June 26, 2025
The Rich Man and Lazarus - Part 4
Luke 16:27-29
06/26/2025
27 And he said, ``Then I beg you, father, to send him
to my father's house --
28 for I have five brothers -- that he may warn them,
lest they also come into this place of torment.''
29 But Abraham said, ``They have Moses and the
Prophets; let them hear them.'' (ESV)
This week we are looking at the Rich Man and Lazarus. The
rich man and Abraham are talking after Abraham refused the rich
man's command that Lazarus journey to Hades with a drop of water.
And [the rich man] said, ``Then I beg you, father, to
send him to my father's house -- for I have five
brothers -- that he may warn them, lest they also come
into this place of torment.'' But Abraham said, ``They
have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.''
We believe, teach, and confess that the Church is the people
who truly trust in God's grace, love, and mercy, who look to the
Word of God, both written and visible in the sacraments, to know
of Jesus Christ as their Redeemer from sin, death, and the power
of the devil. Riches are no indicator of God's eternal favor.
Our good works do not pay the price of our sins.
There is only one source of knowledge, one source of
doctrine, for the Church. That is the inspired Word of God,
Moses and the prophets and the apostolic writers. The Old and
New Testaments combined give us all we need to know of God's rich
grace, love, and mercy. The Bible tells us plainly that the
Father sent the Son to die for our sins, to earn for us
redemption from eternal death. This redemption is a gift, not
something we earn.
Moses and the prophets are sufficient witness of the truth
so that we may know of the Father's love, the Son sacrifice, and
the Holy Spirit's work of bringing us to faith in Christ.
May our Lord grant us faith to hear Moses and the prophets
for our eternal blessing. Amen.