The Rich Man and Lazarus
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19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
All parables starting with a term “certain man” so we wont misunderstand type of a narration.
Luke 10:33; Luke 12:16; Luke 13:6; Luke 14:16; Luke 15:11; Luke 16:1; Luke 19:12; Luke 20:9
Name of a beggar was? Lazarus
Name of a beggar was? Lazarus
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
Some scholars have concluded that the story of the rich man and Lazarus is not a parable but rather a true-to-life story. They reason that because the parables (in the Bible as well as in rabbinical tradition) never contain proper names, this must mean that this story was an actual historical occurrence. But, as we shall find later in our study, there was a particular reason why Jesus included a proper name in this particular parable.
To whom this parable is adressed? Pharisees
14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
Pharisees believe in life after death.
Sadducees do not believe in life after death.
8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.
The Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, amplifies this contrast between the beliefs of the Sadducees and the Pharisees:
“They [the Pharisees] say that all souls are incorruptible, but that the souls of good men only are removed into other bodies, but that the souls of bad men are subject to eternal punishment. But the Sadducees . . . . take away the belief of the immortal duration of the soul, and the punishments and rewards in Hades.” (Flavius Josephus, Wars of the Jews II.14)
Josephus, who was himself a Pharisee, described the nature of Hades in his work Discourse to the Greeks Concerning Hades. There he described Hades as a subterraneous region consisting of two sections. The first section contained everlasting fire. The angels took the wicked to this region upon the moment of death. The second section of Hades consisted of a place which was called the Bosom of Abraham. Josephus affirms that there was a great gulf fixed between the two sections so that the righteous could not pass to the fiery region nor the wicked to the Bosom of Abraham. There is no place in the Bible which even vaguely suggests such a scenario. This whole picture of Hades was created by the rabbis. In the parable, however, Jesus took what the Pharisees believed and gave it a surprising twist!
Can the Parable be Taken Literally? NO
People are in the graves untill Jesus comes again.
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Gathering and punishment of the wicked is at the end of the world according to Jesus
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
At this point it would be well to study the following Scriptures which unequivocally teach that the wicked will be cast into the fire when Jesus comes, not at the moment of death: Matthew 25:31-32; Mark 9:43-48; John 12:48; Revelation 20:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15; 2 Peter 3:7; 2 Peter 3:12-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
What does the story explicitly state about the rich man?
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Note: The text is explicit. The rich man not only died but was also buried. Now, the Bible says that when a person dies, their body returns to the dust (Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 12:7). This being the case, what is the rich man doing in hell with all his body parts? The story tells us he had eyes (Luke 16:23) and tongue (Luke 16:24). On the other hand, Lazarus is said to have fingers after he goes to the Bosom of Abraham (Luke 16:24). In Mark 9:43-48 we are told that the sinner’s who body will be cast into hell (see also, Matthew 5:29-30) so this cannot happen at death. The fact is that if both the rich man and Lazarus have body parts, and if the body is not cast into hell until the end of the age, then this must be describing what will happen at the end of the age and not what took place at the moment of death!
The problem of body parts in hell, has led Robert Morey, a staunch defender of the immortality of the soul and the eternal torment of the wicked at the moment of death, to confess: “Everyone understood that these parables and dialogues did not literally take place. It was understood that the rabbis used imaginative stories and dialogues as a teaching method. It was understood by all that these dialogues never took place. . . . He [Jesus] was merely using the dialogue method to get across the concept that there is no escape from torment, no second chance, and we must believe the Scriptures in this life unto salvation.” (Robert Morey, Death and the Afterlife, p. 85).
So, the only passage in the Bible which appears to teach eternal torment at the moment of death is, admittedly, an event which never took place!
According to the Bible, where will the angels take the faithful when Jesus comes again?
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Note: In the parable, Lazarus was taken to the bosom of Abraham by the angels but the Bible tells us that the righteous will be caught up by the angels to Jesus (see, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; John 14:1-3)
5. According to the parable, was the rich man able to communicate with Abraham after he died?
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
Note: Deuteronomy 18:10-11 strictly forbids the communication between the living and the dead. Are we to believe that righteous dead people can communicate with wicked dead people? Spiritualists believe this but certainly not Christians!
6. What does the Bible explicitly teach about the dead?
5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
7. What is meant by the expression, “the bosom of Abraham”?
23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
Note: The bosom, in the Bible as well as today, refers to a position of particular closeness to someone (see, Isaiah 40:11; John 1:18; Deuteronomy 13:6; Deuteronomy 28:54; Deuteronomy 28:56). We will later see that the Jewish nation claimed to be particularly close to Abraham. Yet Jesus said that spiritually there was an impassible gulf between Abraham and them. Incidentally, if the parable is to be taken literally, then the “bosom of Abraham” must also be literal! How large must that bosom then be!!
8. What indication do we have that Jesus was using satire and irony in this parable?Luke 16:24
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
Note: How much good would it do for Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool the tongue of the rich man? If this were literal, the water would evaporate before it got to the rich man’s tongue. Obviously, Jesus is speaking with irony! Notice also that the rich man trusted Abraham to receive mercy instead of the Lord.
The First Application of the Parable: The Covetous Rich and the Faithful Poor
The First Application of the Parable: The Covetous Rich and the Faithful Poor
1. What is the central theme of this parable?
Christ’s Object Lessons (Chapter 21—“A Great Gulf Fixed”)
In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Christ shows that in this life men decide their eternal destiny. During probationary time … No afterprobation will be granted them.
2. What contrast is drawn in this parable?
Christ’s Object Lessons Chapter 21—“A Great Gulf Fixed”
This parable draws a contrast between the rich who have not made God their dependence, and the poor who have made God their dependence.
3. The story does not say that the rich man mistreated Lazarus. What, then, was the sin of the rich man?
But he was selfishly indifferent to the needs of his suffering brother. {COL 261.1}
4. What is the essence of all idolatry?
All covetousness is condemned as idolatry. All selfish indulgence is an offense in God’s sight. {COL 261.3}
5. Why did Jesus use this theologically erroneous parable?
In this parable Christ was meeting the people on their own ground. The doctrine of a conscious state of existence between death and the resurrection was held by many of those who were listening to Christ’s words. The Saviour knew of their ideas, and He framed His parable so as to inculcate important truths through these preconceived opinions.{COL 263.2}
The Second Application of the Parable
The Second Application of the Parable
1. Whom does the rich man represent?
The rich man was favored with every temporal and spiritual blessing, but he refused to cooperate with God in the use of these blessings. Thus it was with the Jewish nation.{COL 267.3}
Note: In the strictest sense of the word, the rich man represents the Pharisees. This is true for at least five reasons: 1) The rich man addressed Abraham as father and Abraham addressed Lazarus as son (Luke 16:24-25; Luke 16:27; Luke 16:30). The Jews in general, but the Pharisees in particular claimed Abraham as their father (see, John 8:37-44; Matthew 3:9). 2) The Pharisees claimed to have a special closeness to Abraham. Jesus would never have described the Gentiles as being in the “bosom of Abraham”. 3) The rich man had five brothers. These could very well represent the other Jewish denominations of Christ’s day: The Sadducees, the Herodians, the Scribes, the Zealots and the Essenes. 4) It is clear that the rich man believed in the immortality of the soul because he asked Abraham to send someone to his brother from among the dead (verse 30). This is precisely what the Pharisees believed! 5) The brothers of the rich man “had Moses and the Prophets” (verse 31). It was the Jews who had Moses and the Prophets (John 5:39-46).
2. What did Jesus teach regarding natural genetic lineage?
Christ recognized no virtue in lineage. He taught that spiritual connection supersedes all natural connection. {COL 268.2}
3. What did Jesus say to a gentile woman who begged Jesus to heal her daughter and what did the woman say in return?
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
Note: There are several parallel words in this passage to the parable of the rich man and Lazarus: Crumbs, dogs, table, children. This would indicate that Lazarus represents the gentiles. The Jews referred to the gentiles as “stones” (Matthew 3:9-10), “dogs” (Matthew 15:26) and “swine” (Matthew 7:6).
4. Thought Question: Sometimes it is important not only to read what a passage says but also what it does not say. Does this passage use any of the following words (in bold type)?
“Immediately after he died,” (Luke 16:22) “His body was buried,” (Luke 16:22) “his soul was in everlasting torments,” (Luke 16:23) “send the soul of Lazarus,” (Luke 16:24) “being in the everlasting torments of hades,” (Luke 16:23) “in this eternal flame,” (Luke 16:24) “his soul is comforted.” (Luke 16:25). The sobering fact is that the words “soul” and “everlasting" are missing!
5. What indication do we have in the parable that the rich man believed in the immortality of the soul?Luke 16:30
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
6. Did Jesus believe a dead person could impart a message to the rich man’s five brothers? (Luke 16:31
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Note: It is clear that Jesus believed in the resurrection of the dead, not the immortality of the soul. The word “rise” in this text is used repeatedly by Luke to describe the resurrection (see, Luke 18:33; Luke 24:7; Luke 24:46; Acts 26:23). It is also used by Jesus in John 11:24-25 to describe His own resurrection.
7. Thought Question: Why did Jesus employ the proper name “Lazarus” in this one parable?
“If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” These words were proved true in the history of the Jewish nation. Christ’s last and crowning miracle was the raising of Lazarus of Bethany, after he had been dead four days. The Jews were given this wonderful evidence of the Saviour’s divinity, but they rejected it. Lazarus rose from the dead and bore his testimony before them, but they hardened their hearts against all evidence, and even sought to take his life. (John 12:9-11.) {COL 265.1}
8. What did the Jews attempt to do to Jesus after He resurrected Lazarus? John 11:53
53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
9. What did the Jews attempt to do to Lazarus after his resurrection? John 12:10
10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;
Note: The words of Jesus in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus were proved literally true. Lazarus went to the Jews after rising from the dead and yet they did not believe in Jesus. This is what Jesus meant when He said: “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” (Luke 16:31)
10. Was the Jewish nation “consumed” for their rejection of the Messiah? Matthew 22:7
7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Note: The city of Jerusalem was burned up by the Romans [God’s instruments] and the Jews have been suffering fiery trials ever since (see, Luke 19:41-44) The kingdom was taken from the Jews and given to the Gentiles (see Acts 13:46-47)
The Final Application of the Parable
The Final Application of the Parable
1. To whom does the parable apply in the end-time?
Today there is a class in our world who are self-righteous. They are not gluttons, they are not drunkards, they are not infidels; but they desire to live for themselves, not for God. He is not in their thoughts; therefore they are classed with unbelievers.{COL 270.2}
2. What is it that fits us to dwell with Christ in heaven?
To learn of Christ means to receive His grace, which is His character. But those who do not appreciate and utilize the precious opportunities and sacred influences granted them on earth, are not fitted to take part in the pure devotion of heaven. {COL 271.1}
3. Thought Question: Do you suppose that this parable could have something to do with the message of Jesus to the Laodicean church? What relationship do you see? Do you think the Laodicean Church could repeat this story?