In the Bible, Luke 16:19-31, we find the story of Lazarus, a poor man laying in the streets with nowhere to go, no family that would care for him, no shelter for the homeless, no soup kitchens - nothing. The closest things he had for friends were some dogs that licked his open wounds. Dogs know their saliva can heal a wound. When they get a whiff of an open sore on somebody close to them, they instinctively will lick that sore, to heal it.
Lazarus hung out in front of a rich man's house. This man could have taken Lazarus off the streets - fed him - had a doctor treat his sores, and just give him some kindness. But he did not, he looked the other way. With his pride, arrogance, or for whatever reason, he let that poor guy die in the street. The dogs had more love in their hearts than this man ever dreamed of.
When Lazarus died he was taken up into Heaven. Eventually the rich man died and he ended up in Hell. Now we learn some things about Hell in the following verses.
Some people in Hell, can see, and recognize some people in Heaven. Whether this is the norm, or did God allow this to happen, just in this one case, to get a point across to us sinners here on earth, I don't know. But the rich man who was in agony in the flames saw Lazarus far away, standing next to Abraham. There was a great chasm between them. He called out: "Father Abraham have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames." But Abraham said, "Child remember that during your lifetime, you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things, but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony." Abraham then reminds the man of the great chasm separating them, making it impossible to reach each other.
The man then pleads with Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth to his father's house: "for I have five brothers - that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment." Abraham then tells the man that his five brothers have Moses and the prophets, and should listen to them (in other words, go to church and read the Bible), and if they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.
The point of this is - the man in Hell was praying for his five brothers - to repent, and stay out of Hell.
Most likely some of us have somebody in Hell, either family or a friend, praying for us now. If a person in Hell has the memory and retains the knowledge of people in his or her life that are breaking God's laws, and prays they do not end up in the flames, but cannot reach them with prayer, this would be a double Hell to that person.
And look at it the other way. If you end up in Heaven - meet all your family members, but notice a few of them are missing, some family or friends you really loved on earth - your children, parents, sisters and brothers. What kind of a Heaven would it be for you if one of your kids didn't show up?
I don't know if it works that way - as the Lord said twice in the Bible "God will wipe away every tear" Rev. 7:17 and Rev. 21:4.
But it's food for thought, and all the more reason to get yourself right with God, and then pray for the souls of your family and friends - so you all meet up in Heaven, with no one missing.
For help in getting your pardon that God has promised you, read our commentary from 04/18/04: Abandoment of Your Will to God (praying for Salvation). Then pray for your family, especially Acts 16:31, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."
By George Konig
September 11, 2005
www.georgekonig.org
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