Still considering Luke 16

Interesting to me...verse 14.  God makes a point to have His chosen author make mention of those who listened to Jesus' teaching here. 
"And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things:  and they derided him."  Jesus called them out and labeled them!  Wow!  How far things have strayed from how Jesus ministered!  He knew they had heard all He had said.  Jesus knew they were harshly mocking or ridiculing what He had said.  It didn't matter...He kept confronting them with the truth!
Verse 15..."And he said unto them, 'Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts:  for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.'"  I wonder what kind of cafuffle would start if preachers today were this direct!?  I really don't think Jesus was concerned with people's feelings about how He taught.  He knew what His Father told Him to do.  He knew what it was going to cost Him.  He knew how hot the fires of hell would be!  His whole life was dedicated to keeping people from perishing.  John 3:16!
Jesus continued to teach even amid the open hate toward what He was trying to communicate to a lost and dying world.  He got very direct is speaking about what would happen to those who continue to live as they want. 
Then Jesus turns to the disciples...men who knew better...in Luke 17...and tells them to "take heed!"  "It is impossible but that offences will come:  but woe unto him, through whom they come!  It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little one."
There is a clear distinction between the expectations that God places on an unbeliever and a believer.  There are definite consequences measured out for those who follow God's law...and those who do not.  The preachers and teachers may not know your heart...but God does...and there is no escaping His Almighty gaze. 
There wasn't any more mercy given to the rich man.  Both the rich man and the beggar die...and face eternity.  Abraham reminded the rich man of the opportunities he had in his lifetime..."good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things:".  The rich man finally saw the difference.   He begged an pleaded, but it was too late.  Abrahma reminded him that if he (or his brothers) wouldn't heed Moses and the prophets...they wouldn't be persuaded by Lazarus either. There was an expectation. The rich man and Lazarus each made a choice.  There are the same expectations and same choices today.
Yet, we are so concerned with not being too hard, not making people feel uncomfortable, not being too direct, not having too many expectations...that we have justified ourselves right out of God's loving care and under satan's control.  We are ignoring the Words of God...under the guise of love.  We do not understand how to love like God loves.  He is gracious and longsuffering...but at the same time He hates sin and how it affects our hearts and lives at present.  But how much more is the Father's love for us...that He would spare us from an eternity of torment by offering His Son to take on Him the sins of the whole world.  We cannot comprehend that type of love! 
I wonder...what will cause us to finally be concerned about our soul...the souls of our loved ones...the souls of those that we are called to minister to.  Not ministering according to man's ideas....but according to God's ideas.  We have the same words from Moses and the prophets.  We have the record of the miracles and teachings of Jesus.  We know just as much as the rich man and Lazarus...but we still tend to think like the rich man...that we know better. 
Someday...it will be too late, and I wonder how many of us will be asking for mercy after a life of mocking and ridiculing Jesus' words like the Pharisees did.  Oh...maybe not in the actual words we choose...but what about our choice of priorities, music, movies, dress...you fill in the blank.  You don't think it will matter?!  I bet the rich man "didn't think it was that big of a deal" either!