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Luk 16:21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which
fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked
his sores.
Lazarus laid at the rich man gate where the
rich man could see him every time he came in and went out but took
no pity on Lazarus because his mind wasn't on things that would
please our Father his mind was only on his riches and pleasing
men. Even the dogs had more compassion then the rich man and tried
to help Lazarus in the only way that they could. The rich man had
no compassion on Lazarus but wanted compassion from Abraham.
Luk 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and
was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also
died, and was buried;
There is no mention of Lazarus being buried.
His flesh body wasn't honored by men but his spirit, that part of
man that really maters, was carried by the angels into heaven and
was comforted by Abraham. He was rewarded in heaven for the things
he suffered while on the earth.
The rich man was buried, and I would imagine
had a wonderful expensive funeral. His dead flesh honored by his
brothers and those who held him in high esteem because of his
earthly riches.
Luk 16:14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all
these things: and they derided him.
Luk 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify
yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which
is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in
torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luk 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on
me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in
water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
Luk 13:28
There shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all
the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you
yourselves
thrust out.
Even in death the rich man in his spiritual
body still didn't cry out to God he cried out to Abraham to send
Lazarus to save him from the torment he found himself in. Did
he care about God or anyone he considered of lower estate
then himself? Was he even sorry that he had never had compassion
on Lazarus or did he still see himself as so much better then
Lazarus that he thought Lazarus should come to him in hell and
serve him with water to quench his thirst? Jesus was the living
water that he needed to quench his thirst and Lazarus couldn't
give him that Living Water, no man can. Only Jesus can save us
from torment. Jesus is the Living Water that quenches our thirst
so that we shall never thirst again.
Joh 4:14
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I
shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give
him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting
life.
Luk 16:25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in
thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil
things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
Was our Father using Lazarus to test the
rich man? The rich man failed the test by not caring for the
things God cared about. He didn't care about the least of God's
children so then he cared not for God either.
Mat 22:37
Jesus said unto him,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38
This is the first and great
commandment.
Mat 22:39
And
the second is
like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Mat 25:44
Then shall they also answer
him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a
stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister
unto thee?
Mat 25:45
Then shall he answer them,
saying,
Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did
it
not to one of the least of these, ye did
it not to
me.
Phi 3:7
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Phi 3:8
Yea doubtless, and I count all things
but loss
for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for
whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them
but
dung, that I may win Christ,
Phi 3:9
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is
of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the
righteousness which is of God by faith:
Phi 3:10
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the
fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his
death;
All the earthly riches and earthly fame a
man gains in his flesh life will mean nothing to the man after his
death. All things belong to God. ( Eph. 3:9, Col. 1:16, Rev. 4:11
)
Luk 16:26 And beside all this, between us and you there
is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to
you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from
thence.
Mat 25:33
And he shall set the sheep on his right
hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34
Then shall the King say unto them on his
right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35
For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat: I was
thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me
in:
Luk 16:27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father,
that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
Luk 16:28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto
them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Luk 16:29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the
prophets; let them hear them.
Luk 16:30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto
them from the dead, they will repent.
Luk 16:31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the
prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the
dead.
His brothers had Moses and the prophets and
had Jesus Himself teaching, healing, performing miracles and what
was their reaction?
Joh 10:31
Then the Jews took up stones again to stone
him.
Joh 10:32
Jesus answered them, Many good works have I
showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone
me?
Jesus tells His disciples why he waited till
his friend Lazarus was dead before He went to where Lazarus was
laid to rest. "To the intent
ye may believe".
Joh 11:14
Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus
is dead.
Joh 11:15
And I am glad for your sakes that I was not
there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto
him.
Jesus rose Lazarus from the dead. Did the
rich man's brothers believe in Jesus or were they not persuaded
just as Abraham told the rich man ?
Joh 11:40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if
thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
Joh 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the
dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I
thank thee that thou hast heard me.
Joh 11:42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of
the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe
that thou hast sent me.
Joh 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a
loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
Joh 11:44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot
with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin.
Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
Joh 11:45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen
the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
Joh 11:46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and
told them what things Jesus had done.
Joh 11:47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a
council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
Joh 11:48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him:
and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
The chief priests couldn't have Jesus taking
away their place and their nation. They had a good thing going
they were rich with earthly riches, they had prestige above the
lowly people that they didn't want to give up. They cared more for
their honor and riches then what they cared about God.
Joh 11:53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for
to put him to death.
Joh 11:54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews;
but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city
called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.
Joh 12:9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was
there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might
see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.
Joh 12:10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put
Lazarus also to death;
Joh 12:11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went
away, and believed on Jesus.
Just like the rich man, his brothers also
only cared about the riches in the flesh. They had the prophets
and Moses and even seen one rose from the dead and still were not
persuaded just as Abraham told the rich man. And just as Jesus
told the ones who tried to stone him. They couldn't do the good
works that Jesus did. They didn't like giving up their place of
honor. He was taking away their prestige and their earthly riches
and that mattered more to them then the Truth and Living Water.
God's children believe what God has told us through the
scriptures. God's children have faith in what God has said. The
rich man and his brothers knew the scriptures and even seen Jesus
raise Lazarus from the dead, but forsook what their eyes seen and
what their ears heard and rejected the Living Water because of the
hardness of their hearts.
Mat 13:15
For
this
people's
heart
is
waxed gross,
and
their
ears
are dull of hearing,
and
their
eyes
they
have
closed;
lest at any time
they
should
see
with
their
eyes,
and
hear
with
their
ears,
and
should
understand
with
their
heart,
and
should
be
converted,
and
I
should
heal
them.
Mat 13:16
But
blessed
are
your
eyes,
for
they
see:
and
your
ears,
for
they
hear.
We need to hear what our Father has
to tell us. We need to see what our Father wants us to see. We
need to humble ourselves, circumcise our hearts and do our
Father's will. We can not make it to the right side of the gulf on
our own. We need our savior Jesus Christ our Lord.
Heb 7:11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical
priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what
further need was there that another priest should rise after the
order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
Melchizedek means King of righteousness.
The Levitical priesthood was at one time son's of the just (
righteous ).
Eze 44:15
But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the
charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray
from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they
shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood,
saith the Lord GOD:
But over time the priesthood
became unrighteous, corrupted. Their traditions became more
important to them then God and His commandments.
On one level Jesus is resurrecting more
then just a flesh man, he is resurrecting the Levitical
priesthood. The priesthood had become poor and ulcerated by
following the letter of the law instead of the spirit of the law.
They became blind and deft to the Truth and Righteousness, even
when He stood in front of them doing good works. They were trying
to gain their own salvation through the law, traditions, earthly
riches and prestige. They wanted to kill their true salvation
because they didn't care about the things God wanted them to care
about.
Mar 7:6
He answered and said unto them, Well
hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This
people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Mar 7:7
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men.
Mar 7:13
Making the word of God of none effect
through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such
like things do ye.
Jesus is our True Salvation. Jesus is the
Living Word. Jesus is the Living Water that ensures us that we
will never thirst again.
Joh 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am
the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me.
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