The Rich Man & Lazarus

Introduction

Opening: From time to time, we as a community are confronted by the reality of death. The Bible has a lot to say about this topic. In fact throughout all of human history, human beings have wondered what happens to a person after they die. Some cultures have developed complex schemes of reincarnation. Others have said that we simply cease to exist. The good news is that we as humans are not simply stuck with throwing ideas on the board and seeing which one sounds right. The Lord, in his wisdom, has given us His Word, to guide and to direct, and to inform us what happens after we die.

Personal: I’d like to begin today with a very blunt and very real question. If you were to die today, where would you go?

Context: In our passage today, Jesus tells another parable, this one about two different people who die, and experience two radically different outcomes. One ends up in Hell, while the other in Heaven. And so today we are going to a vivid chance to really discuss this question. To get clarity from God’s Word. And to build a confidence on hope that feeds our soul, and encourages our faith.

Luke 16:19–31 ““There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may…”

From this story, I’d like to try answer four questions.

Meaning & Application

I WHY DID THE RICH MAN END UP IN HELL?

The first question I want to address from this text is ‘Why did the rich man end up in Hell?”

Comparing the Two Men: As this story begins we are introduced to two starkly different men in this life. The first a rich man. We learn quite a bit about this man from the details that are given.

Rich Man: First, the rich man.

Rich: First, he was rich. The first word that is used to describe him is that he was wealthy. He had a lot of money.

Dress: Second, he dressed in the finest of clothes. He wore purple which in that day was a very expensive color to wear. Purple dye came from crushed snails, and it was not easy to come by. The fine linen is a reference to comfortable undergarments. The image is that of personal luxury.

Feast: Third, we read that he feasted sumptuously every day. His dinner table never lacked, and in fact there was extravagance of fine food daily.

Gate: Fourth, he had a gate, the gate that Lazarus laid by daily. This meant that he had a very nice house for that day and age

Poor Man: Second, the poor man.

Poor: First, we see the word “poor.” He didn’t have any money. In fact we get the sense that was extremely poor

Laid at Gate: Each day he was laid at the gate, passively. This indicates that he was likely crippled. That’s not guaranteed from the text, but it seems to be a very fair assumption from the way this text is written.

Sores: Covered with sores. These were clearly visible, festering. Likely very painful, and caused him tremendous suffering.

Dogs: The sores were such that the local wild dogs would feast on them. And he being crippled was unable to get them away. The word used here for “dogs” indicates wild dogs, which means Lazarus would have lived in a regular state of impurity. Wild dogs eat dead things, and if an Israelite of that day came in touch with a dead thing, or something like a wild dog, they were ceremonially unclean, an outcast.

Longed For Food: The poor man’s state was so hard and difficult that he dreamed of being fed with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. We are reminded of the story of the prodigal son at this point, as you might recall, he became so destitute and poor and hungry that he begged to eat from the pig’s food. There is a parallel here.

Lazarus: Finally, his name is Lazarus. The rich man does not have a name in this story, but the poor man is named Lazarus. That name means “God helps.” The identity of this man is one that in his heart of hearts, in all of his hardships, his faith was in the God of the Bible.

Rich Man Proximity: That describes the two men’s condition, but there is one more detail that I have not shared yet, of this rich man. And it is the clear sense of this text, that the rich man cared not at all about the poor man. The rich man withheld even his garbage from the poor man. The rich man certainly saw this poor man every day, they were in close proximity to each other. And yet, the rich man never thought to use his wealth or his means or his ability in any way to alleviate the hardship of the poor man.

Continuing the Story: And so the two men both die on their own time. Lazarus finds himself at Abraham’s side in Heaven. The rich man finds himself in torment in Hades, or what we would call Hell. But then there is this exchange of words between the rich man and Abraham across the great divide between Heaven and Hell. The rich man says

Luke 16:24 ESV

And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’

There are two additional facts we learn here.

Lazarus (24): First, the rich man not only recognized Lazarus as the man who used to lie outside of his gate, but he knew Lazarus’s name.

Imperative (24): But secondly, in verse 24, the rich man says, “send Lazarus to serve me.” This is fascinating. This is revealing this man’s mindset both in this world, and as it carried with him even as he suffered in Hell. He saw himself as the Master who could command poor Lazarus to serve him. This man is so blind to the condition of his heart, that he is literally in flames in Hell, begging for a drop of water, and still cannot humble himself to see Lazarus as anything other than his servant.

Rich Man’s Condition: Church, the question are asking is ‘Why does a person go to Hell?’ The rich man did not go to Hell because he was rich. Nor did he go to Hell because he enjoyed fine food. The rich man went to hell for the condition of his heart. His neglect of Lazarus was a a symptom of a much deeper disease of the soul. His heart was rotten, and he was deceived into the belief that his heart was just fine.

A Prosperity: What cause him to be deceived? Perhaps the chief culprit of his deception was his wealth. Maybe he had the false notion that success and order in one’s life was a sign of godliness and blessing from God. Maybe he really believed that demonic doctrine known as the prosperity gospel. And he assumed that his prosperity was a sign of his right standing with God. Maybe he even assumed Lazarus’s condition was a sign of his poor standing with God. Either way we know that the way money and prosperity had gripped his heart, is a key part of the point of this story

B No Need for Savior: To put it bluntly, the Rich Man did not believe he needed a Savior to rescue him from the condition of his soul before a Holy God. No man goes to hell for being rich. But this man went to Hell, because his riches blinded him to his need of a Savior. You see, money, can oddly function like a numbing agent in our life. Just as we might be prescribed medicine that numbs the pain of something wrong in our body. So money numbs us to deeper spiritual realities, by invading our line of sight with comfort. Poverty likewise has its dangers, but in some ways poverty can more easily reveal our deep of salvation, where riches can more easily conceal.

You Need a Savior: The truth, is that like this rich man, each and every one of us will stand one day before a Holy God. We will give an account for our life. And on that day, we can be sure, that if we have not confessed our need of a Savior, and looked to the cross, where our Savior died for us, then our destiny will be the same as this rich man. Do not be deceived. Do not be numbed. Do the hard work of spiritual reflection. See your sin, in all of its sinfulness. And see our God in all of his holiness.

II HELL IS A WORLD OF ANGUISH

This leads us to our second question we can ask of this text. ‘What is Hell like?’

Literally: Now we must be careful not to read this passage overly literally. This is a parable, an illustrative story meant to make a point, not necessarily meant to give us doctrinal details to develop a full theology of Hell upon. That doesn’t mean that the principles within the parable are not true. It simply means, we should take all of biblical counsel into consideration when developing a doctrine of Hell. Nevertheless, the parable does afford us a glimpse into themes of Hell that are true, and are supported by all of Scripture.

Descriptions of Hell: Throughout this passage, the rich man’s fate in hell is rather vividly describes. We can pull out at least five descriptions of Hell

In Torment (23): First, verse 23 informs us that the rich man is in torment. That same word “torment” is used again down in 28 when the rich man refers to Hell as “this place of torment.” The term typically refers to “severe pain occasioned by punitive torture.” Hell is a place of torment. Now, in this parable, the story is such that the rich is in perpetual flames. Is that to be taken literally? I’m not sure. I would be a bit slow to affirm that with any confidence. Nevertheless, Hell most certainly is a place of torment. The image given to us is that of the rich man surrounded by flames and begging to lick a drop of water off of Lazarus’s finger. He is in anguish.

Just Punishment: (25): Second, Hell is as place of justice. Abraham in verse 25 says that the sinful actions of the rich man, while in this life, are now being punished in Hell. In other words, Hell is not simply the lack of heaven, as if it is neutral zone. Hell is active punishment for our rebellion against God. Just as a person in this life is placed in prison for crimes committed against other people, and we might call that prison sentence ‘Punitive Torment.’ Hell, likewise, is punitive. It is punishment for sin. It is bad.

Eternal & Irreversible (26): Third, Hell is eternal. There is no end to the suffering in Hell. Abraham says that a chasm has been erected between Heaven and Hell so that “none may cross over.” The Roman Catholic doctrine of Purgatory is one of the great tragedies of Christian history. It is a fabricated lie that functionally teaches that Christ only died for some of our sins, and that we have to pay the penalty in a Hell like place for some time after we die for other sins we have committed. There is no such thing as purgatory. There is no such idea in scripture as a temporary Hell. Hell is eternal. It is eternal suffering.

And I don’t know if we can possibly grasp the sheer awesome reality of life forever. But after billion years in Hell, those in Hell will have only just begun the never ending suffering which is their reality. There are no second chances. Once death claims us, the judgment is given.

Separation from God: Lastly, Hell is where God and His covenant blessings are not. That is not to say that God is not omnipresent, even over Hell. It is to say, that this rich man looks across a great chasm and sees the Abraham, and the promises of the covenant apart from Him. In Hell, there is an experience of separation from God and His covenant blessing.

The Punishment Fits the Crime: I want you to consider this. As I describe the reality of Hell as it is presented to Scripture, many in this room have a reaction, that this description of Hell is too much. We might feel that the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. But Church, all that reveals in us, is that we still have not done the hard work of realizing the depth of our sin, and the Holiness of our God. He is infinitely glorious and full of splendor. He is our creator, our sustainer, the giver of all good gifts, the covenant keeper, our shield and our strength, the purpose to which creation moves, and the one to whom we owe our very life. He is love, beauty, goodness, righteousness, perfection. And our sin, even in the slightest is a rebellion against all that he is. Every sin is a declaration that we believe ourselves to better Gods. If we would take the time to honestly allow God to assess our sin in our hearts according to His standard, each of us would say the punishment fits the crime.

Christ Satisfied Hell’s Demands: But what’s more, it is when we get a glimpse of the realities of Hell, in all of its eternal anguish, that we truly begin to understand what took place on the cross. In our Apostle’s Creed, there is a line that says that Christ “descended to Hell.” By that phrase, we do not mean that Jesus after he died continued to suffer for three days in Hell. We know that is false because he told the thief on the cross next to him, “Today you will be with in Paradise.” What is meant by that phrase “he descended into Hell” is a description of what Christ endured on the cross. On the cross Jesus suffered under the full punishment of the law at the hands of the Father. There was the physical suffering of the nails in his hands, the scourging of his body, the crucifixion. All of that was Hellish. But there was more. Christ’s most intense suffering was his spiritual suffering. The full hopelessness of the Father removing his blessing from the Son, as the human Son underwent, in some divinely mysteriously separation from the Father. John Calvin comments,

“After explaining what Christ endured in the sight of man, the Creed appropriately adds the invisible and incomprehensible judgment which he endured before God, to teach us that not only was the body of Christ given up as the price of redemption, but that there was a greater and more excellent price — that he bore in his soul the tortures of a condemned and ruined man

Plead: Church, let me plead with you again. Christ is our only hope in this life and the next. He is so much more than simply salvation from Hell. He is life and truth and beauty and blessing and goodness. But he is also your escape from the wrath of God. He paid it all. He offers you a path to avoid Hell, and offers you a path to enjoy Heaven.

II WHAT IS HEAVEN LIKE?

This leads us to our third question, ‘What is heaven like?’

Description of Heaven: As we saw with our analysis of Hell, this passage gives us quite a lot of insight into Heaven.

Angels (22): One of the first details we see is that angels carried Lazarus’s soul up to heaven. I wonder if this is what happens to every Christian’s soul upon their death? Do we all have an angelic escort? Like Elijah, a golden chariot to come and take us home. And if so, I wonder the joy on Lazarus’ face when the angels began to escort him to Heaven.

Love (Abraham’s Side 22): Second, Heaven is a world of love. Our translation reads that Lazarus was brought to “Abraham’s side (22).” Perhaps a better translation reads that Lazarus was brought to “Abraham’s bosom.” It’s an interesting play on words that signals love, tenderness. Not just from Abraham, but a world of love, and relationship.

Comfort (25): Third, ‘. Abraham speaks to the rich man and says

Luke 16:25 “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.”

All the suffering, and hardship, and all that Lazarus endured in this life, are smothered in comfort in the next. There is no more suffering. There is no more anguish. There is no more hunger. There is no more thirst. There are no more sores that eat away at our body. There is eternal comfort

Covenantal Justice: Heaven, like Hell, is a place of covenantal justice. How is that?

Covenant of Works: Why is Abraham mentioned in this story? He seems like a strange character to appear in telling this parable. But it’s not strange at all. In theology we speak about a Covenant of Works that was made in Adam in the Garden. Adam was commissioned to live with God, to enjoy God, to be in covenant relationship with God. The Covenant of Works was the stipulation that if Adam adhered to God’s law, he would enjoy the bliss of God’s presence forever. Adam of course failed. He was cast out of the garden, and we have been living in a fallen world full of sin and suffering ever since. Adam was our champion who represented us in the Garden of Eden. When he failed, all of his progeny were justly cast out as well. But a new champion has arisen, Christ the King. Romans 5 says that he is the New Adam, our new representative. And unlike Adam who failed to obey the law and suffered the punishment, Christ perfectly obeyed all of God’s law. He satisfied the Covenant of Works, and has therefore justly earned the blessing of the covenant.

Abraham: In the Old Testament when God appeared to Abraham and promised to bless him with the blessings of the covenant, God was declaring that one day a Savior would come who would satisfy the demands of the Covenant of Works. Abraham believed in that promise, and was blessed as a result.

Grace AND Justice: Heaven is a place of grace, because we get what we didn’t earn. We get the blessings of the covenant, even as we ourselves were covenant breakers. But the reason we get the covenant blessings, is because we are in Christ, and Christ fulfilled the Covenant of Works. He earned it. And he gives it freely to us. So we can properly say, that all those in Heaven are justly in Heaven, because Christ actually satisfied the law. Just as all those in Hell are justly in Hell, so are all those in Heaven justly in heaven, for Christ our champion, our representative, our King, fulfilled the Covenant of Works.

Rejoice: O Church, rejoice in your King who has purchased you from death, and granted you eternal life. A life of abundance, a life of comfort, a world of love. If you are in Christ, if you have repented of your sin, and seen your need a Savior, there is nothing else you must do. You cannot earn your salvation any more than you can jump to the moon. Christ must earn it for you. And he has. Your secure. Your his. He’s not letting go.

IV WHAT EVIDENCE IS REQUIRED TO KNOW YOUR NEED OF A SAVIOR

Fourth and finally we must deal with this last section of this parable, the discussion in which the rich man pleads with Abraham to send Lazarus back to Earth to go speak to his five brothers. The question is “What evidence is enough to convince a person that Christ is their Savior?”

The Rich Man’s Thoughts: The rich man had this notion, that most us have as well, that if God were to do a supernatural miracle, something like sending Lazarus, a dead man, back to go and preach to his brothers. That certainly they would believe then, and they would avoid Hell. He says (30) “If someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” And Abraham replies

Luke 16:31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ””

No Amount of Evidence: This might seem strange to us. In fact, many of us might kind of argue the same as the rich man. The problem with the rich man is that he still does not understand the condition of his heart, or of the heart of any other person. The heart is so full of sin, so full of rebellion to God, that even a miracle like a man rising from the dead, would still not be enough to convince them of their need of a Savior. They would find an excuse. They would find some way around it, some explanation.

The Evidence is All Around: The truth is that the overwhelming evidence is all around. I once heard a man say something similar to this.

Stars: He said, “God could put a bright orb in the sky to communicate.” And to that I say, “God has put a bright orb in the sky, its called the sun. In fact he put about 10 trillion orbs in the sky, they’re called stars. And their incredible. And it is absolute folly, the height of foolishness, to believe that 10 trillion stars suddenly appeared out of nothing, for no reason, with good order.

Sunset: Better yet, how about our great artist God, painting the sky every morning and every night as if the entire sky were his canvas, and every color ever imagined his paintbrush.

Psalm 19:1 ESV

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Beating Heart: How about a beating heart, with its various chambers pumping blood in and out keeping every human and every animal alive. It is the height of foolishness to say that somehow a beating heart evolved out of slime. There is no sillier fairy tale that has ever been imagined. Rather, the reality of a beating heart is evidence of God.

Defense of Apologetics: Don’t get me wrong. I love all the evidences that support the Christian faith. In fact I’m obsessed with them. I teach them. They strengthen my faith. Because the truth all reality comports with Christianity. Atheism fails. Islam fails. Christ-less Judaism fails. Hinduism fails. But Christianity comports with every evidence in the world. But a fool is set in his ways, stubbornly antagonistic to God, is not satisfied by more evidence.

They Need An Encounter: What they need is an encounter with God through his Word. They need the Word of God to penetrate their heart, convict them of sin, and demonstrate their need of a Savior. This is why the single greatest mechanism for the conversion of souls throughout history is the preaching of God’s Word. It is the Word of God where the power to convict resides.

Preach and Evangelize: And so Church, I pray that you love your family and friends even more than this rich man. If you love your family and friends, do not let them tell you that is it is mean spirited to share the Gospel and to point them towards the Bible. There is no more loving thing I can imagine, than to desire those in your life to experience the comforts of Heaven, and to avoid the anguish of Hell.

Conclusion

Altar Call: