The Lord taught a parable as recorded in Luke chapter 16 that I will transpose to a more modern setting (those with eyes to see shall see):
In 1918 there was a successful businessman called Davies who worked in downtown Philadelphia in a tall building. His successful business employed many people, and among them used to be a man named Eleazar. But Eleazar’s wife became gravely ill with the flu to the point that Eleazar spent considerable time and money to try and help her. After a few months, and with every dollar gone, Eleazar’s wife passed away. In his saddened and weak state, he became unprofitable to his employer, Davies, and soon Eleazar was laid off to find other work. But he could find no other work, and, about to lose his home, he hoped that his old boss—for he knew his old boss to be a wealthy man—could spare anything he no longer needed. Even Davies' garbage would be welcome by Eleazar, if he could just get something to eat.
Eleazar was waiting outside the tall building, sitting on the curb, knowing that Davies would come out at five o’clock sharp with other members of the Board of Directors to return to their homes. If he could just speak to his old boss, Eleazar hoped, he would surely be given something. At 4:59, however, a policeman walking by asked Eleazar what he was up to loitering outside the tower. Eleazar looked pitiful as he pleaded with the policeman to let him remain just another minute, his tattered suit and unshaved face bespeaking a faded previous dignity. As Eleazar pleaded with the officer, a crowd grew around them. Just then Davies and the other Board members came out of the doors. He noticed the commotion and drew near. Eleazar’s eyes connected with his, and right away he recognized Eleazar as one of his former employees,
"Davies! Davies!" Eleazar gasped. "Please let me work for you! I'll take your trash! Anything!" But Davies pretended not to know him and left in a hurried embarrassment.
Eleazar came by the next day at the same time and, to his relief, he found there was no cop to confront him. When Davies came out of the front doors, Eleazar gathered his wrinkled and worn face into the best semblance of a smile that he could and began to address his old boss. But Davies remembered the scene from the day before and, not wanting to embarass himself in front of the Board, quickly averted his eyes and turned aside from poor Eleazar. This repeated for a few days, and each time Eleazar’s smile dimmed a little more, and each time the old boss refused to so much as speak a word. When the snow came, Eleazar was still there, though he brought with him a cough.
And one day, Eleazar came and sat on the curb but didn’t get up at 4:59 to try and say a word to his old boss. The police came and carried away his frozen body. At that same moment, but on the other side of the veil, angels came and carried away Eleazar's spirit into warmth and paradise. Not a week later Davies also succumbed to the flu despite the most advanced medical care he could afford. Though his body was carefully laid to rest in a marble tomb, his spirit was unattended by angels and left aside in darkness.
Davies' spirit, feeling naked, forsaken, and without comfort, looked up to a bright light upon a hill in the distance and saw, to his great astonishment, his old employee, Eleazar, resting upon seat of silk and gold. His face was clean and bright, his clothing white and comfortable, but his gaze down upon the successful businessman was most solemn.
“Eleazar,” called out Davies. Still thinking only of himself he continued, “Come to me and bring some pillow or blanket there that you are not using. Please hurry!” But Eleazar made no reply.
A glorious being then appeared next to Eleazar who spoke, saying, “In life you received much comfort and did adorn and love thyself, Davies, but this thy neighbor thou hast not loved. And now with what love thou didst impart thou shalt receive; therefore Eleazar is comforted but thou art comfortless.”
"No! But this is more than I can bear!" Davies protested. Neither Eleazar nor the being of light made any reply. About to resign himself to his forlorn fate, Davies thought to try spare his rich friends who yet lived. "Eleazar, I neglected you and now I see my folly though too late. Please, appear to the other Board members and tell them to not repeat my mistake—instruct them to open their hearts and to care for their fellow man more than their pocket books!"
But in a loud and thundering voice the being of light reproved Davies: "The Board are all Christians and profess Christ and the Bible. If they will not believe what is written, then they would not believe even if the dead should declare it to them."
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