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Luke 16 19-31 Released from self cetredness 01 The life of Jesus manifesting from us
📖 Luke 16:19-31
04May2020 - *The life of Jesus manifesting from us* - _Luke 16:19-31_ - Bible reading: _ Mark 12:29-31_
We are now beginning a new series about an occurrence narrated by Jesus. This is about the rich man and Lazarus. This in _Luke 16:19-31_
What is the core issue that Jesus is communicating to us through this narrative? Before we begin looking at what the Lord has for us to learn, let us keep in mind that this is not an allegory or metaphor. This is an actual experience, which then implies that all that is given here need to be seen as it is and not allegorically.
The key to open up our understanding of this event is in _Luke 16:30 And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'_ The rich man is in hades and from hades he has a conversation with father Abraham. He does not want his five brothers to come to this place of torment and so he is pleading with Abraham to send Lazarus to them, to warn them *to repent*.
The matter of repentance never occurred to this rich man, when he was on earth but now from hades, everything has become crystal clear to him. This rich man is actually speaking to us and to all the world from hades and he is imploring us *to repent*.
What repentance is the rich man talking about? What is it that the rich man has now understood so very clearly from hades? Let us now look at the story.
_Luke 16:19-23 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. (20) But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, (21) desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. (22) So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. (23) And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom._
What caused this rich man to be sent to hades? It was his self-centredness. Does this shake us up? If we were to look into our hearts, what would we see there? Aren’t we the centre of our world? Yes, we may be involved in Christian activities and ministry but in our world, we are in the centre. Do we see where we need to repent?
_Mark 12:29-31 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'HEAR, O ISRAEL, THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE. (30) AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' This is the first commandment. (31) And the second, like it, is this: 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these."_
The first and second commandments go hand in hand. As we learn to love God, it causes us to simultaneously be released from self-centredness and become others concerned. Loving God happens, when we are crucified with Christ, for by ourselves, by our flesh, by our old man, we cannot love or please God. To love God the self has to die with Christ and Jesus begins to live from within us, causing us to be concerned for people around us.
_II Corinthians 4:10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body._
*Thought to ponder*
```Are you willing to be dead with Christ? Only then will you be released from the self to become others concerned.```