Bible Study September 17, 2024
Luke 16:24 – 26 (LSB)
24 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.’ 25 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. 26 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 are not able, and none may cross over from there to us.’
I have heard and most likely you have people say that those in paradise can see what we are doing on earth. According to Luke that cannot happen.
In this case the rich man was suffering and knew his family and how they lived. He did not want them to suffer as he is suffering so as he desired a drop of water he implored for someone to speak to them.. When that was not feasible he asked someone go to his brothers and tell them about the torment he was facing.
That was not possible because of the separation of paradise and Hades. We try to reach mankind through human efforts but Jesus bridged the gap between heaven and hell for us. It was God’s initiative that salvation to man. When we turn to Jesus we will find God and that is our access to the Father.
“If there were no hell, the loss of heaven would be hell.” Charles Spurgeon.
God Bless.
Asbury Chapel 