“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. (Luke 16:19-23)
The poor man. The beggar. Lazarus – covered with sores, starving, licked by dogs. The scum of the earth, revolting to and detested by the rich man and most all of the world. But what does Lazarus look like now?
If you are a Christian, and by that I mean, a real Christian, a new creation born again by faith in Christ, what are you in this world? How do you appear to the world? The Apostle Paul tells us how he look in the eyes of those who were wise in this present age:
For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. (1Corinthians 4:9-13)
How do YOU regard yourself? Have you perhaps at least in part bought into the world’s notion of you? That you are Lazarus? Disgusting. Detestable. A fool. The scum of the world, the garbage of all things? Your RASN will certainly tell you so. There he or she is – clothed with the best wardrobe, popular, envied – and then there is you.
The lies of the wicked are just that – lies. But we easily tend to believe them and can begin to think about ourselves as the enemy tells us we are. After all, so often Christ’s people really are in appearance and status like poor Lazarus, the scum of the world.
But….
Is this how the Lord sees us? Of course not. He sees us as we really are – as He has created us. As His beautiful bride, as His holy ones, as His beloved children. And such we really are!
But there is more.
How did Lazarus look on that day when the rich man lifted up his eyes in hell and saw Lazarus there across that uncrossable divide in the presence of Abraham? How did Lazarus look? The sores were gone. The protruding bones were no longer. His rags were replaced with the finest garments of righteousness. Lazarus was, in other words, glorious. He shone.
Do you realize, Christian, that one day when you depart this world and enter into the presence of Christ and the holy angels and the spirits of righteous men made perfect, that you will be glorious? That all heaven will marvel at YOU because of what God in Christ has made you? You will be on stage, you might say, and the innumerable hosts of heaven will be applauding for YOU and yet giving all glory to Christ for fashioning you into the glorious, sinless, beautiful creation.
The wicked regard you as a fool, as scum, as refuse (a nice word for “garbage”) if you truly belong to Christ. Was this not how Jesus Himself was regarded? Of course. We His servants are not better than our Master. If they hate Him, they will hate us. But Satan’s accusations of us are lies – all lies. And on that Day, for all who run the race in faith, persevering to the end, their entrance into Christ’s presence will be the focus of all of heaven. You will be on stage, and you will win the prize. Just like Lazarus.
Sarah
Thank you, Pastor for writing this!
Carol
Beautiful.
Cordelia
“Lazarus–covered in sores” = extreme pain
How many of us are experiencing physical/emotional pain, from the things done and said to us. Too many of us experience autoimmune issues. Lupus, one form of auto immunity, translates from Latin as “a wolf’s bite.” Auto immunity, turns on, attacks and destroys healthy tissues. Auto immunity can be difficult to diagnosis and be pinpointed. All the aforementioned describes our abusers; they are wolves lurking about in sheep’s clothing. Their goals are to use and destroy.
We aren’t guaranteed any justice here on earth, which is extremely upsetting, but this life is a vapor compared to eternity.
God’s Word teaches the believer “is seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”; that’s a Christian’s true dwelling place, even while physically still here on earth.