September 21

The Beggar’s Escort

One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried. — Luke 16:22 BSB

Nothing is said about the beggar’s funeral, and it’s likely no one paid much attention to his passing. There were no grand ceremonies, no flowers, no tributes. But the angels came, and they were his pallbearers and escorts to glory. The focus here isn’t on the man’s body, which was left behind. The real man, his soul, was taken away to heaven, no longer a beggar but enjoying eternal blessedness.

There’s another important thought here: we often dread death, seeing it as the end of everything. But for the Christian, it’s just a passage into glory. One moment, the beggar is suffering at the gate; the next, he feels a strange sensation, and suddenly he is being carried by angels into paradise. There’s no break in his life—just a seamless transition into eternity.

Death also came for the rich man, and all his wealth couldn’t save him from it. No doubt he had a lavish funeral, with many mourners and much pomp. But who wouldn’t prefer the beggar’s angelic escort to the finest earthly funeral? Riches might bring honor in this life, but they hold no value in the next. The rich man lived for himself, and when he was gone, no one truly mourned his passing.