Lazarus And The Rich Man

THE PARABLE OF LAZARUS AND THE RICH MAN

(a First person sermon)

Warsaw Christian Church Richard Bowman, Pastor

My name is Lazarus. Some think I am not real, merely a character in one of Jesus’ parables. Others say I lived, that when Jesus told a parable, he did not use real names. Since he used my name in this “parable,” it could be that I was a real person, not just a character in one of His stories. I leave that for you to decide. Today, I speak as a real person and speak to you on a crucial topic. Do you know what happens after death? I want to give you some insight into that question, but first, a little about myself.

I lived in the days when Jesus, the blessed One, walked upon the earth. I must tell you that my life was miserable in one sense but glorious in another. My earthly life was characterized by sickness and poverty. Looking at this crowd, I can see that none of you know what it is like to be poor, and I mean dirt poor. I had an ailment that resulted in my body being covered with sores. My sickness had so weakened me that I could not walk. I couldn’t be seen in public places. My presence was too offensive for decent people. People don’t like being around those with open sores with a foul discharge. I couldn’t go to the synagogue. It seemed that mainly the well-to-do folks went there.

As a result of my illnesses, I could not work. I had no income and had to survive by begging. Do you know how humiliating it is to beg? Some people would hurry past me, fearful of getting close to a loathsome creature like me. I had no friends. I was alone in life, sick and poor, and very lonely. Do you know what it is like to be lonely, really lonely? Who would want to befriend me? Who would want to embrace me? Who would want to come near to a sickly, poor man? I had a few relatives, but even they stayed their distance from me.

Some of the religious folks considered me unclean. They were cautious to stay away from me. They believed that my sickness and poverty were a curse from God. They assumed I was a wicked man to be cursed with my condition. I could sometimes hear them whispering, “That poor Lazarus must be an awful sinner. Look how God has punished him.” For a while, I believed that. I thought, “God must hate me to allow me to be in this condition.” When you have no family or friends and feel rejected by God, that is about as bad as it gets.

I did have a few beggar friends who were not as crippled as I was. They would carry me into town each day and lay me down at the gate of a wealthy man. I hoped he would sweep up the crumbs after his family had eaten and give them to me. He was very good about that, and I survived on crumbs. Sometimes I thought, “He could give me a real meal if he wanted to,” but I was grateful for the crumbs. At least the dogs seemed to like me. They would come to me and lick my sores, which was more than any human did for me. This was my daily routine until, at last, death set me free.

I know that many people fear death, but I want to tell you that it was a glorious experience for me. One moment I was a sickly beggar, and the next moment, the angels of God were carrying me to Paradise, right into the presence of Abraham, the father of our faith. I believed in an afterlife but didn’t know how wonderful it would be. Can you believe it? Angels escorting Lazarus, the beggar, into the presence of Abraham! When you have been ignored and despised all your life, it is quite an ego boost to be escorted by angels. In an instant, I realized that my earthly sufferings were nothing compared to Paradise’s glories. I suffered for a few short years but will enjoy Paradise forever! So, I must tell you not to fear death. If you are a person of faith in the Messiah, Jesus, I know your experience of moving from death to life will be as glorious as was mine.

Something very unusual happened to me in Paradise. I don’t believe it was a typical experience. I think the Lord wanted to communicate an important truth, so I was allowed to see the afterlife experience of that rich man at whose gate I had begged. Unfortunately, he died shortly after I did. I suppose he had a grand funeral, with many hired mourners wailing in despair over his death. I am sure his tomb was impressive, unlike the pauper’s grave where my earthly remains were placed.