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Can you see me now?Thursday, February 21, 2008
Luke 16:19-24 "Lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. "When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. "The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
"And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.'"
I don't know your world very well. Jesus really wants me to learn about it. He wants me to understand that if I learn to let you enter my world here, then my life with him after death will be much sweeter. What I give now ... matters then. Looked at like this, life is not just one day at a time. Jesus' point of view encompasses Everyman Everyday from the beginning until the end. In Revelation Jesus calls himself "the Alpha and the Omega." He sees my life from that perspective, and wants me to open my eyes and see it the same way. The once-rich man could see more clearly after he was dead. Physically alive, his focus was most likely on himself. He had much to protect, much armor, much pride. His view was obscured by his fat belly, perhaps. But physically dead, there was not much there to focus on anymore. All the fat was gone. He saw farther ... he saw Others. He saw Lazarus and knew at once that his once-rich sad self was now the beggar. Now Lazarus had the eternal sweets, and the company, and the wine. Jesus wants us all with him, even the Pharisees. I want to open my eyes and say yes to him every time he invites someone else into my life. We are all brothers. I get scared, Lord, and I close up. Gotta protect what I've been taught by the world to protect. No, it's not your way. When I'm scared, Lord, show me how to open up my arms and take what comes. |
We live parallel lives in parallel worlds. When I drive around Chicago on I-294, I'm with so many other people. We're all driving around Chicago on I-294. But in my car I'm coasting, in my own world - my music, my story on the speakers. I have my own destination, and certainly my own thoughts.