There is little talk about heaven or hell in churches these days. Maybe the “hell fire and brimstone” preachers have put a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. Perhaps we assume that everyone knows the basics about heaven and hell. It could be that some have relegated this discussion to a past era.

Nevertheless, Jesus talks much about the afterlife. He connects our actions in this life to what we will experience in the life that is to come. In this week’s parable, Jesus uses a conversation between dead people to awaken us to the reality of limited time. He vividly paints how their life situation is reversed following their deaths. The one who has it all in life is separated from all that is good. The one who suffered in life has the best seat in the house following his death.

In this story, directed at the religious leaders, Jesus shatters their assumptions. Those who think they are “in” are challenged by the notion that perhaps they are not. Join us on Sunday as we overhear this conversation between two dead men in Luke 16:19-31.