This parable at the end of Luke 16 responds to an incident at the beginning of Luke 15. Tax collectors and sinners drew near to Jesus. The Pharisees and scribes complained that Jesus received sinners and ate with them. Jesus responded by telling a series of parables.
- Luke 15 records three parables about salvation.
- Luke 16 records two parables about stewardship.
Luke 16 begins with the Parable of the Unjust Steward. Verse 13 warns: “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Note verse 14: “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.” The Pharisees were considered the most righteous men in ancient Palestine. But Jesus knew their hearts. Outwardly, they loved God; inwardly, they loved money.
1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
In Luke 16:14-18, Jesus rebukes the materialistic Pharisees. Then Jesus tells the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in verses 19-31. This is the only parable in which Jesus names a character. It is also the only passage that describes a man in hell. Lazarus is the person we relate to in this story. He does not say or do anything. Yet he is the hero of the story. But the parable is about the rich man. Church history calls him “Dives” – the Latin word for “rich man.” Jesus did not bother to name him. He was well-known in the community. The Lord did not know him in this life or the next.
There are many lessons to learn from this parable. But there is one moral to the story: Your response to God’s word has eternal consequences. The rich man warns us that if you live your best life now, you will live your worst life then.
A Man Who Lived His Best Life Now
Verses 19-23 record a great contrast and a great reversal.
A Great Contrast in Life.
The Rich Man’s Success. His affluence is described in two ways.
What he wore. People wore a simple tunic, maybe a cloak. This man was “clothed in purple” – the color of royalty. Only one drop of purple dye could be extracted from a shellfish murex. Imagine how much it costs to collect enough to dye a garment. Most people did not know what undergarments were. This man wore “fine linen” underwear imported from Egypt.
What he ate. Verse 19 says he “feasted sumptuously every day.” Most people survived on meager fare. Some went days without food. But while common folk fought off starvation, this man had a banquet table of gourmet foods spread before him every day. If you could eat at the most expensive restaurant in town every day, would you? This man did.
The Poor Man’s Suffering. Verses 20-21 describe the poor man in four ways.
He was homeless. Verse 20 says, “And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus.” “Gate” is an ornamental door. A poor man was “laid” at the gate of the rich man’s mansion. His name was “Lazarus,” not to be confused with the brother of Mary and Martha that Jesus raised from the dead in John 11.
He was diseased. Verse 20 says he was “covered with cores.” This phrase was a common medical term found only here in the New Testament. Lazarus had ugly, painful, and odorous ulcers all over his body. He was too weak to move from the rich man’s gate.
He was starving. Verse 21 says Lazarus “desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table.” The rich man used bread as a utensil, sopping up his food with it. He also used bread as a napkin, cleaning himself up with it before tossing it to the ground. Lazarus longed for the discarded bread that fell from the rich man’s table, which he never received.
He was helpless. Verse 21 says, “Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.” These dogs were wild scavengers, not “man’s best friends.” Hunting for food, they found Lazarus. His oozing sores were their meal. And he did not have the strength to shoo them away. It was the epitome of this poor man’s miserable condition.
A Great Reversal in Death. Verses 22-23 record the death of the poor man and the rich man.
The Death of the Poor Man. Verse 22 says, “The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side.” Lazarus lived on the verge of death. When he finally expired, no one may have noticed he was gone. His body was tossed into a mass grave. But the angels carried him to Abraham’s side.
This is parabolic language. Scripture does not teach that angels carry saints to glory. And heaven is not called “Abraham’s side” anywhere else in scripture. Abraham is the “father of the faithful.” To be at Abraham’s side is to be at a place of honor. “Lazarus” means “God has helped.” His name was a mockery in this life. It was fulfilled in heaven. Lazarus’ transition confirms Psalm 116:15: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
The Death of the Rich Man. Verse 22 says, “The rich man also died and was buried.” Death is “the great equalizer.” Proverbs 22:2 says, “The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.” The poor man and the rich man died. That is the only thing they share in common. The rich man was buried in a public funeral with great eulogies.
Verse 23 says, “And in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.” Lazarus suffered all his life but enjoyed eternal bliss. The rich man lived his best life now but went to hell. Verse 15 warns: “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”
A Man Who Lived His Worst Life Then
Verses 19-23 narrate the life and death of the rich man and Lazarus. Verses 24-31 record a conversation between the rich man and Abraham. The rich man makes a request for himself and his brothers.
A Request for Himself. Verse 24 says, “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.” The rich man addressed Abraham as “Father.” The rich man had some religious affiliation. He knew who Abraham was. He still went to hell. He pleaded for “mercy” with a sense of entitlement: “Send Lazarus.” Expressing no regret, remorse, or repentance, he still thinks he’s Mr. Big Stuff – caring for no one but himself. He ignored Lazarus at his gate. And he did so now, telling Abraham to send Lazarus. He wanted a drop of water to relieve his anguish in the flames. His request teaches us that hell is terrible.
The request for mercy was denied. It teaches two lessons about the judgment of sinners.
God’s judgment will be fair. In verse 25, 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.” My father said, “Hell is the house of lost chance haunted by the ghost of missed opportunity.” Abraham reminded the rich man of his life on earth. He had good things; Lazarus had bad things.
“Good things” indicates that the rich man did not go to hell because he was rich. Abraham was rich! And he did not go to hell because he did great evil. He went to hell because he lived for himself. You don’t want the Lord to be fair with you! The “bad things” Lazarus suffered in this life were never addressed. Many view Christ as liberator rather than Lord. But Jesus does not promise that life’s inequities and injustices will be fixed in this life. Our hope is in these two words: “But now.”
- Lazarus was comforted by the Lord.
- The rich man was in anguish in hell.
D.L. Moody said, “I would rather beg for bread on Earth like Lazarus than beg for water in Hell like the rich man.”
God’s judgment will be final. Verse 26 says, “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.” Lazarus could not come because “a great chasm has been fixed.” Philip Graham Ryken said, “Hell has been eternally separated from heaven by divine decree.” God ordered it that “those who would pass from here to you may not be able.” Who was Abraham talking about? Lazarus! He suggests that Lazarus was willing to go to hell to help the man who never helped him. But that was impossible. It is a subtle affirmation of eternal security.
Likewise, “none may cross from there to us.” There is no such thing as purgatory. And annihilationism is wishful thinking. Hell has no exit. The bed we make in this life we sleep in forever. William Secker said, “If once you fall into hell, after a million ages are elapsed, you will be as far from coming out as you were at going in.”
A Request for his Brothers. The rich man’s request for mercy was denied, but he made another request on behalf of his family. These closing verses are the point of the parable. Your response to God’s word has eternal consequences. This parable of Jesus ends with two reasons to trust and obey God’s word.
Scripture is clear. Verses 27-28 reads: “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.’” If Abraham cannot send Lazarus to hell, send him to earth to warn my brothers so they won’t go to hell. “Warn” means to bear witness or testify. There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. Tell the good news of salvation and the bad news of sin.
The rich man wanted to make Lazarus his servant. Now he begs for him to be a missionary. It is the first time the rich man shows concern for anyone but himself. But what seems to be compassion for his family is an attack against divine justice. His request implies that he went to hell because the way to heaven was not clear. If God did a better job of showing him he was wrong, he would have turned around. He wanted objective proof that heaven is real.
In verse 29, Abraham answered, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.” “Moses and the Prophets” is a summary of the Old Testament. Let me paraphrase: “Your brothers don’t need Lazarus. If they hear and heed the Bible, they will be saved.”
2 Peter 3:16 says there are things in scripture that are hard to understand. But God’s word is clear about what is necessary to be understood, believed, and obeyed to be saved. The Bible is deep enough for scholars to dive in and never touch the bottom; it is shallow enough for children to get a drink without the fear of drowning. 2 Timothy 3:14-15 says, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Read your Bible so you won’t go to hell!
Scripture is sufficient. Verse 30 is a firm rebuttal: “No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” This verse reveals the rich man’s sinful, selfish, and stubborn heart. Abraham told the rich man the truth of scripture is the way to heaven. When these words fell from the lips of Jesus, the New Testament had not been written. The Old Testament can teach you the character of God, the sinfulness of man, and the hope of Christ. The rich man wanted a see a sign, not hear the scripture. He got the solution right: “Repent.” But he did not think scripture was sufficient to lead to repentance.
Verse 31 concludes: “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” The rich man imagined Lazarus rising from the dead and visiting his five brothers. When the door opened, Lazarus said, “Repent.” The brothers would be convinced.
Many affirm the inspiration of scripture but deny its sufficiency. They look for something special, sensational, or supernatural to validate the truth. But if a person does not hear Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead. People who are not changed by scripture will not be changed by a miracle!
The story moves from a great contrast to a great reversal to a great irony. In John 11, Jesus raised a man named Lazarus from the dead. The religious leaders responded by plotting to kill Jesus. Moreover, it would not be long before Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead. Yet they still would not repent and believe. Don’t let that be your story. Hear the word and believe it before it’s too late.
Romans 10:8-10 says: “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” Run to the cross!