A Way Across

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. Luke 16:26

The Greek word chasma: a gaping opening, a chasm or gulf. That is what stands between that rich man in Hades and the place Lazarus rests with Abraham. The word is for a space that none can cross, and Abraham says as much in the tale Jesus told in Luke 16. If a person wanted a tale to frighten him or her into coming to Jesus, this one does the trick quite well. Ending up in burning pain with complete awareness of the situation and the ability to see a place within shouting distance that is so opposite of that, and yet have no way to cross the gap between or to send a message to your siblings to prevent their ending up in the same place is so not cool, and so hard to find an appropriately horrible phrase to describe it! Then we read Abraham state, "so that those who want to pass from here (where it's nice!) to you cannot." Who in their right mind would want to do that? Love might want to cross over and rescue those in such pain and misery, to bring light to such awful hopelessness. Yes, a person of love and goodness might want to save the lost even in the depths of Hades. And a person in the scriptures did indeed call Himself the way, the truth, and the life.

Grace and peace to you in Christ Jesus!

Bucky