Don't Follow Me

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2xwr2l

Some people say “imitation is the greatest form of flattery.” Indeed that may well be true. All of us follow others to some degree. We imitate their actions.

And, like it or not, most of us also have people who are following us. Of course, we don’t always want people to imitate what we are doing. In fact, some television shows currently display a message: “Warning: do not attempt this at home.”

Jesus tells of a man who knew that others were following him. And this man didn’t want them to make the same mistakes that he had made. You see, this man had left God out of his life, and when his life was over, he found himself in a terrible place.

The story of the rich man and Lazarus is found in Luke 16:19-31. There are many things to be learned from this passage.

First and foremost, there is a life after this one. Second, the way we live here will dictate how we will live in eternity. Third, punishment or comfort will be immediately felt and will signal if we will be going to heaven or hell after judgment. Fourth, once we die we can not change sides. Fifth, if we are in torment, we will not want anyone to follow us.

We are not told the things that this rich man did to miss out on salvation. But we can learn much from him. Initially his concern was to remove his own torment. Then he sets aside his own situation and displays a great concern for those who have not yet died. If nothing changes, this man knows that his brothers will one day end up in torment also. Let’s review this passage.

"There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 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. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.' Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.' Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.' "

Friends, I do not believe that the dead speak to us, nor are they allowed to return to earth to warn us or to guide us in what we do. If they could, I am certain that a priority message to the world would be, “don’t follow us to torment.”

Jesus indicates that even if someone rose from the dead many would not believe the report and would instead continue to march into eternal punishment. What a waste that is.

At times someone may indicate that they would want to be with their loved ones even if they were going to hell instead of to heaven. But as much as our love for them causes us to desire to be with them, friends, we must realize that if they are in torment they certainly don’t want us to follow them there.

Not every action is worthy of imitation. The rich man loved his brothers enough to want to warn them to not follow his example. Unfortunately, he didn’t realize his mistake until it was too late.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we remember to keep obedience to God first in our lives. May we also live in such a way so that when others imitate us they will do so in righteousness.

Our thought for the day: “Others follow in your footsteps quicker than they follow your advice.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.