Wickedness

Wickedness

If you had been wicked, as I have been wicked....  If you had even thought of yourself as having been wicked, as I have been wicked, I would not have nearly so much trouble explaining wickedness and death to you.

But I am as one who has stared wickedness, and death, and hell in the face, and yet returned from the dead.  I am, as it were, returned from the dead, sent by God to explain wickedness, and death, and hell to you; yet, still you will not listen.  As it stands written:

“There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day.  There was also a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores.  [Lazarus] desired to be fed with the crumbs, which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  Now, it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's Bosom.  The rich man also died, and was buried; in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in Torments, and saw Abraham afar off, with Lazarus in his bosom.

And 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 you in your lifetime received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and you are tormented.  Beside all this, there is a great gulf fixed between us and you: so that those who would pass from here to you cannot; neither can you pass to us, who wish come from there.’

Then he said, ‘I pray thee 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 Torments.’

Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’

But he said, ‘Nay, father Abraham: if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.’

[Abraham] said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.’ ” — Luke 16:19-31