Though their earthly lives were very different—one could even say complete opposites—the rich man and poor Lazarus did have this in common: they both died, and for the same reason we also will someday die. Conceived in sin, they sinned every day of their life. And God’s holy, immutable Law decrees, “The soul that sins, it shall die.”

But that’s not the only thing these two men had in common. Both the rich man and also poor Lazarus are now living, even though they died. And contrary to what many believe happens to people after they die, neither is living as a disembodied spirit. God did not create man as a spiritual creature—that is, a soul without a body—but with a soul that dwells in a body. That’s what makes us human. So even though the bodies of these two men died, were buried, and returned to the dust from which they were taken, they are very much alive, as evidenced by the fact that the once rich, now poor man in hell begs Abraham—who, by the way, is described as having a bosom or lap—to send Lazarus that he might dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue. Of course, this comes as no surprise to us who believe that Christ rose from the dead as the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

But where they’re living is very different. Lazarus, who lacked even the basic necessities of this life, died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom, a phrase which implies close fellowship with this Old Testament believer in heaven. And while Jesus describes him as living in a timeless, unchangeable state of bliss, He does not describe what this bliss is like. For the bliss of heaven goes beyond human comprehension and therefore cannot be described in human language. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man the things God has prepared for those who love Him,” is how St. Paul explained it.

In contrast, the once rich man, when he died, was cast into hell, where he is living in a timeless and unchangeable state of torment. He begs for a drop of water to be placed on his tongue because he is on fire. He sees the state of bliss in which Lazarus lives and is distraught, for he knows he will never experience it. As Abraham explained, “…between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, neither can those from there pass to us.”

Jesus’ account of the rich man and poor Lazarus, which I believe to be real and not a parable, tends to raise this question in the minds of many Christians: “What must I do to escape the hell I deserve for my sins and to enter into heaven’s bliss instead?” That question is as foolish as it is predictable. For having sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, the only thing any of us have done is merit a place with that once rich man in hell.

But there is a legitimate question which this event should raise in our minds: Why did Lazarus, whose death proved that he too had sinned, go to heaven? Listen again to the answer that came from the Spirit-inspired pen of St. John: “God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins”—that is, the One who appeased God’s wrath over sin by serving the death sentence His law imposed upon all men because of sin.

However, to accomplish this for us men and for our salvation, the Son of God had to humble Himself and become very much like Lazarus. He too was poor, having no place on earth to lay His head. He was also hungry after fasting forty days and nights in the wilderness. He was despised by those who were far richer than He. And though He had not sinned, wicked men beat Him with their fists, pierced His head with thorns, and ripped the flesh off His back by the scourge, thus covering His body with painful sores. Then, He died, as did Lazarus. But He did not stay dead, any more than did Lazarus. On the third day He rose from the dead as Victor over Satan. For by His sufferings, death, and resurrection, Christ Jesus obtained for us sinful men God’s full and free forgiveness. “Whoever believes this,” you heard Jesus say to Nicodemus last Sunday, “will not perish, but have eternal life.”

Which brings us back to that poor man in hell. Realizing that his state of torment is eternal, he pleaded with Abraham to send Lazarus to his five brothers, thinking that if they saw someone rise from the dead, they would believe. But Abraham’s response reveals that faith does not come by miracles, but by something even more powerful: “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them… If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”

Let that be a warning to all who despise preaching and His Word, who, imitating the foolish ways of this once rich man, live for the pleasures and treasures of this world, which cannot save and will through death pass away. To neglect God’s Word—and that inevitably leads to neglecting the Sacrament as well—is to reject Christ. And he who rejects Christ will end up with this now poor man in hell.

But thanks be to God, you not only have Moses and the Prophets, but also the Evangelists and the Apostles—that is, both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Thanks be to God, you were given ears to hear that Word, which from Genesis to Revelation proclaims Christ as the Savior of the world. And thanks be to God, you were blessed with faith by your hearing of that Word to receive Christ, first in Holy Baptism and now in the Holy Feast of His Body and Blood, for the forgiveness of your sins.

Dear Christian, “Hold fast what you have.” So says Jesus, that when you die, rather than perish with this poor man in the unquenchable fires of hell, you will live with Lazarus in the incomprehensible bliss of heaven, where you will experience fullness of joys and pleasures forevermore.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.