Because Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, death need no longer scare us the way that it often does – for the grave can longer hold us and death can no longer end us – “We shall rise, we shall rise!”

“Let not your hearts be troubled? How, in a world like this, can our hearts be anything other than troubled?”

“the story ends, with Lazarus in heaven and the rich man in Hades – and justice seemingly done, the tables turned, and so forth.”

“Faithfulness in all our daily dealings as husband and wife, children and parents, church and family and friends and neighbors builds in us that greater faithfulness of being able to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength – which is nothing less than the power of God’s own love finding a place to reside in our hearts.”

“In telling us this parable, Jesus is confirming yet again what He told us about Himself and His mission – and, indeed, about His own divine heart.”

“Father and younger son are reunited. More than reunited, their relationship is now fully reconciled and restored. And not because of anything the son has done – it is all because of the prodigal love of the father for his son.”