There Are No Bad Hands

Play Your Hand

When we moved here 9 years ago, we quickly discovered this was one of the most card-playingest places we had ever been. Everyone seems to play some sort of card game or even a game similar.

We fit right in. We are a card-playing family. We are competitive and cut throat when it comes to dealing the deck.

Our family has a motto. When we play, we will keep score, b/c someone has to lose. There will be tears. And their may be blood.

Suck it up sister, put on your big girl panties and deal.

You know what it’s like, you’ve got the hand you were dealt, you’ve got it all set up, a winning strategy, about to play your last card and dominate the game, when the person who plays just before you makes their play and messes up your whole game.

Or, you have draw a card from the deck, you need a good draw, any one of several cards will work. But you draw the one or two cards that totally don’t fit and your plan blows up.

You want to tip the table over, send the cards flying everywhere, storm off in disgust; but that’s just a bad look in front of the grand kids.

No more Go Fish for me, or Uno, crazy 8s. Who taught them how to cheat anyway?

Sara?

And the adult games. Hand and Foot, Spades, Hearts, Euchre. We’ve got about 2 dozen decks of cards somewhere around the house.

I even bought Sara a deck of Euchre cards last Xmas so we don’t have to go to the trouble of sorting out the 9s thru Aces.

When I was in LR I was part of a monthly men’s poker game. It had been going on long before I got there. There was an opening so they invited me in to play w/ them.

I hope I haven’t blown my image and lost all respect by telling you I’ve played a little poker w/ friends.

It was nickel, dime, quarter. $10 buy in. Big winner, big loser at the end of the 4-hour game was maybe the $10 you started with.

There was a lot of trash talk around that table. Men who’d been friends for 30 years. They’d complain about losing a few dollars but the response was it was cheaper than marriage counseling.

6-man game. Me and 5 others. Of those 5, all were Xians, church leaders and different churches, volunteers in the community, and successful retired bsns men. 3 of them were 1%-ers. They had nice, padded bottom lines. And here they were arguing over nickels and quarters.

It wasn’t the money, it was about winning. And the complaining, laughter, you had better wore your thick skin cause it was going to get tested.

I learned a lot about life around that table.

The dealer would deal. Usually, everyone had a very mediocre hand. Occasionally, someone would get aces or a hand full of garbage, 2s, 3s, and a 6.

And if you got all bad cards, low cards that you couldn’t do anything with, you’d fold, leave the hand, but if you complained at all, someone early one would begin to quote this verse.

I quote a lot of verses here, when I speak. Here’s one I have never quoted from the pulpit.

From the book of Kenny Rogers.

Every gambler knows the secret to surviving is to know what to throw away and know what to keep. Cause every hand’s a winner, and every hand’s a loser, so all you can hope for is to die in your sleep.

You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away and know when to run…

And then, someone would follow up w/ this sage advice, “There are no bad hands, only bad players.” Good players can even bluff a bad hand into a winner.

You’re dealt a hand, organize it, develop a strategy, what are you going to do w/ it, you draw experiences, the ppl at the table around you make their plays, you’ve got to adapt and play your hand. How are you going to play it?

Complain that everyone else is mis-playing their hand messing you up.

God stacked the cards in the deck against you so you were dealt a trash hand?

Or, all aces, God must love you b/c you’re winning, It must mean He’s got a great plan for your life and your reservation in heaven is set. Just b/c you’re winning that night.

Then, you draw a card, someone else makes a play, that messes up your whole strategy and turns your sure winner into and ugly loser. Now what? How are you going play it? Can you recover?

Life lessons.

In life, we’re dealt a hand. Genetics. Environment. A table full of other players, your family, job, career. You’ll draw experiences. Others will play their hand.

Maybe you were dealt all aces. Maybe, trash. Maybe your next draw is your winner. Or the next play by your kids is your loser. What are you going to do? How are you going to play it? Complain? Gloat? Brag about what a great player you are and obviously God loves b/c you’re winning right now.

Or, God hates you b/c all you have turned into a trash hand of bad genes at a table where everyone else is out to get you and mess you up.

But, remember. Every hand’s a winner and every hand’s a loser. There are no bad hands, only bad players.

How are you playing your hand and what does it mean about how much God loves you?

It doesn’t mean much about how much God loves you. But we can think that it does and be confused about how important this next play is. Your next draw, or another person’s next play can change everything about today.

But, what about eternity?

Good ppl draw bad hands, bad experiences, have bad things happen.

Bad ppl draw good hands, have good experiences, and have good things happen.

Regardless, we need to take care of business with Jesus today because tomorrow might be too late. Then, it won’t matter how bad you think your hand is. If you’re playing with Jesus, then even your bad hand can win in the end.

We’re in Luke 16 this morning. Another parable. It’s about a man who thought he was blessed by God only b/c he was wealthy and winning at most everything. And mis-read his situ as there was a poor beggar who was losing at everything in life. Then, they both died and confused the rich man how he ended up where he was.

Jesus does not want us to fall into the same trap so He told this story. It’s the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.

The Hand They’d Been Dealt

Luke 16:19–21 NIV

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

This un-named man, enjoyed great riches in this life, sac’d any possible rel. w/ God b/c He took it for granted that God loved Him enough b/c he was so wealthy. He bel’d he didn’t need to do anything else to be right w/ God. He assumed, he’s good-looking, wore the best clothes, lived in the nicest house, a gated community. Even his underwear. The reference to fine linen. Was there a Victoria’s Secret for men back then?

Obviously, God loved him b/c he’d been dealt such a good hand. Lots of aces. B/C he was rich, everyone assumed he was a good guy and wanted to be like him.

But, being rich is not the equivalent of being righteous, good w/ God. This pointed directly at the Pharisees. The rich man had everything in this life he wanted.

He was nameless.

Then there was the poor beggar. He’d been dealt the worst hand of all. Bad genes. Bad experiences. The ppl around him took full advantage.

He was the poorest of the poor. Offensive to look at. Grotesque. Sores all over his body. Off-putting. PPL would avert their eyes and their attention every time they walked by. No one wanted to be like this guy.

He would sit at the rich man’s gate, hoping that this one day he would get a scrap of the leftover food thrown away and wasted by this man and his family

It appeared God had dumped all the bad cards in the deck on him. No way God loved Him. Who would treat anyone like this, esp someone you care about.

But, we know his name. God knew his name. He knew Him. And the beggar knew god.

The name Lazarus in Hebrew means “God, our helper.” He was dependent on God for everything. He had a strong faith, though little evidence of it in the way he was playing the hand he’d been dealt.

If they thought of him at all, the ppl would have thought, “Ya, right, where’s God’s help? He lies at the gate, can’t move, can’t even chase the dogs away who come and like his sores.

No way God loves this guy. Since He doesn’t, we don’t either.

The rich man didn’t know his name and offered no help that he could have so easily afforded to do.

He feasted inside while the poor beggar lied outside hoping for a crumb of what the rich man would cast aside.

Lazarus had no life at all, it seemed. While the rich man had everything. Neither stood in line while waiting to be born to choose their cards. Neither had done anything to earn what they got. This was the hand they were dealt. They had to choose how to play it.

The rich man’s faulty conclusion was God obviously had a favorite here and would prove it when they all died.

The more comfortable we are in life, the more likely we’re going to heaven, right?!

Wait, what? That didn’t end up like I thought it would. What happened?

The Big Winner/Loser in the End

Luke 16:22–23 NIV

“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.

Lazarus died. The angels immediately came and carried him to be by Abraham. Implied, heaven. That’s where Abe is. He is the father of all Israelites and is awaiting the arrival of the faithful into God’s presence with him.

This is the goal, maybe expectation, of every Jew.

Laz went from being a lonely beggar, sufferer, outside the gate to an accepted, blessed saint inside the gate of Heaven.

Jesus is once again drawing on the parable he told a short time ago about the banquet, who’s in and who’s locked out. When those who bel’d the guest list would be exclusive, but saw the many different ppl from many different backgrounds, they resented their inclusion and didn’t want to come in. Just like the older brother in the Prodigal Son parable.

Laz rec’d an honored position at the table near Abe’s seat. Abe is not the host. But he is one of the honored guests. So those seated near him would be honored, as well.

Then, the rich man died. When he immediately arrived at his eternal assignment, he bel’d there must have been a mistake made. A horrible, terrible, mistake. He recognized immediately where he was and the circumstances surrounding his then eternal situ.

There was no grand announcement. No proclamation. He died and was very unceremoniously given his place. Separated from God. God was not there. There were no believers there. Probably, many Jews. But his expectation was to be given a place near the seat of God. No angelic escort. No longer a man of status. Just one of the grunts in a nasty place.

After a glorious life, a rather inglorious passing and burial.

In Jesus’ story, he looked up and saw Laz by Abe. A great distance and difference between them. He realized right away how much trouble he was in; and what a great position Laz was then in. They both knew where each other was.

This reflects the reality and the conscious awareness of the ppl if not the literal specifics. We’ve got to be careful about drawing hard absolute conclusions based on Jesus’ parables. They are stories that serve a purpose. We can draw some conclusions and applications. But, be careful about universal application to all the nuances of stories like this.

We don’t know for sure if we will be able to see back and forth when we are there.

What they saw was a significant role reversal. Laz was blessed. The rich man, not so much.

The man who had been rich, was now tormented. Tortured. It is constant. No let up. Mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical. Knowing where he is and that’s his eternal existence, no hope for a change of scenery nor situ.

The expected anticipation of heaven, heart set on it only to find out no. Separated from God and all godly ppl, forever. The heat of the fire. All of his lift built up to bel he would end up in heaven b/c of how his life on earth went.

Anticipating that final play, that final card, that final lay down w/ the big win to impress everyone around the table. Yet, even in a game of solitaire that you expect to win only to hit the dead end and lose.

The emotional let down. The mental second-guessing. The spiritual consideration of being abandoned by God. The physical pain of the nearby fire.

Hades, in the Greek translated Hell. In Hebrew, Sheol. It’s the counter place to Paradise where believers go when we die. Again, think thief on the cross. Jesus said that He would see the thief later that day in Paradise.

Neither this paradise, nor Hades, is the final ultimate place we end up for all eternity after our final judgement in the very end. It is a temporary place, with many of the characteristics of our final residence. Glorious for the believers. Inglorious for those who don’t.

Not much is written about Hades. What is, is horrible. A place to be avoided at all cost. But a place too many assume either doesn’t exist or they’ve been good enough in this life and deserve a better eternal existence.

But, like the rich man, they avoided God and everything God said about how to avoid Hades in order to enjoy more of the good life here.

While ppl like Laz, depended on God in all circumstances, leaned on a relationship w/ Jesus, praised him in all situations, and was rewarded with a seat at the Lord’s table.

In the end, Laz won big. There was not obvious indication during his life on earth that he would end up in Heaven. No one paid any attention to him anyway. He was not even an afterthought.

Everyone assumed the rich man would have a similar position in heaven just b/c he had such a good and comfortable life on earth.

But, Jesus wants all of us to know, whatever hand you’ve been dealt here, does not necessarily have anything to do w/ counting your chips when the games over.

Once the final count is in, it’s set. So, take care of business w/ Jesus while you can today. B/C tomorrow may be too late.

A tough lesson, among several, the rich man learned quickly.

The Final Counting

Luke 16:24–31 NIV

So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity 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.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

The rich man tried to change his circumstances.

“Father Abraham” An appeal based on his Jewish roots. What he was counting on all along was his relationship w/ Abraham, not Jesus. It didn’t work the first time. It won’t work now.

Irony: The rich man did not even notice Laz on earth. Didn’t offer to help him. Now, pleads for Lax to help him. Apparently he did now his name. But like everyone else, he ignored him and the needs he could have so easily helped him with.

Laz is a poor beggar servant. He was on earth. He must still be in Heaven, Abe’s servant. So he appeals to Abe to send his new servant thinking his situ had not changed. Still assuming he had some clout even though a new Hades address.

But his fate had been set during his time on earth. He did not depend on God at all. No faith. He didn’t bel he needed any. He was sure he was self-sufficient. He could buy his way in, open every door, or have it opened for him by those who wanted to be near him.

He was not generous, thinking of others, esp the poor. He could have done so much but he ignored them. He was about to get as much help from Laz as he gave him during his life.

The rich man had no idea how much grace is req’d of God to save him. He didn’t think he needed a favor from anyone, esp God. He could pay to move the mountain. Since he didn’t get grace, he couldn’t give any. He was unwilling to extend it. He though he earned everything.

And, Laz had earned everything he got on earth, too. Nada. A big, fat zero. All bad cards. 2s and 4s and no wild cards.

Notice the physical torment in Hades, fire, heat. But it does not consume him. It only stings him.

Fire dries everything out. The thirst. Cracked skin, lips, brittle nails breaking below the quick. Eternally thirsty.

If only God would help them out. God can quench that thirst. But, God’s not there to do anything about it.

“Just a drop of water on his finger…” “Just a crumb from what he casts off his table….”

Abe’s words are sensitive, but direct. “Son, remember that in your lifetime you rec’d your good things while Laz rec’d bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.

“Agony” constant. Ongoing. Mental anguish fully aware of his eternal plight. What was, was for such a short amount of time compared to what is to be. It could have ended up so differently had he only made one better choice.

He played his hand. He thought he won. He already rec’d everything good he was ever going to get and gave no credit to God for any of it. No more chances to change that.

But it is Laz who went from suffering to comfort. He played his hand, too. It appeared he would have lost. But he made the right choice to have faith in God.

What Laz was, you now are. What he lacked in life, you now lack in the afterlife. What you did not provide for him, He cannot provide for you.

The rich man is not condemned b/c he was rich. But b/c he was selfish, self-sufficient, not compassionate, born of any faith in God. Only faith in himself to provide for himself everything he thought he needed and deserved.

Reality, Abe couldn’t do anything for him anyway. God is sovereign and he set the standard we all must live by.

Once we are in our eternal assignment, there is not hope of being able to do anything to cross over. It is a great chasm.

So, the man finally realized there was no hope for him. But what about his family? Suddenly he became concerned about the other ppl in his card game, at his table.

They are rich, too.

He does not want them to make the same mistake He did.

I guess you could give the man a few points for realizing his mistake and advocating for Jesus’ message of repentance. But it was too late for him. It didn’t do him any good.

Some realizations come too late.

More irony: He wanted Laz to go tell his brothers. And in the plea to Laz he is telling us, Luke’s readers, what we need to do that he didn’t.

All 5 brothers share his same philosophy on earth and are destined for the same fate. He thinks Laz is the only one who can get thru to them. Maybe they did notice this poor beggar after-all.

If only someone would come from heaven to tell the living how to get there and why.

Um….Jesus.

If only God would inform some ppl who could write down what He tells them about heaven. How to get there. Why we’d want to end up there over Hades. If only….

Abe replied, Laz isn’t necessary. They have all the info they need in the prophets, the law, and now Jesus. It’s been written down. And they know the OT.

The rich man did not give up. He pressed on. Moses and prophets were not enough for him. It won’t be for them. But Abe’s response was they really did know enough.

The bible is enough. But for too many, it’s too old, irrelevant, full of contradictions, science has disproved it, and so many other excuses.

But it’s all right there.

Jesus’ miracles helped. But no one believed based on a miracle. They wouldn’t bel based on the miracle of a man returning from heaven to warn them. They need to heed the message. Why perform another sign when they haven’t responded to any of the signs, yet.

Empirical evidence, or lack there of, is not the problem. Their will is the problem. Their pride. Their heart.

If they don’t bel Mo, the prophets, and Jesus; then they won’t bel some poor schmuck of beggar sent back from the dead to explain what happened to their brother and why.

The message of X is enough w/out his resurrection. It encourages those of us who already believe. But it won’t change anyone’s mind.

Luke wrote all this down. We get the message. We get the choice. His brothers never did.

You’ve been dealt your hand. How are you going to play it? It may be full of aces, it may be full of junk. But every hand is a winner, and every hand is a loser. There are not bad hands, only bad players.

Your next draw might be fantastic. Or, not. The players at your table may ruin your strategy. Can you adapt?

Do you see God’s hand in your life? Do you realize you can still end up the big winner even if your run of luck is all bad right now?

Depend on God, regardless of your hand.

Applications

Cards

How do you play yours? What do you do w/ your wealth? Be generous. Be thankful to God for every good thing you get, and the bad things, too.

Have faith. Don’t be self-centered, self-sufficient, thinking you deserve what you have and even better.

Play your hand, adapt to the experiences you draw, respond to the plays of the players at your table, and always remain hopeful and confident that you will be the big winner in the end b/c of your faith, not b/c of the moves you made in your life.

Decide Now

Nothing can be changed once you’ve passed from this life to the next. Everything that happens to you next will be based on decisions you made while you were here.

Take care of bsns w/ Jesus today, tomorrow may be too late. No matter how things are in life right now, if you’re right w/ Jesus you’ll be right in the very end.

Message

Miracles don’t save anyone. I’ve said many times, every miracle has a point, but it isn’t the main point, it points to the main point in the message of Jesus. The bible lays it out clearly what to do to be save, what heaven and Hades are like, and why would should want to end up in one place and not the other.

Pay attention. Heed the message. Set your pride aside and set Jesus on the throne of your life.

Life lessons.

In life, we’re dealt a hand. Genetics. Environment. A table full of other players, your family, job, career. You’ll draw experiences. Others will play their hand.

Maybe you were dealt all aces. Maybe, trash. Maybe your next draw is your winner. Or the next play by your kids is your loser. What are you going to do? How are you going to play it? Complain? Gloat? Brag about what a great player you are and obviously God loves b/c you’re winning right now.

Or, God hates you b/c all you have turned into a trash hand of bad genes at a table where everyone else is out to get you and mess you up.

But, remember. Every hand’s a winner and every hand’s a loser. There are no bad hands, only bad players.

How are you playing your hand and what does it mean about how much God loves you?

It doesn’t mean much about how much God loves you. But we can think that it does and be confused about how important this next play is. Your next draw, or another person’s next play can change everything about today.

But, what about eternity?

Good ppl draw bad hands, bad experiences, have bad things happen.

Bad ppl draw good hands, have good experiences, and have good things happen.

Regardless, we need to take care of business with Jesus today because tomorrow might be too late. Then, it won’t matter how bad you think your hand is. If you’re playing with Jesus, then even your bad hand can win in the end.