Passage: Luke 16:19–31

We open our class with a story that may not be a parable at all. If it’s just a parable, it is unique in that Jesus never names a person in another parable. He’s going to raise a man named Lazarus from the dead in a few chapters. Even if it is a parable, Jesus never violates the natural order or invents something that isn’t real, so what happens here gives us tremendous insight into the afterlife. The whole parable is a study in contrasts: before death and after death; rich and poor; torment and life.

RICH MAN AND LAZARUS IN LIFE

The Rich Man

  • He was dressed in purple, an expensive dye that came from a shellfish, each of which yielded one drop of dye.
  • He wore snow white linen – this would have been worth twice it’s weight in gold.
  • He feasted every day.
  • He wasn’t a criminal as far as we know

Lazarus

  • A beggar who laid at the rich man’s feet.
  • He received his only medical help from dogs licking his sores.
  • He’s not begging for steak, just hoping to get crumbs. Dogs eat crumbs from your table that mean nothing to you, and in the same way, the rich man didn’t give him anything of value.
  • It’s not a good idea for us to ignore the poor and homeless. The book of Hebrews says we may have entertained angels unawares.

RICH MAN AND LAZARUS IN DEATH

Lazarus died and was carried by angels

  • God doesn’t say things he doesn’t mean. Christians can look forward to that day when the angels carry us away to heaven, what a flight
  • Angels are given charge over God’s elect in the Old and New Testament. Revelation says he will send his angels to the 4 corners of the earth and collect the saved.
  • In 1 Kings 22, we see the picture of God getting things done through angels, when one “spirit” says “I have a plan” and God says to do it.

Rich man died and was buried

  • He probably had a big ceremony of a funeral, but God simply describes it as “died and buried”, and there is no mention of angels.

RICH MAN AND LAZARUS AFTER DEATH

Lazarus at Abraham’s bosom.

  • People reclined at tables in those days, and this is a picture of him reclining on Abraham.
  • He goes to paradise – where he experiences no more hurting or begging.
  • Jews looked to Abraham as their hero.

Rich man in torment.

  • Torment will not just happen in hell, but will begin as soon as we die if we are unfaithful. After death comes the judgement, and there’s no purgatory mentioned in the Bible. We could die at any moment and our fate will be sealed. When we die we will be judged, but we will be waiting for sentencing in hades.
  • The rich man thinks he’s still in charge, saying “send Lazarus with water”. He wanted a drop of water to relieve him from the flame. He doesn’t ask for a gallon and the smallness of the favor indicates the amount of pain.

A CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE RICH MAN AND ABRAHAM

Abraham says “Son, remember…”

  • One of the torments of hell will be remembering. It’s been said that there are two pains in life: regret and discipline. Discipline is measured in ounces. Regret is measured in tons.
  • In contrast, people in heaven will likely be more carried away with joy. Do you think Lazarus is thinking about begging? Revelation says sorrow is a “former thing” and is gone in heaven. Like a Magnadoodle, God cleans the slate.

“Besides all this, between us and you there’s a great gulf”

  • When we die we’ll all go to hades, but it has a gulf divide between two sides. On one side is paradise and on the other is torment, but it’s still called hades.
  • Jesus told the thief “when you die you’ll be with me in paradise.”
  • The gulf is big enough that it is IMPOSSIBLE to cross.
  • It must be horrible to be able to see how good it is on the other side.

“I beg you father, send Lazarus to my father’s house.”

  • Some people say “if I could just see the miracles they did, I’d be faithful…” No you wouldn’t, your faithfulness wouldn’t last.
  • They say “misery loves company” but he wants his brothers NEVER to go where he is.
  • He knows his brothers sins because he thinks if he can go back and tell them how to correct it.
  • One of the hardest things is comforting a loved one when they have lost someone who wasn’t saved, but those people who are gone want us to be saved. The only thing you can say. They are rooting for us now. “I hope you don’t come to this place.”

“They have Moses and the prophets”

  • We all have the same opportunity, and all we have is the book. It is “everything we need” "for life and good works.
  • Most reject this word, look at us like we’re crazy, but most people rejected Jesus in this day. The percentage of people who go will be small, and we shouldn’t act like it’s a surprise when they reject our teaching. 2 Thess. 2:10–11 says that because they didn’t love the truth God will lead them to a lie. Many people want to do just enough to salve their conscience.
  • These statements parallels Jesus raising from the dead, since people still didn’t believe.

OTHER LESSONS FROM THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS

The dangers of wealth.

  • Which of these characters are we more like? Most of us have it a lot easier than Lazarus, and need to take to heart Jesus’ statements about the dangers of wealth. To whom much is given, much is required.
  • In context, Jesus is talking to the Sadducees who loved money.
  • Money will mean nothing when it comes time to cross over – Jesus is correcting them
  • Abraham who is in paradise was rich, so it doesn’t mean a rich man can’t make it.

We will be judged by how we treat all people and how we serve people.

  • How we treat people will be a big part of judgement, just as the rich man was judged.
  • Matthew 25:31ff speaks of “the least of these,” which may be people WE think of as the bottom of the totem but in the spiritual realm there isn’t a hierarchy. Just look at where Lazarus is now. In life, Lazarus was not just poor, but was begging, which sometimes turns people away from assisting someone.
  • Parable of vineyards teaches that the hierarchy we see may not be what Jesus saw
  • To him who knows to do good and doesn’t do it, it is sin (James 4:17). Ever thought “I just spent 2 hours watching tv, what could I have done?”
  • Do good to all men especially those of the household of faith (Gal.6:10). As individuals, we are expected to do good to everyone. We better be watching for opportunities to help our fellow man.