The Gospel Imperative

The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16) is arguably one of the three best known parables, a trio which includes the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan. I suspect that is so because all three possess vivid imagery. What sets the Rich Man and Lazarus apart, however, is the graphic portrayal of the destiny of human beings who die having lived lives that are not “rich toward God.” The quote, you may know, is from the parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12). That parable warns against covetousness, illustrating that in the end what we possess on earth will be left behind and we will stand before God to account for what we did with what he brought under our stewardship. We should not, therefore, covet another’s riches, which only breeds discontent, but should seek, rather, the contentment that comes from trusting and serving our wise and gracious heavenly Father. In that way, we will be “rich toward God.”

Once again, the call to stewardship is presented in the Rich Man and Lazarus. But this time the sentence that awaits is depicted. In a stunning reversal, the one people would have assumed was blessed by God, evidenced by his great wealth, is condemned, while the one assumed to be condemned, evidenced by his extreme destitution, is blessed. And the condemnation is terrifying: a state of unrelenting and unalterable torment that is physical, psychological, and eternal. Such is the warning Jesus gives those who are “lovers of money,” who “seek to justify [themselves] before men,” who are seemingly unaware that “what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:14-15).

Despite the harrowing outcome for such ones, we are to be reminded that the one who paints the picture is hailed as Savior. He came to save greedy, self-justifying, hard-hearted humans. This is the good news, the gospel, that has been proclaimed by the church since it was commissioned by her Lord to make disciples of the nations. Faith in his faithfulness is what guarantees the depicted balm for the impoverished soul, be that one rich in this world’s goods or poor. And as long as that one breathes there is hope that the good news will be heard. This is why we must persistently pray to God for the grace, wisdom, and courage to tell others of the Savior, for “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

Why Miracles?

Have you been present when a miracle occurred? By miracle I don’t mean witnessing the birth of a baby or marking the progress of a beautiful, flowering plant growing from a small, unremarkable seed. These are, in their own ways, “miraculous,” and I’ve had the privilege of experiencing both. No, I mean a miracle of biblical proportions: blind eyes given sight, deaf ears unstopped, withered limbs fully restored, phenomena that have no scientific explanation. I’ve been in large meetings where such things were claimed to have taken place, but the proceedings had such a feeling of charlatanry that it proved unconvincing. They were certainly nothing like what we read about in Scripture, the results of which were immediate and verifiable for all to see.

Biblically, miracles serve two ends: they radically alter the circumstances of those involved, as well as demonstrating that there exists a reality that stands above everyday existence. In the end, the latter realization proves to be more imperative than being able to see, hear, or walk. Even Lazarus being raised from the dead (see John 11) pales in comparison to his having been raised from spiritual death to eternal life through faith in Christ. His coming out from the tomb still clothed in the garments of the grave testifies to this truth.

When God intervenes in the normal processes of nature to do something supernatural, we must receive it as an act of kindness. He is redirecting our gaze from one reality to another, telling us to look up, above the horizon of our lives, and confess that HE IS. While not ruling out the possibility of the sorts of miracles outlined above, God’s miracle of regeneration is to be acknowledged as no less redirective. A person coming to believe in Christ is a divine intervention of the kindest kind and reassures us that he is at work securing for himself a people that above all else confess him as Lord though they be deaf, dumb, blind, or lame.