First Impressions
What if this life is just the beginning?
There's something unsettling about this story Jesus tells. A rich man in designer clothes walks past a beggar every single day. The beggar's name is Lazarus—which means 'God helps'—and he's covered in sores, hoping for scraps. Then they both die. And everything flips.
The rich man ends up in torment. Lazarus ends up comforted. And suddenly, the guy who had everything is begging for a single drop of water.
This isn't a feel-good parable. Jesus doesn't soften the edges here. He's telling us that eternity is real, and what we do with this life actually matters. The rich man wasn't condemned because he was wealthy—he was condemned because he lived like this life was all there is. He feasted while Lazarus starved. He had five brothers back home living the same way, and now all he wants is for someone to warn them.
Here's what hits me: if someone in eternity could send you a message right now, what would they say? Would they tell you to chase comfort? To build a bigger house? To make sure you're always comfortable? Or would they grab you by the shoulders and say, 'Wake up. This life is short. Eternity is long. And the choices you make now echo forever.'
Maybe you heard a sermon this week that made you uncomfortable. Maybe you've been thinking about hell and wondering if it's real, if it matters, if a loving God would really allow that. Jesus answers that question here—not with a theological essay, but with a story. A story about two men, two deaths, and two eternities.
The truth is, we live like we have forever. We put off the hard conversations. We assume there's always more time to get serious about faith, to reconcile that relationship, to actually follow Jesus instead of just knowing about him. But Lazarus and the rich man both ran out of time. And when they did, everything that seemed important—the clothes, the feasts, the status—meant nothing.
What if today is your wake-up call? What if the reason you're reading this right now is because God is giving you a chance to take eternity seriously? Not in a scary, fire-and-brimstone way—but in a 'this matters more than anything else' way.
Jesus told this story because he loves us too much to let us sleepwalk into eternity. He's not trying to scare you. He's trying to save you.
Sit with this
- 1What's one thing from this story that makes you uncomfortable—and why do you think that is?
Journal prompt
If someone who had already died could send you one message about how to live your life, what do you think they would say? Write it out as if they're speaking directly to you.