Monday; July 9
Much of the nation experienced summer last week. I am not sure if the summers are getting hotter or if we just forget how hot it can get from year to year, but about this time each summer we begin to discuss the weather. Often, when we describe the summer heat, someone will make a parallel to hell. The concept of the hotness of hell can be traced back to New Testament teaching, including the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus where Jesus describes the state of the rich man by observing, ” In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’” (Luke 16:23-24) From this passage (as well as others) we get the impression that there is going to be an intense heat in hell; yet, there is something even more disturbing about hell. How often have you