The Netherworld

Learning how our destiny affects daily life

03/22/2019

Luke 16:19-31 Jesus said to the Pharisees: "There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.' Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.'

Did you know both the state of Arkansas and the country of the Netherlands can be found in the bible? Bishop Andrew McDonald (of happy memory) used to love quoting Genesis 8:13, where it says: “Noah then removed the covering of the ark and saw that the surface of the ground had dried.” Did you catch that the Natural State is mentioned in that verse: “ark and saw”? Keep that in mind the next time you are in a heated debate with someone from Texas: the Lone Star state is not mentioned in the bible.

Last week someone heard the country of “the Netherlands” suggested in a scripture verse. Several people, including me, were talking about today’s parable of the rich man and Lazarus. I said, “Well, the rich man was in the netherworld, while Lazarus was in heaven.” One person asked very puzzled: “Did you say the rich man was in the Netherlands?” I answered, “Well, some people may think the Netherlands could be the abode of the dead.” This also explains why people find it hard to locate the Netherlands on a map: it is in the underworld. That humorous exchange, however, sparked a serious conversation about the netherworld as Jesus used it in his parable today. What is it and what is it not; where is it and where is it not? Let me share three things about the netherworld and try to bring out some practical implications.

First of all, the Old Testament, the Hebrew scriptures, speaks of two places where the dead go.  One is called “Gehenna” and is hell, properly-speaking. Gehenna is the final destination of the damned, those who die in a state of unrepented mortal sin. You do not want to go there. But not everyone in the Old Testament took the train to hell. Why? Well, there were holy heroes prior to the coming of Christ, like Noah (who lived in Arkansas), Abraham, Enoch, Moses, David, and prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Elijah, to name but a few. Where did they land after death? Not in Gehenna, but in Sheol, or the abode of the dead. That would be the Catholic equivalent of purgatory, a place of purification and preparation for paradise, or heaven. So, when reading the bible, be careful not to conflate or confuse three distinct terms that refer to the three distinct destinies of the dead. (1) Gehenna is hell, (2) sheol or the netherworld is equivalent to purgatory, and (3) paradise is pure and simply heaven, those who enjoy eternal life and love, cradled in the bosom of Abraham.

Secondly, notice how the rich man dares to ask for mercy in the midst of his misery. He begs: “Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in these flames.” Even though Abraham rebuffs his request by citing the “great chasm” that prevents any contact, that abyss will soon be overcome by Christ’s death and resurrection. Indeed, that’s why Jesus came: not only to save the living but also those who had already died, like the Old Testament saints stuck in the netherworld, or as some call it, “The Netherlands.” In other words, even though Lazarus could not “dip the tip of his finger and cool the tongue” of the rich man, Jesus could do that and would do that. There is a powerfully moving altar of the poor souls in purgatory at St. Edward’s Church in Little Rock. It depicts angels catching drops of Jesus’ Blood from the cross in golden cups or chalices and cooling the tongues of those tormented in the netherworld of purgatory. The rich man, therefore, is not in Gehenna or hell, but he is in sheol/purgatory. The flames purge and purify, while the Cross of Christ cools and refreshes.

And thirdly, I am convinced that the netherworld was intended by God to be the place people powerfully feel God’s mercy. Just like Jesus’ Blood cooled and comforted those tormented in the flames, so the Church (you and I) carries on that “comfort care” down through the ages. How so? Well, every time a Mass is offered for someone who has died (the intention of the Mass), the parable in today’s gospel explodes into life; the parable comes true. A soul in purgatory is cooled and comforted by Christ’s Blood, which is consecrated at each Mass. At Immaculate Conception in Fort Smith, one lady left ten thousand dollars for Masses to be said for her after she died. She does not want a drop of water from the tip of Lazarus’ finger to cool her, she wants a water-tower to be splashed on her in purgatory. That’s a smart lady. Sometimes we feel out of touch with people after they have died, but this riveting parable and the reality of purgatory can rain down mercy on our beloved dead and on us who are left alive and mourning their loss.

You know, I have never been to the Netherlands, but I do hope I make it to the netherworld, that is, purgatory. But did you know the capital of the Netherlands is called The Hague, and that’s the home of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, a place where people plea for justice and mercy, like the rich man in the gospel? So, maybe the Netherlands and the Netherworld are not so different or distant from each other after all. Both places should be the home of mercy.

Praised be Jesus Christ!