Our gods are evidenced by the way in which we conduct our lives. The rich man believed nothing of God’s mercy towards him and therefore refused to show mercy to his poor neighbor. He believed that his earthly blessings had been bestowed upon him as a reward that he might indulge himself. His god was his belly and, therefore, his end was eternal destruction. The rich man refused to hear the warnings of Moses and the prophets who called him to repentance and to seek the mercy and forgiveness of God in the Messiah. The object of his trust could get him nothing more than daily feasting and a comfortable life style. Worse yet, his idol brought him straight into the burning fires of God’s wrath where suddenly mercy mattered but it was too late. The chasm was fixed. The hour of repentance had passed. We don’t need miracles or even the appearance of the dead to save us from eternal judgment. We have Moses and the Prophets. We have Christ and the Apostles. Let us listen to them and follow them to confession that we might receive the mercy of God in the absolution, that is, the forgiveness of all our sins. I pray I will see all of you this coming Sunday that we may gather with Lazarus around the table of the true rich man, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lavishes His riches of life and salvation on us poor beggars.
Pastor Ulmer
