76 The Rich Man and Lazarus [Luke 16:19–31]
The Bible passage: [Luke 16:19–31]
The Story:
Jesus told this story:
There was a rich man who would dress in purple and the finest linen. He feasted lavishly every day.
A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, sat outside his house. He was so hungry, he wished he could just eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Instead, the dogs would come and lick his sores.
One day the poor man died and was taken by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. Being in torment in Hades, he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off, with Lazarus at his side.
“Father Abraham!” he cried out, “Have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in agony in these flames!’
“Son,” Abraham said, “Remember that during your life you had all the good things, just as Lazarus had all the bad things. But now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides this, a great canyon has been placed between us and you. No one can pass over from here to you; neither can anyone from there cross over to us.”
“Father,” he said, “Then please send him to my father’s house. I have five brothers. Let Lazarus warn them, so they won’t come to this place of torment.”
But Abraham said, “They have Moses and the prophets. They should listen to them.”
“No, father Abraham,” he said. “Perhaps if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.”
But Abraham told him, “If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.”
The Lessons:
- Some people consider this a parable. Some consider it to be a story of something that actually happened. I don’t know which it is, but in His parables, Jesus never gives people names. In this story, He names Lazarus.
- We’re told that the rich man was tormented in Hades. Part of the torment is knowing what you are missing. The rich man could see Lazarus and that he was in a better place. There is no indication that Lazarus could see the rich man or other people who were in the place of torment. [Revelation 21:4] says that there will be no sadness in Heaven. This leads me to believe that those in Heaven can’t see what is going on in Hell or on earth, because that would cause sadness.
- Abraham tells the rich man that Moses and the prophets gave plenty of warning of what was to come. It’s also clear that the destination is final. [Hebrews 9:27] says that man dies once and then faces judgment. In the Bible, salvation is the state of being spiritually right with God, which culminates in spending eternity in Heaven with God. You can learn more in Appendix A - How do I start following Jesus?
Next: 77 Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead [John 11:1–44]
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