Poor Lazarus dies, with no one on earth to give him a decent burial; but the angels carry him to Abraham's bosom. The rich man dies, too, and is buried, but in his case there are other kinds of angels waiting, to carry him to hell. -- Blessed Martin Luther, Trinity 1, HP II:231
How many sermons have I heard on this Parable, urging us to be good and to listen to the word of God, so we too would be taken to the bosom of Abraham rather than to the place that lacks air-conditioning? But never, no, not once have I ever heard anyone speak about the last words in this Parable, which, because they come at the end (and the moral of the story is) must convey the real point, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” Could this have something to do with Pentecost?
ReplyDeleteNow, I do not for a moment believe that I am the only one who knows what these words mean, but I have just looked through 10 years worth of LCMS sermons, and nobody even hinted that even if someone rises from the dead “I cannot by my own reason or strength ….”. When our Lord spoke these words, “as yet there was no Spirit”.
Peace and Joy!
George A. Marquart