV)

If you realize that in Sin, you are the rich man placing your trust in what you have and what you can get in this life, while looking past the needs of others selfishly refusing to bring comfort to those around you, even though you have plenty of means to do so, repent and believe in Jesus, who died on the cross to forgive you of that selfishness, self-centeredness, and self-righteousness.  Jesus died on the cross so that you could ultimately be brought back to God where you find comfort in His gracious and merciful arms all of the days of your life and into eternity.

What we have to realize is that each of us is Lazarus in this text.  We are invalids completely unable to help ourselves into a place of comfort.  We can’t buy God’s comfort.  We can’t earn God’s comfort.  We can’t trade what we have in this life for God’s comfort.  

However, God, in Jesus Christ, comes to us as we are laying in the gutter outside of the city and picks us up, holds us in his arms, heals our wounds, feeds us, nourishes us back to perfect health, and comforts us with His love, grace, and mercy forever and ever.  

This morning, you who have heard the good news of Jesus Christ crucified for your Sin of unbelief, your Sin of trusting in the false god of earthy possessions, your Sin of living without mercy for others, and in response find yourself believing in God’s love and forgiveness, can now confidently stand to lead a new life, daily giving your hearts to God, while being comforted today and eternally in heaven. 

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Reverend Fred Scragg V.

September 28, 2025.