Let Them Hear
“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 cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 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.’” (Luke 16:19-31)
As this chapter moves along, we shift from direct conversation with the Pharisees to Jesus telling a story about a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. Now this section of Scripture is interesting because there’s some question as to whether it’s a real story or a parable that Jesus is telling. Let’s go ahead and dive into that real quick before we dig into the meat of it.
Real Story or Parable?
If we look at this compared to other parables that Jesus told, often times we’d see a precursor given, such as in Luke 14:7 where it says, “Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them…” and in Luke 15:2-3, where it says, “And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable…” Yet in this section of Scripture there is no precursory context given.
In the parables that were clearly called out as parables, no names were used; in this section of Scripture, we are given the name of the poor man, Lazarus and Abraham is named.
We are also given context that this place where the rich man ends up is a place of anguish, torment, and flames. In Matthew 13:49-50, after Jesus told the Parable of the Net, He adds, “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And again, in Mark 9:43-48 in reference to temptations to sin, Jesus said, “And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’” These other times when Jesus references hell, it’s literal.
In many examples throughout the gospel, Jesus would tell a parable and then give some kind of statement of truth or that would provide a bit of understanding afterwards. As He is talking to the Pharisees and has given them many parables in short succession, I believe this story of the rich man and Lazarus is a true story and not a parable. Could I be wrong? Of course! But does that change the truth of the context, not at all! With that, I tell you this simply because I am going to approach this from a true story standpoint.
What You Live For
This story continues in the line of thought that those who choose to embrace the life of the world now, will end up in anguish on the other side of eternity. Now that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy life and eat nice food or whatnot, but that’s not what this rich man was doing. The word in the Greek for clothed in indicates an investment into the clothing, and the purple and fine linen indicate an extravagance of attire that went far beyond just clothes to cover nakedness. And the phrase “feasted sumptuously” literally means to rejoice in lavishness. In essence, the wording here tells us that the rich man was not simply enjoying the life he had been blessed with, the earthly pleasures were what he lived for.
That’s a stark contrast to the way Lazarus lived. And it’s not about the amount of money they each had. We don’t need to be dirt poor and have dogs lick our wounds to end up in heaven. It is implied that Lazarus had a faith in God because when he died, it says he was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side, which is often what has been referred to as Abraham’s Bossom – being a place of rest for those who had faith counted as righteousness before Jesus died, descended to get them, and brought to them to heaven, which is referenced in Ephesians 4:8 where it says, Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”
Ultimately, the rich man chose to live for the temporal, BUT WE must choose to live for the eternal.
Right Now Counts Forever
Everyone will realize the error of their ways, either now in which they repent and spend eternal life in heaven, or once they die but it will be too late, and they will spend eternity in hell.
I’ve heard many say that God would have to be a mean God to send people to hell, but that’s the thing – He doesn’t! Jesus made this very clear in the conversation He had with Nicodemus in John 3. Right after John 3:16, the verse which outlines salvation, He followed it with, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” (John 3:17-19) God doesn’t wish anyone to perish, He wants them to come to repentance!
The Mystery Revealed
God wants everyone to be saved through Jesus so much so that He sent messages through His prophets and the Law and Jesus fulfilled them. The problem has never been with God, but the lack of acceptance by people of the words He gave through the Law and the Prophets. Jesus even told the Pharisees that plainly when He said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40)
So, in this story when the rich man wants Abraham to send Lazarus back to preach repentance to his family, Abraham tells him ‘They have Moses [the Law] and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ Notice that the same message that Abraham told him is the same message today – one can be told the truth of the gospel, but they have to hear it for themselves and obey by repenting. If someone does not believe and receive salvation through what God has given, the mystery of Christ revealed, then nothing will ever convince them. Even Jesus being raised from the dead hasn’t persuaded people, so if they choose to reject not even the greatest of miracles, then they will unfortunately reap the consequences of their rejection.
Our Response
As followers of Jesus, how do we respond to a story like this? First of all, it should result in praising and thanking God for saving us from the condemnation we deserve! Second, we got a glimpse into the spiritual world and an event in which a condemned man realized in his torment that he wished he could have even a moment of his anguish quenched and wished he could warn others who weren’t dead yet.
Now unlike the rich man in hell, we know this truth now and we’re still here on this side of eternity – so WE CAN warn others who aren’t dead yet. And we should. We have the Law and the Prophets and the whole New Testament that brings the whole mystery of Christ together to understand how they spoke of Jesus.
Let’s remember this each and every day so that when the opportunities arise to share our faith and the good news of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ, we don’t shy away for whatever reason. May we see not only the outside of people but be willing to sacrifice our social comfort for the well-being of their eternal souls; being good ambassadors for Christ as we allow God to make His appeal of reconciliation through us to a lost and dying world.