Sojourner

“There was a rich man who was dressed purple and fine linen and lived in a luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

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. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “’No, Father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’" ~ Luke 16:19-31

I met with the exchange student I host yesterday. She is from Nepal and came to the United States for Undergraduate studies and is now studying for her doctorate in Nuclear Physics at the University of Kentucky. We had dinner and discussed topics from how we are doing in life to the purpose of human beings existence, a question that has internally been nagging at her since she was child.

At one point in the conversation Binita shared how her family had a New Testament Bible in their home and she read it often as a child. A story that had never left her was the parable Jesus told in Luke 16 written above. She had a deep burden for the rich man in the passage, wishing that he would not have to stay in such a terrible place. She emphasized that it was for eternity, and that eternity is a long time. She couldn’t imagine this poor man being tormented and found herself wanting to pray for him so that he didn’t have to stay there.

At some point in our conversation Binita had shared how when she was younger she went to a Hindu temple in her town and saw a man covered in terrible sores, boils were all over his whole body. He was begging for money. She felt pity for him and gave him money. She was afraid of getting too near though because of his horrible sores so she through the money at him. He moved towards her to say thank you, and she ran off because she didn’t want to touch him.

I wondered if part of her pity for the rich man in the story is because of her own vivid experience with a man much like him. How is it, that she who grew up in a Hindu country has more of a burden to pray so that people will not go to hell, then those of us who God has rescued from the Kingdom of darkness. Her compassion put me to shame.

Binita struggles with believing in God through Jesus. Her sentiment is why God would reveal himself to some and not all people. He has never revealed himself to her, and until such time that he does come and answer her questions, she will remain general in her belief of a higher power. It is like the story in Luke though. Abraham told the rich man that he could not send Lazarus to his brothers. That if they wouldn’t receive and believe Moses and the Prophets, then even a man returning from the dead would not convince them.

Are you praying for the brothers, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances that do not yet know Christ? We are still here on earth and can go to them. Perhaps God could use our prayer and message to reveal himself to them or enable them to understand the signs He is showing them.

Oh Lord, please rescue Binita. Show yourself to her in a way she cannot deny and bring her into relationship with you. Change my heart so that I may love people with the compassion that you have for them. Please, burden me to pray.