City Life Starter

The Word:

“But Abraham replied, ‘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. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ Luke 16:25-26

By Dr. Blesson Selvanesan

It is interesting to note that these words came out of Jesus himself. Jesus talked about many subjects and judgment is one of them. In the society we live, we tend to cherry pick the ideas that most suit us and conveniently ignore and forget about the rest. With freedom come responsibilities and boundaries. God is loving and forgiving but He is also a God of justice. He also gave us His laws to follow. When God gave us free will, He also gave boundaries and instituted a consequence for overstepping the boundaries. Is this not true for any kingdom?

How can God condemn people into hell for eternity? How can a loving God torture people? These are legitimate and deep questions and the answers are complex. Imagine a scenario: a country with strong judiciary system, where trials are conducted routinely. When cases come to Judge weighs the evidence and pronounce a guilty verdict. And in the sentencing phase, the Judge sends the guilty party to an all paid vacation to Disneyland. Now, when the innocent party protests, If the Judge says, “Don’t worry, I will send you also to an all paid vacation to Disneyland, both of you can do the rides together”. What do you think of this kind of ‘justice’? Jesus was trying to explain the concept of judgment and separation to people in Luke 16.

When many ask, “How can a loving God do such an evil thing?” They are deeply mistaken in the fact that there is a difference between evil and justice. It is not God’s will or intention to put anyone in Hell. Rather, by rejecting God, people willfully choose to go there. Hell is the place which is devoid of God and Goodness. The mere absence of God will make a place hell and it is clearly separated from the presence of God. God is very loving that He will grant one’s choice and will not force His presence on someone who willfully chose to reject Him. If this does not happen, we have no real freedom or choice. So, it is irrational to blame God for our own choice and to argue that there cannot be a place called hell.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, let this day bring forth good tidings and joy. Help us stay in the warmth of your presence, bask in your glory, celebrate your majesty, revel in your righteousness, trust in your justice and admire your beauty. Help us to follow you all the days of our lives. Forgive our sins and make us blameless and righteous. In Jesus Name. Amen