![]() ![]() The rich man, though he cannot or will not change, would like to warn his brothers. But there comes a point when the clay is taken off the wheel and placed in the fiery kiln (fire refers to judgment day see 1 Corinthian 3:15), at which time its shape is forever fixed and cannot be changed. As long as clay is on the wheel and moist, it can be molded, changed and fashioned. The Fathers of the Church often thought of the human person as clay on a potter’s wheel. When exactly this occurs is not clear perhaps it is at death itself. ![]() It would seem that there is a mystery of the human person that we must come to accept: that we come to a point in our life when our character is forever fixed, when we no longer change. This helps to explain why hell is eternal. Notice, too, that the rich man does not ask to be admitted to heaven: He regrets his current torment but does not see or desire heaven as a solution to that. Looking up into heaven, he sees Lazarus next to Abraham, but rather than finally recognizing Lazarus’ dignity and seeking his forgiveness, he tells Abraham to send Lazarus to hell with a pail of water to refresh him. You might expect the rich man to be repentant in the end and to have a change a heart, but he does not. He lands in hell because he doesn’t want heaven, where the poor are exalted (Luke 1:52).Ībraham explains the great reversal to him: “My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime, while Lazarus likewise received what was bad but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.” Hence, this rich man has willfully and repeatedly rejected the Kingdom and is ruined by his greed and insensitivity. He is living in open rejection of one of the most significant Kingdom values: love of the poor. ![]()
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