The Great Reversal: When Eternity Meets Today

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus reveals that our eternal destiny is shaped by how we respond to human suffering in our daily lives, calling us to live with compassionate urgency before it's too late.

1. ATTENTION

Let me ask you something: If you could see a preview of your life one year after you die, would you live differently today?

Last week, I was scrolling through social media—like most of us do—and I came across a video that stopped me cold. It was a time-lapse of a wealthy neighborhood in Los Angeles. Mansions with perfectly manicured lawns, luxury cars in circular driveways, gates that cost more than most people's houses. But here's what made it haunting: the camera slowly panned just fifty feet away to reveal a homeless encampment. Tents. Cardboard shelters. People living on the street, literally in the shadow of unimaginable wealth.

And I thought: this isn't new. This has been happening for thousands of years.

Today, we're going to look at one of Jesus's most unsettling parables—a story so vivid, so uncomfortable, that it's been making people squirm in their seats for two millennia. It's about a rich man, a poor beggar, and the moment when everything they thought mattered... stopped mattering.

This isn't just a story about the afterlife. It's a warning about how we're living right now. Because here's the truth we're going to discover together: eternity begins today, and the choices we make about the suffering around us echo forever.

Let's dive in.

2. INTEREST

Open your Bibles to Luke chapter 16, verses 19 through 31. If you're following along on your phone, pull it up now. This passage comes right after Jesus has been teaching about wealth, stewardship, and the kingdom of God. The Pharisees—who loved money—had just sneered at his teaching. So Jesus tells them this story.

Listen carefully:

[Read Luke 16:19-31 with appropriate dramatic pauses]

Now, let me set the scene. In Jesus's day, wealth wasn't just about money—it was seen as a sign of God's blessing. If you were rich, people assumed God favored you. If you were poor, especially disabled or sick like Lazarus, many believed you were being punished for sin.

This rich man had it all: purple clothing (a color so expensive only royalty could afford it), fine linen (the designer labels of the ancient world), and he "feasted sumptuously every day." This wasn't just wealth—this was extravagant, excessive, look-at-me wealth.

And right at his gate—not across town, not in another neighborhood, but at his very doorstep—lay Lazarus. The only character Jesus names in any of his parables. Covered in sores. So desperate for food that he longed for scraps from the rich man's table. So weak that dogs came and licked his wounds.

Here's the Big Idea I want you to hold onto through this entire message:

The gap between your comfort and someone else's suffering is the measure of your compassion, and God is watching.

Now, what happens next in this story turns everything upside down. And it should turn our lives upside down too.

3. DESIRE

Point 1: What Does This Mean? - The Great Reversal

Let's be clear about what happens in this passage. Both men die. That's the great equalizer, isn't it? Death doesn't care about your bank account, your Instagram followers, or your zip code.

But here's where Jesus shocks his audience: Lazarus is carried by angels to Abraham's side—the place of highest honor and comfort in Jewish understanding. The rich man? He wakes up in Hades, in torment.

Now, some people read this and think, "Oh, so being poor gets you into heaven and being rich sends you to hell?" No. That's not what Jesus is saying. This isn't about economic status—it's about spiritual response.

Look at verse 19 again: the rich man is never said to have done anything actively evil. He didn't kick Lazarus. He didn't rob him. He didn't curse him. The text simply says he "feasted sumptuously every day" while Lazarus "longed to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table."

His sin was the sin of omission. He saw the suffering and did nothing.

Think about it this way: Imagine you're sitting in your air-conditioned home, scrolling through your phone, eating dinner, and right outside your window is someone dying of thirst. You have water. You see them. And you... keep scrolling. Keep eating. Keep living your comfortable life.

That's not just indifference. That's a hard heart. And friends, Jesus is saying a hard heart toward human suffering reveals a heart that's hard toward God.

The reversal isn't arbitrary. It's the natural consequence of a life lived with eyes closed to the image of God in suffering people.

Point 2: Why Does This Matter? - The Unbridgeable Chasm

Now the rich man, in his torment, looks up and sees Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. And suddenly—suddenly—he recognizes Lazarus. He knows his name. He'd seen him every single day.

This is crucial. He didn't ignore Lazarus because he didn't see him. He ignored him even though he saw him.

How many times do we do this? We see the homeless person at the intersection. We scroll past the story about refugees. We change the channel when the commercial about hungry children comes on. We see. We know their names—figuratively speaking. But we insulate ourselves with theological excuses: "They probably made bad choices." "I can't help everyone." "That's what government programs are for."

The rich man tries to negotiate from hell. "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue."

Notice: even in torment, he still sees Lazarus as beneath him—someone to be sent on errands. Old habits die hard. Literally.

Abraham's response is devastating: "Between us and you a great chasm has been fixed." The word "fixed" means established, permanent, immovable. This is the moment when all second chances have run out.

Here's why this matters to us today: We are living on the side of the chasm where choices still matter. We still have time. We can still act. We can still change.

But there's coming a day when we won't.

I met a man a few years ago—I'll call him Robert—who was a successful businessman. Made millions in real estate. He told me that for twenty years, he walked past the same homeless veteran outside his office building. Twenty years. He never once stopped. Never once gave him more than spare change. Never once asked his name.

Then Robert had a massive heart attack. Flat-lined on the operating table. The doctors brought him back, but those moments changed him forever. He said to me, "Pastor, when I thought I was dying, all I could see was that man's face. And I realized: I'd spent my whole life building wealth and ignoring souls."

Robert's still alive. He volunteers at a homeless shelter now. He sponsors job training programs. He's trying to make up for lost time.

But the rich man in Jesus's parable didn't get that chance. And Jesus is warning us: don't wait until it's too late.

Point 3: How Does This Change Everything? - Living With Eternal Eyes

The conversation continues, and it gets even more intense. The rich man, now concerned for his five brothers who are living the same selfish life he did, begs Abraham: "Send Lazarus to warn them!"

Abraham replies: "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them."

Translation: They have God's Word. They have the Scriptures. They know what God requires—justice, mercy, compassion for the poor and vulnerable. They already have everything they need to live differently.

But the rich man pushes back: "No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent."

And here comes the most sobering line in the entire passage: "If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead."

Let that sink in. Jesus is saying that no amount of miraculous proof will change a heart that has already decided to ignore God's clear commands about compassion and justice.

And friends, Someone DID rise from the dead. Jesus himself rose. And still, people choose comfort over compassion. Still, we rationalize our indifference. Still, we build our gates higher while Lazarus lays outside.

Here's what changes everything: When you start living with eternal eyes, your priorities shift radically. You realize that:

• The square footage of your house matters less than the size of your heart

• Your 401(k) balance is meaningless compared to your compassion balance

• Your comfort is not worth another person's suffering

Imagine two versions of your life. In one, you live like the rich man—comfortable, insulated, generous enough to ease your conscience but not enough to actually sacrifice. You die surrounded by nice things and many regrets.

In the other, you live with your eyes open. You see Lazarus. You learn his name. You share not just your scraps, but your table. You sacrifice comfort for connection. You die with less stuff but with a heart that looks like Jesus.

Which life do you want? Because you're writing that story right now. Today. This very moment.

4. ACTION

So what do we do? How do we live differently starting tomorrow morning?

Step 1: Learn Their Names

The fact that Jesus names Lazarus but not the rich man is intentional. Lazarus—which means "God helps"—is remembered. The rich man is anonymous.

This week, I challenge you: learn one name. Learn the name of someone experiencing homelessness in your community. Learn the name of the single mom struggling in your church. Learn the name of the refugee family being resettled in your city.

When you know their name, they stop being a problem to be solved and become a person to be loved.

Step 2: Open Your Gate

The rich man had a gate. Gates keep people in and people out. They create separation. They maintain the status quo.

What gates have you built in your life? Maybe it's literal—you live in a gated community and never venture outside it. Maybe it's digital—you've curated your social media to avoid uncomfortable realities. Maybe it's emotional—you've built walls around your heart to protect yourself from feeling overwhelmed by the world's pain.

Here's your challenge: Open one gate this week. Volunteer at a food bank. Invite someone different from you to coffee. Actually read the email from the missionary your church supports. Make a sacrificial donation—one that actually costs you something.

Step 3: Read Your Bible Like It's a Warning Label

The rich man's brothers had "Moses and the Prophets"—God's Word—and ignored it. We have the complete Bible. We have Jesus's own teachings. And still, we skip over the uncomfortable parts about caring for the poor, welcoming the stranger, defending the vulnerable.

This week, read these passages like they were written in red ink—like warning labels on your life:

• Isaiah 58:6-7

• Matthew 25:31-46

• James 2:14-17

• 1 John 3:17-18

Don't just read them. Ask God: "What am I ignoring? Who is my Lazarus?"

The Week-Ahead Challenge:

Do one thing this week that costs you something—time, money, comfort, or convenience—for someone who cannot pay you back. Not someone who can do you a favor later. Not someone in your economic bracket. Someone like Lazarus. And when you do it, remember: you're not earning your way into heaven. You're responding to the grace that's already been shown to you.

Let's Pray Together:

God, we confess that we've walked past too many Lazaruses. We've justified our comfort while ignoring suffering. We've built gates when you've called us to build tables. Forgive us. Give us your eyes to see. Give us your heart to feel. Give us your courage to act. We know we can't help everyone, but help us not to let that stop us from helping someone. Starting today, make us people who live with eternity in view. In Jesus's name, Amen.

5. REINFORCEMENT

Before you leave here today, I want you to remember three things:

First, the gap between your comfort and someone else's suffering is the measure of your compassion, and God is watching. You don't have to feel guilty about having enough. But you should feel responsible for what you do with it.

Second, there's an unbridgeable chasm coming, but today you're on the side where bridges can still be built. Don't wait until it's too late.

Third, you already have everything you need to live differently. You have God's Word. You have the example of Jesus, who left heaven's comfort for earth's suffering. You have the Holy Spirit to give you courage. No more excuses.

Friends, I'm not asking you to solve every problem in the world. I'm asking you to open your eyes to the Lazarus at your gate. To learn their name. To see them as God sees them—as infinitely valuable, eternally significant, and worthy of your time, attention, and love.

Because one day, you and I will stand before God. And the question won't be, "How much did you accumulate?" It will be, "Did you see me? Did you see me hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, imprisoned—and did you care?"

Let's make sure the answer is yes.

Benediction:

Go now in the grace of God who sees you, the love of Christ who knows your name, and the power of the Spirit who opens your eyes to see others as God sees them. May you live with eternity in view and compassion in action. Amen.