“Wealth is treacherous…” *Habakkuk 2:4.
My last story (Will anyone say No to the Money?) was a rant and rave about the LIV/PGA/PIF merger. Money and greed have finally consumed my beloved game of golf. And it makes me sad. I did hear some possible good news today when it was reported that Rory McIlroy might say NO. I hope I heard it correct. And hope he has the courage to stand tall.
As for me, you may recall that I vowed to stop watching the PGA Tour. I am weak but I almost did it.
On Sunday July 2, I was successfully boycotting the Rocket Mortgage PGA tournament in Detroit. I played golf in the Alabama heat instead of being a couch potato. But… as we were playing, a playing partner told me that Rickie Fowler was in a three-way playoff. So, on Sunday night, I could not resist watching the last thirty minutes of the telecast. Oh well, I tried. My mother would have told me that I should have been in Sunday night prayer meeting. And she would have been right.
But now I face another PGA temptation. The tour stops this week at my old home course, Champions Trace in Lexington, Kentucky. I was a charter member at the club in 1988. It will be hard not to pay attention to how the pros fare with my old track. I will try to boycott this weekend, but don’t bet on it. I am sadly all too human.
However, my efforts to say NO to TV Tour golf have not gone un-noticed. A few people sent messages that they intend to join me in saying NO to the whole mess.
A friend sent me a song which I highly recommend. The PGA/LIV/PIF story of greed reminded him of Ralph Stanley’s tune- “One Drop of Water”. Ralph is long-gone to heaven in 2016, but he left behind some incredible banjo music and Bluegrass twang.
His song tells the Luke 16 story of the Beggar and the “rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple”. I like to think this rich man may have been a golfer since he was wearing purple, or at least an LSU fan (sorry Tiger fans- I couldn’t resist).
The rich man sadly found his way to Hell. In torment, he could see the beggar dining at a banquet table with Father Abraham. The nameless and thirsty rich man begs the beggar (think about that!!) to give him “one drop of water”.
The story and the song will chill you to the bone- or perhaps it is more accurate to say (excuse me mother for saying it), it will scare the hell out of you.
Jesus Himself was telling the story (all in red letters at Luke 16:19-31- see bottom of Story), so naturally I suggest you pay attention. But rather than recite the entire parable from the mouth of Jesus, just listen to Ralph Stanley’s lyrics: CLICK HERE FOR THE SONG.
The rich man lived in luxury surrounded by his door. He always had the very best that money could afford. He left this world not caring about his resting place. He laid his eyes toward heaven, but it was too Late.
Chorus: Give me one drop of water, the rich man cried from Hell. One drop of water, but still no water fell. He always was a selfish man; his heart was filled with greed. Now a little drop of water is all he’ll ever need.
You can’t love gold and silver and love the Savior too. Like the eye of a needle no chance of getting through. So, make your reservation before another day. For all your gold and silver will surely pass away.
Chorus: Give me one drop of water, the rich man cried from Hell. One drop of water, but still no water fell. He always was a selfish man; his heart was filled with greed. Now a little drop of water is all he’ll ever need.
There’s just one way to heaven, it’s by amazing grace. Where everyone is equal no matter creed or race. So have no other Bible, and always put God first. We’ll live on milk and honey, and we will never thirst.
Chorus: Give me one drop of water, the rich man cried from Hell. One drop of water, but still no water fell. He always was a selfish man; his heart was filled with greed. Now a little drop of water is all he’ll ever need.
Wealth will not doom your soul. But it is treacherous. Indeed, the love of money can be a sin so grievous that it sends you to hell. Millions enter eternal damnation from a bed of luxury.
In Player’s Progress, the 13th hole at Hokmah Golf Club is all about the Proverbial warnings about MONEY. “Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.” (Proverbs 21:6). Near the 13th tee box, we find the fictional Judson Judas, hanging from a tree, a grim reminder that thirty (30) pieces of silver is never worth it. Indeed, it can lead straight to eternal death.
Jesus seems to be the only Person in his day who would even discuss this ‘place of the dead’ which most call Hell. Even the apostle Paul, who pulled no punches, avoided it. And modern preachers sure steer away from the subject. Most people who claim to hate ‘hellfire and damnation’ sermons have never actually heard one.
But while Jesus may be the only one who seems to mention Hell, He is certainly not the first Scripture writer to mention the connection between PRIDE and MONEY and WEALTH and GREED that leads to ETERNAL DEATH. Almost every book in Scripture has something to say about the logical end for those who trust in wealth. Let me point you to just two Old Testament passages.
Ezekiel said plainly, “None of these proud and wicked people will survive. All their wealth and prestige will be swept away. Yes, the time has come; the day is here! Buyers should not rejoice over bargains, nor sellers grieve over losses, for all of them will fall under my terrible anger. Even if the merchants survive, they will never return to their business. For what God has said applies to everyone— it will not be changed! Not one person whose life is twisted by sin will ever recover.” (Ezekiel 7:11-13).
Habakkuk tells us, “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God. Wealth is treacherous, and the arrogant are never at rest. They open their mouths as wide as the grave, and like death, they are never satisfied. In their greed they have gathered up many nations and swallowed many peoples. What sorrow awaits you who build big houses with money gained dishonestly! You believe your wealth will buy security, putting your family’s nest beyond the reach of danger.” (Habakkuk 2:4-5,9).
Jesus is preaching the same message as the Prophets when he tells us about the rich man in Hell.
It was truth in the Old Testament.
It was truth in the New Testament.
It is truth today! Wealth is treacherous!
But… the good news is this. If you are reading this, it is NOT too late. That one drop of water- that one drop of Jesus’ blood- that one drop of Grace- is all it takes to save us from eternal misery.
But some day, it could be too late. INDEED it was too late for that “certain rich man”. The story and the song are filled with sobering and frightful thoughts. Such as…
This rich man of Luke 16 had no name. In hell, the rich seem to be unknown- no name. Just like the ‘rich young ruler’ of Luke 18:18, we do not know his name. I even wonder if maybe the rich young ruler of Luke 18 was listening carefully to the Luke 16 story. He may have heard Jesus tell the story of the rich man, begging for just one drop of water. In Hell, your dreams of being famous are over- indeed no one even knows your name.
Indeed, hell seems to be full of “Rank Strangers”, the title of another great Ralph Stanley tune. It is a place where no one knows anyone.
Hell seems to be a place where you can see Heaven. Abraham and the beggar were clearly seen by the rich man so he knew what he had missed. That is surely much of the torment of Hell.
And as mentioned, there seems to be a day and time when it is too late. “And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.” (Luke 16:27). The voice of demons wants you to believe otherwise. “There’s plenty of time…. There is no hell… there’s nothing wrong with making money… I worked hard all my life to get what I have… I want to leave my children and grandchildren better off than when I was a boy…” The lies from Hell never stop.
In hell you will have no money. Or perhaps more accurately, your money will be useless, like Confederate dollars after the Civil War.
So, “there was a certain rich man in Hell”. Nameless. Faceless. Hopeless. Forever. God help us all to say No to the Money.
I end with this good news! We do know the name of the beggar. The name Lazarus seems to be intentional. Jesus certainly knew that He would soon be raising his friend Lazarus from the dead. Jesus was already pointing us to His ability to bring Life to a Dead man. It was never too late for Lazarus. It is surely not too late for you!
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