Reading: Luke 16:19-31
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ He said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Reflection: My children like to have races, particularly up the steps of our home when it’s bathtime. Sometimes, they race out of the bath to the sink to brush their teeth. They want to be first. My son, who is a loving and caring boy, often will remark when he and I are racing, “It was a tie, daddy!” He usually beats me up the stairs but wants to make sure I feel good at the end of our race, too. My daughter, who often gets upset if she is not #1, will often point to the Bible. “Well in the Bible it says the last shall be first and the first shall be last!” Both my children have a way of making everyone feel like winners. In fact, I’m reminded as I write this of how many times during a summer our staff says, “Everyone’s a winner at Camp Mount Luther!” In our story today, I’m reminded of being first and last and having that world literally turned upside down. The rich man thinks he “has it all.” He probably didn’t even bother to give Lazarus the time of day. But later, Lazarus is the one who “has it all” and is seated next to Abraham, in a prominent place. As I reflect on this story, I think about a children’s sermon that I heard preached a number of years ago. Our supply pastor reminded the kids that it is more important to put God first rather than money. I wonder how often I make decisions based on the “almighty dollar” instead of “Almighty God.” How do we truly put God first in our lives? --Chad Hershberger Prayer: Almighty God, help us to put you first in our lives. Amen.
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