The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. Luke 16:22-23
Our Lord tells the story of two men who died. The first was “carried by the angels to Abraham’s side.” What was carried to Abraham’s side? Not the poor man’s body – it would have remained on earth.
Since he was a poor man, he may not even have received a proper burial. Nobody cared for him in life, so it may well be that nobody knew where his remains were after he died. So what was carried to Abraham’s side? The poor man’s soul!
Then “the rich man also died and was buried,” so everyone knew where his grave was. His body was placed in a rich man’s tomb. Then Jesus says, “In Hades… he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off.” What was in Hades? The rich man’s body was in the tomb; it was his soul!
The point is simple: Death takes life from the body, not from the soul. When you die, your soul goes to one of two places: One is a place of great joy; the other, according to Jesus, is a place of great torment. There is a chasm between them (16:26), and you can’t get from one to the other.
What we learn from this is that there is a heaven to pursue and a hell to avoid. You have a soul: Your soul can be saved and your soul can be lost.
Do you see why losing your soul is the ultimate disaster?
