25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
Luke 16:25-26
This is the scary part of the lesson, and it should get our attention. Abraham tells the rich man “between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us”. Once our choice has been made, it is set!
This choice is our and ours alone. God gave us free will that we might decide for ourselves and not be forced to worship Him, but to choose Him of our own volition. The rich man chose to live in luxury without showing compassion for the beggar Lazarus who literally lived on his doorstep. Now he must abide by the consequences of that choice.
Wait, isn’t He the God of the Second Chance? Yes indeed – and our second chance is right now. We must make our choice for Him while we are alive and have the opportunity. Once we stand before Him, the choice is made. Choose to be His child, to represent Him and share His love.
Loving Lord, we know we are often ignorant of the needs of others and selfish in our desires. Help us to see all Your children as brothers and sisters, and share Your wonderful gifts with them. May we always choose Your ways over our own. Amen.