THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS – LUKE 16:19-31 Our Heavenly Father, Creator of all things and Master Teacher, we humbly come into Your presence to seek Your Holy Spirit to open our eyes to these Holy Scriptures. We earnestly pray for enlightenment as we study together, and we ask You, Father, to open our eyes to see the truths contained in these words. Open our minds to comprehend that which we are reading, and open our hearts to receive the message that You have for us. Finally, dear Father, we ask for the strength and courage to live our lives in a manner of the called, constantly giving You the glory, honor, and praise that You deserve. We claim these things in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Luke 16:19-21 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. The rich man would have been on the cover of People magazine. Lazarus? No one would have even known his name. But in the economy of eternity, it is Lazarus who we know and the rich man who is nameless. Luke 16:22 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. In Proverbs 22:2 it says the rich and the poor meet together before the Lord for He hath created them both. In death, these two men from the opposite ends of the social spectrum meet. Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. In hell, the rich man finally saw “afar off.” Presently, the world says, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die,” because they only see what is in front of them. In hell they’ll finally see afar off; they’ll finally see the big picture of eternity. But it will be too late… Luke 16:24, 25 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. 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. Although people mistakenly believe that, at best, when they die they will cease to exist, the fact is that not only will they continue to exist—but they will be able to remember the good things they received on earth—the blessings God poured out upon them, the patience God showed to them, the manifold opportunities He gave them to turn to Him. Therefore, I suggest that one of the most horrendous aspects of hell is the memory people will have of the times they could have received the free gift of salvation, but chose to harden their hearts instead. Luke 16:26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. The Hebrew word translated “hell” is sheol, which simply means “the place of the grave.” Everyone who died before Jesus was crucified to pay for the sins of mankind went to sheol, which was divided into two compartments, separated by a great divide. One side was filled with fire and torment. The other side was a place called “Abraham’s bosom” or “paradise.” Those who loved God would go to the paradise, or Abraham’s bosom side of sheol. The reason they couldn’t go directly to heaven is because the blood of Christ had not yet been shed. So paradise was simply a waiting room. And Abraham, the Father of Faith, the Friend of God, would greet them there. Those who did not believe in God went to the torment side of sheol. And although there was a great gulf between the two, as seen in this passage, those on both sides could call out to one another—which would make the flaming side even more hellish. Ephesians 4:8–9 tells us that before Jesus ascended into heaven, He first descended into the lower parts of the earth and led those in Abraham’s bosom up to heaven. That is why Abraham’s bosom no longer exists today. Hell is not the final destiny of the unbeliever, but rather only a temporary holding tank until after the Great White Throne Judgment when he will be cast into Gehenna, or outer darkness (Revelation 20). Contrary to popular belief, hell is not going to be one big New Year’s Eve party. Gehenna is a place of heat without light, of eternal isolation, of interminable torment. In the context of this chapter, the rich man’s sin was not that he hated Lazarus, but simply that he neglected him. The Bible says there are sins of commission—things we do that are wrong—and sins of omission—failing to do that which is right (James 4:17). There was a person in need at the rich man’s gate, but he didn’t offer to help. And that was his sin—indicative that because he cared not about the man at his gate, he had not the love of God in his heart (1 John 3:17). Luke 16:27, 28 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. “If Lazarus can’t come over here, send him back from the dead to tell my family that this place exists,” begged the rich man. I find it interesting that the rich man realized the power of a testimony. He didn’t say, “Send a theologian, a Bible teacher, or a commentary.” He said, “Send the one who, although he was poor and covered with sores, believed in God and is now in His presence—that he may share his testimony.” If you haven’t already, you will hear Satan whisper in your ear, “You can’t witness because you don’t know enough about the Bible; you’re not that solid in your own walk; your understanding of theology is too elementary.” Not true! The most powerful thing you can share is your own testimony. After he was cornered by the Pharisees, the once-blind man simply said, “I can’t answer all of your questions concerning the nature and Person of Jesus. But this I do know: Once I was blind, but now I see.” And none could deny it (John 9:25). So, too, the most powerful thing you can tell your unsaved parents or a lost neighbor is simply what the Lord has done for you. Luke 16:29, 30 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. “Even though they’re not listening to the Word, if someone comes back from the dead, surely they will listen and repent,” reasoned the rich man. In hell, people finally realize the need to repent—not to believe in theology, but to repent from iniquity. Tragically, there will be those who believe in the existence of Jesus and in the inspiration of Scripture who will be lost eternally because of their refusal to repent, to change direction, to follow Jesus. The devils and demons believe, James tells us (2:19), but they’re not saved because their belief is based on intellectual acknowledgment rather than humble, personal repentance. Luke 16:31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. When Lazarus did indeed come back from the dead, were the religious leaders persuaded to listen and repent? On the contrary, they were determined to put him to death (John 12:10). Living sumptuously with no compassion for people and no thought of eternity caused the rich man to end up in a real place called hell. On the basis of Job 3:17, the Jehovah’s Witnesses falsely propagate that when they die, wicked people simply cease to exist, that hell is nothing more than a scare tactic of Fundamentalist preachers. Turn them to Job 38, where God asks Job if he knows what lies beyond—the answer being “No” (verse 17). The Christian Scientist takes it a step further when he says not only is there no hell, but there is no pain at all. Not so. Jesus said hell is real indeed. Because God desires none should perish (2 Peter 3:9), He will not send anyone to hell. “In fact,” Jesus says, “if you insist upon going there, you will have to do so over My dead body.” In considering this passage, may we be renewed in our compassion for the lost and our commitment to share what the Lord has given us; may we be reminded of the big picture of eternity and the power of a testimony. In other words, in considering hell, may we become more mindful of heaven. Have a blessed day!
Posted on: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 12:08:31 +0000
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