#7: The Rich Man and Lazarus

The Greatest Stories Ever Told #7: The Rich Man and Lazarus
During the brief time he walked this earth, Jesus changed the entire world through the power of stories. People would come to him in all degrees of panic, fear, and anger. But, instead of confronting them head-on and driving them deeper into their defensiveness, Jesus defused their anxiety by saying, ‘Let me tell you a story. . . .’ Then, drawn in by the narrative and with their defenses down, the listeners would see the story as a mirror, and its light would make their personal darkness visible. In this way, his parables became moments of revelation.” And thousands of years later, those very same stories continue to speak to us, providing opportunities for illumination and transformation in our own lives as well.

This Sunday we will be looking at the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. Lazarus is the only character that is ever named in a recorded parable and his name means "God helps."  In this story we are challenged to put love into action and to practice what is right. There is never a wrong time to do the right thing.