LESSONS FROM LAZARUS
THE ACCOUNT OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS HAS BEEN A POINT OF GREAT DEBATE IN CHRISTIAN CIRCLES FOR A LONG TIME. PART OF THE DEBATE HAS RESULTED AROUND OUR TEACHING ABOUT HEAVEN AND HELL, AND PART HAS RESULTED IN DETERMINING THE LITERARY STYLE THAT LUKE WAS USING IN THIS ACCOUNT.
WE ARE GOING TO START BY LOOKING AT THE LITERARY STYLE AS THIS WILL HELP US TO DETERMINE THE MEANING JESUS WANTS US TO HAVE FROM THIS ACCOUNT.
THE ACCOUNT OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS IS A PARABLE, THE LAST OF A SERIES OF FOUR THAT LUKE RECORDS BEGINNING IN CHAPTER 15. THE MAIN THEME OF THESE PARABLES CAN BE SUMMED UP IN LUKE 16:13 WHERE LUKE WRITES:
LUKE 16:13: “NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS. EITHER YOU WILL HATE THE ONE AND LOVE THE OTHER, OR YOU WILL BE DEVOTED TO THE ONE AND DESPISE THE OTHER.
JESUS IS USING THESE PARABLES TO SHOW US THAT WE MUST MAKE A DECISION IN OUR SPIRITUAL LIVES. WE MUST EITHER CHOOSE TO FOLLOW CHRIST, OR WE CHOOSE TO FOLLOW SATAN. WE CANNOT CHOOSE BOTH. JESUS CONTINUES THIS THEME IN THIS ACCOUNT.
THIS ACCOUNT HAS THE DEFINITIVE CHARACTERISTIC IDENTIFYING IT AS A PARABLE IN THAT IT DOES NOT IDENTIFY THE RICH MAN, BUT IT IS ALSO CONFUSING IN THAT IT IS THE ONLY PARABLE IN THE BIBLE THAT IDENTIFIES ONE OF THE CHARACTERS IN MENTIONING LAZARUS’ NAME.
JESUS OFTEN USED PARABLES TO ILLUSTRATE A POINT THAT HE WAS MAKING. A PARABLE IS A FICTICIOUS STORY WITH A LIFE LESSON OR LESSONS TAUGHT THROUGH IT.
SOMETIMES WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE A POINT, WE WILL TELL A STORY TO ILLUSTRATE, USUSALLY USING SOME ASPECT OF THE PERSONS LIFE THAT THEY CAN RELATE TO. IF JESUS WAS TALKING TO FISHERMEN, HE WOULD ASK PEOPLE IF THEY WANTED TO BE “FISHERS OF MEN.”
SO WHAT LESSONS DOES JESUS WISH TO TEACH US IN THIS PARABLE? I HAVE NOTICED THREE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU.
1. LESSONS ABOUT DEATH
2. LESSONS ABOUT HEAVEN AND HELL
3. THE NECESSITY TO BE PREPARED FOR DEATH IN THIS LIFETIME
POINT ONE: LESSONS ABOUT DEATH
JESUS USES THIS PARABLE TO TEACH US THAT DEATH IS A UNIVERSAL EXPERIENCE. IT WILL HAPPEN TO ALL OF US, SAVE FOR THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH, WHEN ALL CHRISTIANS WILL BE TRANSFORMED AND TAKEN INTO THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST.
1 THESSALONIANS 4:15-18:
ACCORDING TO THE LORD’S WORD, WE TELL YOU THAT WE WHO ARE STILL ALIVE, WHO ARE LEFT UNTIL THE COMING OF THE LORD, WILL CERTAINLY NOT PRECEDE THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP. 16 FOR THE LORD HIMSELF WILL COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, WITH A LOUD COMMAND, WITH THE VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL AND WITH THE TRUMPET CALL OF GOD, AND THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST. 17 AFTER THAT, WE WHO ARE STILL ALIVE AND ARE LEFT WILL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR. AND SO WE WILL BE WITH THE LORD FOREVER
AT THIS POINT WE WILL HAVE OUR ETERNAL BODIES, THAT ARE NOT TAINTED BY SIN. THIS RESURRECTION IS ONLY FOR BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIANS.
OUR PARABLE SPEAKS OF TWO MEN.
THE FIRST IS A RICH MAN WHO IS UNIDENTIFIED. HIS DRESS INDICATES THAT HE IS WEALTHY, POSSIBLY ROYALTY, AS HE IS DRESSED IN “PURPLE AND FINE LINEN.”
THE COLOR “PURPLE” WAS A DYE THAT CAME FROM A SPECIES OF FISH CALLED “THE PRUPLE FISH”, A SPECIES OF MUSSEL THAT WAS VERY COMMON IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AREA. IT WAS VERY COSTLY TO PRODUCE AND SO WAS ONLY NUSED FOR THE WEALTY OR ROYALTY.
THE PURPLE WAS A DEEP COLOR OF THREE SHADES.
1. A DEEP VIOLET
2. A DEEP SCARLET OR CRIMSON
3. THE DEEP BLUE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
THIS IS THE COLOR THAT THE PROPHET ISAIAH SPOKE OF WHEN HE SAID:
ISAIAH 1:18: COME NOW, LET US SETTLE THE MATTER,” SAYS THE LORD. “THOUGH YOUR SINS ARE LIKE SCARLET, THEY SHALL BE AS WHITE AS SNOW; THOUGH THEY ARE RED AS CRIMSON, THEY SHALL BE LIKE WOOL.
THE FINE LINEN PROBABLY CAME FROM EGYPT. IT WAS EXTREMELY SOFT AND HAD THE TEXTURE OF SILK. IT WAS SOMETIMES CALLED “WOVEN AIR.”
WHAT A GREAT CONTRAST BETWEEN THE RICH MAN AND THE SECOND CHARACTER OF OUR ACCOUNT. LAZARUS WAS A NAME THAT CAME FROM THE NAME “ELEAZER” WHICH MEANS “GOD IS HELP.”
LAZARUS WAS A PERSON WHO REALLY NEEDED GOD’S HELP. VERSE 20 SAYS HE “WAS LAID” AT THE GATE, BUT THIS IS NOT A GOOD TRANSLATION. THE GREEK READS THAT HE WAS BASICALLY THROWN DOWN AT THE GATE BY HIS BEARERS, MUCH LIKE YOU WOULD DO WITH TRASH, AND LEFT THERE TO BEG.
LAZARUS HAD SORES OR ULTSERS ALL OVER HIS BODY. THEY WERE EXTREMELY PAINFUL, AND VERY DIFFICULT TO GET RID OF ONCE YOU HAD THEM. THEY WOULD OFTEN BECOME INFECTED.
LAZARUS FACED THE COMPETITION FORM DOGS. HE ONLY WANTED TO EAT LEFTOVER OR WASTED FOOD. IT WAS THE STUFF RESERVED FOR DOGS. THE DOGS ALSO MADE MATTERS WORSE BY LICKING HIS ULTSERS. THERE WAS NOTHING BENEFICIAL IN LICKING THE SORES AS SOME PEOPLE THINK. I HAD A DOG AND I KNOW WHERE THAT TONGUE HAS BEEN.
NOTE THE FACT THAT THEY BOTH DIED. MORE ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO SOME PEOPLE IN DEATH THAN OTHERS, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THEY BOTH DIED.
YOU AND I HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF YEARS ON THIS PLANET. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER WILL BE. RICH OR POOR, YOUNG OR OLD, MARRIED OR SINGLE, MALE OR FEMALE, IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE, WE ALL HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH, AND AFTER THAT THE JUDGMENT.
HEBREWS 9:27-28:
27 JUST AS PEOPLE ARE DESTINED TO DIE ONCE, AND AFTER THAT TO FACE JUDGMENT, 28 SO CHRIST WAS SACRIFICED ONCE TO TAKE AWAY THE SINS OF MANY; AND HE WILL APPEAR A SECOND TIME, NOT TO BEAR SIN, BUT TO BRING SALVATION TO THOSE WHO ARE WAITING FOR HIM.
AN INDIRECT LESSON WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS ACCOUNT IS TO REMEMBER OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS CHRISTIANS TO FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS. THE RICH MAN REFUSED TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH LAZARUS, AND THIS CANNOT BE OUR ATTITUDE.
WE HAVE A GOD-GIVEN RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP OTHERS WITHOUT EXPECTING ANYTHING IN RETURN. IN SAYING THAT WE MUST ALSO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF GOD’S RESOURCES AND USE THEM WISELY IN DETERMINING WHO AND HOW WE WILL HELP PEOPLE.
MATTHEW 10:42: AND IF ANYONE GIVES EVEN A CUP OF COLD WATER TO ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES WHO IS MY DISCIPLE, TRULY I TELL YOU, THAT PERSON WILL CERTAINLY NOT LOSE THEIR REWARD.”
JAMES TELLS US:
JAMES 2:26: AS THE BODY WITHOUT THE SPIRIT IS DEAD, SO FAITH WITHOUT DEEDS IS DEAD.
WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP OTHERS IF POSSIBLE.
POINT TWO: JESUS TEACHES US ABOUT HEAVEN AND HELL
JESUS USES THIS PARABLE TO TEACH US ABOUT LIFE AFTER DEATH.
HE TELLS US THAT LAZARUS WENT TO A PLACE CALLED “ABRAHAM’S BOSOM”, AND THE RICH MAN WENT TO A PLACE CALLED “HADES”.
A CONFUSING THING ABOUT THIS IS THAT PEOPLE THINK THAT THESE PLACES REFER TO HEAVEN AND HELL, WHEN IN FACT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT AN INTERMEDIATE PLACE.
THE HEAVEN AND HELL THAT WILL BE OUR FINAL ETENAL DESTINATIONS ARE PRESENTED TO US IN REVELATION 20-22. AT THAT TIME WE WILL HAVE PERFECT BODIES, NOT CORRUPTED BY SIN AND WILL LIVE FOREVER, EITHER IN HEAVEN OR HELL, DEPENDING ON WHETHER OR NOT WE ACCEPTED CHRIST AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR.
IN THIS ACCOUNT WE ARE DEALING WITH AN INTERMEDIATE STATE, AN INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN AND HELL.
LETS BE CLEAR ABOUT THIS. WHEN BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIANS DIE, THEIR SPIRIT IMMEDIATELY GOES INTO THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:6-8:
THEREFORE WE ARE ALWAYS CONFIDENT AND KNOW THAT AS LONG AS WE ARE AT HOME IN THE BODY WE ARE AWAY FROM THE LORD. 7 FOR WE LIVE BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT. 8 WE ARE CONFIDENT, I SAY, AND WOULD PREFER TO BE AWAY FROM THE BODY AND AT HOME WITH THE LORD.
HE TOLD THE THIEF ON THE CROSS, “TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”
TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE, “ABRAHAM’S BOSOM” IS TO BE IN PARADISE. IT’S A RABBINICAL PHRASE, AND IT WAS BASICALLY SAYING THAT THE JEW WAS GOING TO A GREAT PLACE AND WOULD BE MET THERE BY ABRAHAM HIMSELF.
MATTHEW 8:11: I SAY TO YOU THAT MANY WILL COME FROM THE EAST AND THE WEST, AND WILL TAKE THEIR PLACES AT THE FEAST WITH ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
HERE THEN IS THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS FOR A BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER WHO DIES:
1. WE DIE
2. OUR SPIRIT GOES IMMEDIATELY INTO THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST
3. OUR BODIES OR ASHES ARE BURIED.
4. AT THE TIME OF THE RAPTURE OUR BODIES WILL BE REFORMED AND RESURRECTED WITHOUT SIN (1 THESS. 4:13-18).
5. OUR RESURRECTED BODIES AND SPIRITS WILL BE REUNITED FOREVER
6. WE WILL FACE THE JUDGMENT OF BELIEVERS
7. WE SHALL REMAIN IN THE INTERMEDIATE HEAVEN AND RETURN WITH CHRIST TO LIVE FOREVER IN THE NEW JERUSALEM, WHICH IS OUR ETERNAL STATE.
THE PASSAGE TEACHES THAT THE UNSAVED WILL ALSO HAVE A TEMPORAL STATE, IN WHICH THEY WILL REMAIN UNTIL THE FINAL JUDGMENT. THEY WILL HAVE EMOTIONS, FEELINGS, BE CAPABLE OF SPEECH, AND HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PAST. THEY CAN SEE ABRAHAM’S BOSOM BUT IN OUR ACCOUNT THE RICH MAN COULD ONLY COMMUNICATE WITH ABRAHAM. WE ARE NOT TOLD IF THOSE IN ABRAHAM’S BOSOM CAN COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE IN HADES.
WHAT THIS ACCOUNT IS TEACHING IS THAT BOTH “ABRAHAM’S BOSOM” AND ‘HADES” EXIST IN THE SPIRIT WORLD. THEY ARE INTERMEDIATE PLACES WHERE BELIEVERS AND NON-BELIEVERS SPIRITS GO WHEN THEY DIE, UNTIL THE RAPTURE AND THE FINAL JUDGMENT, AND THE ETERNAL STATE BEGINS.
THIS THEN IS THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS THAT THE BIBLE SAYS WILL HAPPEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT ACCEPTED CHRIST AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR.
1. THEY DIE
2. THEIR SPIRIT GOES TO HADES
3. THEIR BODIES OR ASHES WILL BE BURIED
4. THEIR BODIES WILL BE RAISED AND REFORMED IN AN INCORRUPTIBLE STATE AT THE GENERAL RESURRECTION WHICH FOLLOWS THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON. THEY ARE NOT RAISED AT THE RAPTURE. THIS MEANS THEY WILL LIVE FOREVER IN AN UNSAVED STATE.
5. THEY WILL FACE THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT
6. THEY WILL BE PLACED IN THEIR ETERNAL STATE IN THE LAKE OF FIRE WHERE THEY WILL LIVE FOREVER.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE WHAT JESUS SAYS IN VERSE 26.
LUKE 16:26: AND BESIDES ALL THIS, BETWEEN US AND YOU A GREAT CHASM HAS BEEN SET IN PLACE, SO THAT THOSE WHO WANT TO GO FROM HERE TO YOU CANNOT, NOR CAN ANYONE CROSS OVER FROM THERE TO US.’
THERE IS A CHASM BETWEEN THE INTERMEDIATE STATES THAT CANNOT BE CROSSED. THIS MEANS THAT OUR ETERNAL DESTINY MUST BE DETERMINED WHILE WE ARE STILL ALIVE. WHEN WE DIE THE DECISION, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, IS MADE AND CANNOT BE CHANGED.
POINT THREE: WE MUST BE PREPARED TO ENTER ETERNITY
I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT IN THIS PARABLE JESUS CONCENTRATES MORE ON THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN ABRAHAM AND THE RICH MAN THAN HE DOES ABOUT LAZARUS AND WHERE HE IS.
I THINK THE REASON IS THAT JESUS IS REALLY TEACHING THAT WE ARE NOT TO WANT TO GO TO THE PLACE WHERE THE RICH MAN IS.
WE HAVE THE RICH MAN’S TESTIMONY CONCERNING THIS. IN VERSE 28, HE STATES THAT HE DOESN’T WANT HIS FIVE BROTHERS TO GO WHERE HE IS. HE CALLS IT A PLACE OF TORMENT, OR A PLACE OF GREAT ANGUISH, MUCH LIKE HOW JOSEPH AND MARY FELT WHEN THEY DISCOVERED THE CHILD JESUS WAS MISSING.
ABRAHAM POINTS OUT THAT WE HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO MAKE THE DECISION. HE MENTIONS THE TEACHING SO THE PROPHETS AND MOSES.
MOSES TAUGHT IN NUMBERS 21
NUMBERS 21:8-9:
THE LORD SAID TO MOSES, “MAKE A SNAKE AND PUT IT UP ON A POLE; ANYONE WHO IS BITTEN CAN LOOK AT IT AND LIVE.” 9 SO MOSES MADE A BRONZE SNAKE AND PUT IT UP ON A POLE. THEN WHEN ANYONE WAS BITTEN BY A SNAKE AND LOOKED AT THE BRONZE SNAKE, THEY LIVED
JOHN WOULD USE THIS PASSAGE AND APPLY IT TO CHRIST IN JOHN CHAPTER 3.
JOHN 3:14-15:
14 JUST AS MOSES LIFTED UP THE SNAKE IN THE WILDERNESS, SO THE SON OF MAN MUST BE LIFTED UP, 15 THAT EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES MAY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE IN HIM.”
THE RICH MAN SUGGESTES IF SOMEONE COMES BACK FROM THE DEAD THAT HIS BROTHERS WILL LISTEN. ABRAHAM’S RESPONSE BRINGS US TO OUR CONCLUSION.
CONCLUSION:
LUKE 16:31: “HE SAID TO HIM, ‘IF THEY DO NOT LISTEN TO MOSES AND THE PROPHETS, THEY WILL NOT BE CONVINCED EVEN IF SOMEONE RISES FROM THE DEAD.’ ”
SOMEONE DID RISE FROM THE DEAD, AND UNFORTUNATELY, NOT MANY PEOPLE ARE RESPONDING TO HIM AS WELL. IT WAS JESUS.
THE DECISION YOU FACE TODAY, AND ONE THAT I ALREADY MADE IS WHAT WE WILL DO WITH THE RESURRECTED CHRIST. A MILLION YEARS FROM NOW YOU WILL STILL REMEMBER THE OPPORTUNITY YOU HAD TO CHOOSE CHRIST TODAY. MY PRAYER IS THAT YOU WILL CHOOSE CHRIST TODAY.
