Sermon(Luke 16:19-22): a sermon for young people

The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025220221

 

 

 

 

- Think of Lazarus -

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Scripture reading: (19 There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. Lk 16:19-22.)

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You must get at least the minimum admission points that the university you want to enter into has set. At least a student who has reached a certain level is accepted as a college student. If you are a man below that level, the skills or qualities you've had are useless. According to the Scripture, Lazarus entered heaven. He is above the minimum points to enter heaven! We should believe in God and Jesus Christ to enter the heaven. Of course, that is the absolute condition, the minimum points, for salvation. Nevertheless, I'm going to suspend my consideration about the salvation by this faith for a while, but to think about what kind of man you must be in order that you may be accepted by God.

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What kind of person is Lazarus? According to the Scripture, Lazarus was not so rich as to help others. Thus you can go to heaven without helping others. As a matter of fact, how many people, if any, are there around us, who live well, helping and doing good to their neighbors? Nor does Lazarus seem to have done much of the work of God. By this we know that we can go to heaven even if we didn't do much works of God here. Lazarus had nothing to do with fame or status. So we can go to heaven without having lived in fame or honor here on earth.

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Why then did God send the angel to Lazarus when he died, and receive him? He could go to heaven just because he as a human beng did not sin. If he had committed various crimes, an angel of death would have come to him to arrest him rather than an angel of God, to receive him. Getting older, I come to realize anew how difficult it is to live honorably as a man without committing sins and doing harm to others. I've thought about how Lazarus lived from birth to death. Of course, it is my imagination. I enlarged the story of Lazarus in the Scripture.

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Lazarus was born in an ordinary family. Growing up under honest parents, he learned to live honestly and naively. He has grown up enough, and become a member of society. However, the society was not an easy place. Jobs were scarce. He looked for jobs everywhere, but failed. Some of his friends got jobs by bribery, and became members of society. But Lazarus couldn't do such a dishonest thing. His female friend, when pressed for money, prostituted oneself to make money from a middle-aged rich man and led a luxurious life. one of his male friends became a male prostitute for money. Some of his friends who were of good frame earned money from groups of gangsters. Some of his shrewd friends were living the life of swindler. But Lazarus was honest and pure in heart, so could not do such a thing. Lazarus tried to live honestly as a good human being. Having no money, he became ill because he couldn't eat enough. Lazarus thought, 'At least begging is not a sin.' Ashamed as he was, he had no choice but to beg for food. But even the beggar's life wasn't so easy. Every good place to beg was already occupied by men who were sent by gangsters. Like this, Lazarus wanted to live honorably as a good human being to the end, but was at last starved and sick to death.

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Would he have died lonely at the gate of some other person if he had made a lot of money and lived well with a good job? These days, we realize how great Lazarus really was when we see the behavior of young people in Korea. Many young persons live away from God, doing violence, reckless sex, theft, and taking drugs. on the day of the last judgment, a gangster is standing in front of Jesus, the Supreme Judge. Lazarus is by Jesus.

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Jesus:

You were very healthy. Why did you not work but do such an evil thing?

The gangster:

I couldn't find a job. I failed in whatever I attempted. I so hated the world that I joined a group of gangsters, wreaked my anger on the society and made money as well. At any rate, aren't all that have money thieves?

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Jesus:

You're wrong! Look at this Lazarus. He didn't steal food even though he was hungry. Nor did he commit theft when he had no money, so was needy. He did neither robbery nor fraud. He made up his mind: "I would rather die of hunger and illness than sin!"

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Lazarus shows us how difficult it is for a man who was born poor to live as a good man. Who of us would live like Lazarus these days when the infinite competitions and the law of the jungle are rampant, and even the blessings of God are distributed by deal? How many of you would end up with such painful and embarrassing lives? But heaven is for the man like Lazarus. Even though you are rich and do much work for God, God will not be pleased with you if the money with which you work is unclean. However much you may work for the God, he will not be pleased with you if you do harm to others. The Lord loves such a man as Lazarus even if he didn't do much work of God.

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On the other hand, why did the rich man in the text go to hell? He might have come to hell because he earned money dishonestly and lived in luxury. This is not in the text, so let's put it aside. The reason why this man went to hell was that he was cut off from God's mercy. He did not feel pity for a hungry person Lazarus who visited him, but he and his family ate and drank themselves as much as they could. Those who are indifferent to others' misfortunes, not receiving the mercy of God, will be put to hell on the day of final judgment because of their one petty sin. (Without God's grace, a petty sin is sufficient for a man to be sentenced to eternal damnation of hell.)

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It is so hard to live uprightly, maintaining human dignity and not losing one's pride. Whoever finishes this task without fail will pass through the gate of the heaven. Although Lazarus lived a shameful life, he was the right man in God's sight. Let's live a decent life of man and enter into the heaven! Think of Lazarus, and don't live an easy loose life, compromising with the trend of the world. If we keep our fidelity of faith to the end like Job, God will take responsibility for our lives. In fact, Lazarus is a special case. In most cases, the God will become a clear stream to those who live near, and in him and let them yield their fruits in season.

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May God bless you all!

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Chong Tack Kim

                                - Dongtoma Sunshine Church -