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  • God is My Help

    Posted on June 3rd, 2014 rhonda No comments

    The time came when the beggar died

    and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side.

    Luke 16:22

    I heard a sermon, “The Reunion”, about the meeting between Lazarus and the Rich Man depicted in Luke 16.  It made me think more deeply about Lazarus. 

    There are only 2 stories about men named Lazarus in the Bible.  John’s gospel talked about the other Lazarus.  The intriguing thing about both stories is that, even though they’re prominently featured in each story, they were silent and inactive – dead.  Since both died, I was pretty sure the name Lazarus meant something like “Raised from the Dead”.  I googled.  I was surprised to find that it’s a baby name that means “God is my help” or “God has helped”.  Who knew?   Only a dead person can be more helpless than a baby; and God helps both.

     “Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord” (Romans 12:19), is not comforting to me after I’ve been wronged.  I like tangible demonstrations, and God truly proved His willingness and ability to avenge us.  I doubt how many times the two spoke when they were living, but in death, the Rich Man was talking to Abraham about Lazarus, instead of talking to Lazarus.  He was asking Abraham to make Lazarus his servant.  I imagine it made Lazarus feel good to hear Abraham say, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony” (v. 25).  He didn’t have to say anything, our Comforter spoke for him.

    Our Savior acted for the other Lazarus.  Lazarus had been dead for 3 days before Christ raised him from the dead.  John 11:1-44 is a relatively long passage, and Lazarus said nothing.  He’s completely unable to “labor or spin” (Luke 12:27); and the Bible doesn’t mention Lazarus (either of them) crying out to God for a healing before they died.  Maybe they did, maybe they didn’t.  Praise God, regardless of what Lazarus did, God made a move on their behalf – giving them each a new life. 

    If he can do that with dead men, how much can our Savior do for the living?

     Take off the grave clothes and let him go.

    John 11:44

     

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