A drop of water...
"Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire." — Luke 16:24 On Monday, I had a conversation with a pastor friend who told me he had preached on the phrase, "A drop of water," in his church the previous Sunday. Since then, those simple words have stayed with me, prompting me to reflect more deeply on their significance. It comes from Jesus' account of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. Interestingly, this is the only parable, or account, as some believe, in which a person is given a name: Lazarus. Whether Jesus intended it as a parable or as a description of a real event, the message is unmistakable. The rich man had everything in life but ignored God. After death, he found himself in Hades, in torment, while Lazarus was comforted in Abraham's presence. In his agony, the rich man did not ask for a river or a cup of water. He pleaded for a single drop. A drop...