The Condition to be Called Christian
Christ Jesus talked about a story to make poor people understand how much they were loved by the God, which shows the condition to be called Christians.
(Luke 16)This is the most assuring story suggesting that the God loves the poor unconditionally and hates the rich unconditionally.
19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And 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;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 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.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Indeed, like Lazarus in the story, even today poor men expect to get any remnants from wealth taken and enjoyed by the super-rich and the rich. But, after death in this world, poor men are accepted in Heaven to get happiness and eternal life while rich men fall in the hells to suffer. This is simple enough for any body to understand even if he cannot understand various complicated doctrines of theology such as the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
Furthermore, this story suggests that if rich men get knowledge of the afterlife, they cannot become poor and good, abandoning wealth in this world and pursuing happiness and eternal life in the afterlife. The desire for material wealth in this human world is so strong that they will not want anything other than material wealth and happiness. As a result, rich men try to continue to be rich, neglecting other suffering poor men. Therefore, for this sin, rich men should suffer in the hells after physical death.
Human souls in the minds are satisfied and fulfilled only in Heaven. But, to enter into Heaven, men have to be poor in this world. The souls of rich men cannot bear bright light of love in Heaven, so that they spontaneously go to and hide in he hells to avoid the Heavenly light. And, Satan will occupy them in the hells, forcing obedience on them. Swedenborg saw, in the spirit world, respectable rich men who showed good manners and enjoyed social reputation in the human world exposing their internal greed, despise to the poor, and heinous nature against the God and holy sanctity and looking so ugly and vulgar. In the spirit world or the afterlife, there are no restrictions that suppress exposure of their mean nature in the human world. Rich and evil men freely and fully behave heinously according to their hidden evil nature.
Philosophers would say that nothing whose existence cannot be proved rationally should not be immediately believed in. Heaven and the hells or the spirit world can be only believed in when one dies and sees the afterlife. However, significance of love to the poor has more weight than rationality. In this context, the story of Lazarus emphasizes the relationship between poor and rich and Heaven and the hells. Love to the poor is part of Heavenly light. Even in the human world, one should feel Heavenly love in love to the poor. Above worldly rationality, there is sacred intuition.
Those who love this story of "Lazarus and a rich man in the afterlife" should be called Christians.
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John 1, King James Version
26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.