Future Hope Now - Luke 16:19-31 - Fr. Clay Huffman

Photo from The Terminator (1984)

Luke 16:19-31
Now there was a certain rich man, and he was dressed in purple and fine linen, feasting every day sumptuously.  But a certain poor man named Lazarus was laying at his gate while covered with sores and was desiring to be fed from the things which fell from the table of the rich man; yet even the dogs came and licked his sores.  But it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels into the bosom of Abraham.  Now the rich man also died and was buried and in Hades he lifted up his eyes, while he was in torment, he saw Abraham from a distance and Lazarus in his bosom, and he called out and said, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, that he might dip the tip of his finger in water and might cool my tongue, for I am suffering in this flame.  But Abraham said, “Child, be mindful that you received your good things in your life and Lazarus likewise bad things; but now in this place he is comforted and you suffer, and in all this between us and you a great chasm has been fixed in order that the ones desiring to pass from here to you may not be able, and none may pass from there to here.”  But he said, “Then I beg you, father, that you might send him to the house of my father, for I have five brothers, that he might testify to them, in order that they not also come into this place of torment.”  But Abraham said, “You all have Moses and the prophets.  Listen to them.”  But he said, “No!  Father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them they will repent.”  But he said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone might rise from the dead.”    -    Translation of Preacher

from Psalm 146: 5,7-10a
Blessed is the one…whose hope is in the LORD his God,
Who does right to those who suffer wrong;
and who feeds the hungry.
​The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD helps those who have fallen;
​the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD cares for the stranger in the land;
​he defend the fatherless and widow.
​BCP 2019