26C19.   Amos 6:1a, 4-7.   Judah and Israel wallow in their luxury, “yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph!”  The House of Joseph is the kingdom of Israel or northern kingdom which was facing total collapse and destruction yet the people were lost in their material and physical pleasures, refusing to face the consequences of being lost in their ‘wanton revelry.”

Luke 16:19-31.  This parable of the rich man and Lazarus does not incriminate the rich man because he was rich but because he did not accept the obligation that his wealth put upon him to share out of his superabundance with Lazarus who had nothing.  In the parable of the separation of the sheep from the goats, Jesus said in Matthew 25:45-46: “The Son of Man will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”  As Jesus poured out himself in love for us, we must extend ourselves in love for one another.  In refusing to aid the poor man in his torment the rich man had to face the consequences of his behavior.  Jesus said in John 5:28-29: “Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, and but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.”  This is called the final judgment because God has given us our time to live out our choice: to accept him and his reign over us or to go some other way.  He has set our time here.  Once that runs out, there is no more.  What we have chosen we have chosen.  Jesus continues in the parable, saying through Abraham: “Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.”  The rich man appeals yet again, saying, “’If someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’”  Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’”

1 Timothy 6:11-16.   I want to quote some of the lines from this reading, blending them together in my own way. “Lay hold of eternal life.”  I charge you” “to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ,” “who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see.”  We must prepare to enter heaven by living a heavenly life now.  Moses said in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and all your strength.”