LUKE 16:19-31 CONSEQUENCES CONTRASTED: THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS

CONSEQUENCES CONTRASTED:

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS

LUKE 16:19-31

Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

Susie: Purple and fine linen were expensive materials worn by the very rich or royalty. Purple dye was made from the purple muscle which made it costlier than dyes created from local plants.

Susan: This rich man indulged in fine dining daily but did not share generously with those in need. Remember, there were Pharisees in Jesus’s audience, many of whom were like this man. He was self-absorbed and self-indulgent.

Luke 16:20-21 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.

Susie: There was a beggar who laid just outside the rich man’s gate hoping only for crumbs of leftovers. He had no expectation of being invited to share in the rich man’s feasts.

Susan: I find it interesting that this poor man was named Lazarus which means “God will help.”

Susie: Note that the rich man in this story is not named at all. Although he thought himself a man of much importance in this world and wrapped himself in worldly pleasures, his only significance to the kingdom of God is to demonstrate how NOT to live.

Susan: Lazarus was covered with sores, was literally “ulcerous”. I can relate to that because necrotic ulcers from my toes to just below my knees resulted in the amputation of both of my legs above the knee. So, I know from experience that Lazarus was in dire pain.

Susie: Not only was Lazarus lying there helpless just waiting for bits of food to be tossed out by the rich man’s servants, but he had to compete for those morsels with mongrel dogs who licked his open sores. His position was one of utter despair, but his name and his ultimate destination imply that he held out hope in God.

Susan: Lazarus, because he had sores and undomesticated dogs licked them, would have been “unclean” as far as the Pharisees were concerned. They would have seen his circumstances as “proof” that he was cursed by God, not in the Lord’s favor at all. But, as we will see in the next verse, any who were of this opinion of the poor beggar were completely wrong! Reality was that many of the Pharisees were the ones who were despised by God because they were completely devoid of relationship with Him. They trusted in ritual rather than in the grace of the true God.

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;

Susie: Both men died, but their ultimate ends were drastically different. Lazarus was carried by angels, special delivery, to “Abraham’s bosom”. We will quote John MacArthur’s explanation of this term:

MacArthur Study Bible note:

16:22 Abraham’s bosom. This same expression (found only here in Scripture) was used in the Talmud as a figure for heaven. The idea was that Lazarus was given a place of high honor, reclining next to Abraham at the heavenly banquet.

Susan: Abraham was the physical forefather of the Jews and more importantly the father of all who have true faith in God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, Lazarus was not only in Paradise but in a place of honor.

Susie: There were no angels associated with the rich man’s demise. Instead, his body was buried in a tomb and he awoke in Hades, the final destination for those who never put their trust in the Lord.

Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Susie: Jesus does not picture the rich man in some type of holding pattern such as purgatory or simply devoid of life. He paints a picture of him being tormented night and day by flames that burn but never consume him.

Susan: He suffered the ultimate torment of being separated from Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and completely distanced from anything good or pleasant. It was utter anguish to see Lazarus enjoying the paradise he could have experienced had he trusted and followed God.

Luke 16:24 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.

Susan: He had the nerve to address Abraham as “Father” when his only relationship to him was as a distant descendant.

Susie: Note that this rich man, already suffering the consequences of his life spent on self rather than serving the Lord God, still views Lazarus as beneath him like a servant. He asks Abraham to send Lazarus to be his personal water-boy!

Luke 16:25 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.

Susan: The rich man’s sin was self-aggrandizement and self-indulgence. He was of no service to God and, therefore, of no service to his community. Abraham tells him to remember, to reflect on his life.

Susie: While he indulged in all that the money that he worshipped could buy, Lazarus lay at his gate dying in excruciating pain. The rich man took no notice of Lazarus until after they were both dead, one in heaven and the other in hell.

Susan: The rich man had chosen to indulge only in worldly comforts rather than building for himself treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20). Therefore, he had chosen to receive all the good he would get while living on this earth, thereby forfeiting any heavenly reward.

Susie: Lazarus, on the other hand, represents one who is Abraham’s son not only by birth but by faith in the living God, the God who helps. Evil things were done to him but he chose to hope in the Lord despite his lowly circumstances. Now he was experiencing the joy reserved for those who trust in the Lord.

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.

Susan: Abraham explains that your eternal home is determined before you die based on your choice to trust God or to rebel against or even ignore Him. Just as Joshua informed the Israelites, we all must choose between God and any other thing that would try to take His place (Joshua 24:15).

Susie: Once you have left your earthly body, there is no turning back, no “do-over.” You are permanently stuck in the place of torment or forever enjoying the presence of the Lord. You can’t go back and forth between the two.

Susan: Your destination is based on how you respond to the Gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Once you pass from your earth-suit, your place of residence is sealed for eternity.

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.

Susan: The rich man still sees Lazarus as his errand boy. He is projecting all these jobs on Lazarus when he has no authority over him.

Susie: He wants Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to testify to his brothers. At least he has found some concern for someone other than himself, but it is too little and too late.

Luke 16:29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

Susan: Abraham says they have the testimony of the Scripture, the word of God, given through the prophets. God has provided all they need to believe and follow God.

2 Peter 1:3-4  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Luke 16:30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

Susie: The rich man argues that they would be more likely to believe the testimony of someone who had been raised from the dead. He had access to the Scripture and probably even took sacrifices to the Temple yet had not believed or lived as God instructed in His word. Therefore, he assumed his brothers would ignore the word of God as well.

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.

Susan: Abraham asserts that if they do not listen to and adhere to scripture, they would not believe even someone raised from the dead. Scripture is God’s highest and best presentation of Himself other than God incarnate, the Lord Jesus.

Susie: The Lord Jesus DID return from the grave on the third day as prophesied and many Pharisees and others spent their time trying to refute this fact rather than putting their trust in Jesus, the embodiment and fulfillment of the words of Moses and the Prophets.

Ponder this and apply it: This message was aimed at those religious leaders of the day who wallowed in self-indulgence while heaping rules and traditions on others. They made showy prayers and stole from widows (Matthew 23:14). Jesus is not condemning wealth but the worship of and dependence upon money rather than the Lord. Wealth is fleeting and can be taken away at any time, but as the name Lazarus reminds us “God will help.” In whom or what are you trusting for security both on earth and in the life to come? If you are depending on anything or anyone besides the Lord Jesus Christ, you are living in quick-sand.