Luke 16:19-31

Luke 16:19-31

19 “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20 “And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 22 “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ 25 “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ 27 “And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 “But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ 31 “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Life after death is the subject Jesus teaches in this text.  He presents two very different realities that are the direct opposite of the lives lived on earth.  It is hard to say if Jesus was using a parable in this passage or if He was simply stating history.  The fact that He uses the name Lazarus seems to indicate that this was a narration of real events from the past.  The passage gives us vital information about what happens when people die and how they feel.  We gain an understanding of the consequences of our choices on earth as well as the realities of heaven and hell.

CONTRASTING CONDITIONS: There are two main characters in this narrative; the rich man and Lazarus.  There is a huge contrast in the conditions in which they lived on earth.  The rich man had all the blessings and joys available on this earth.  Lazarus was a beggar who sat at the gate of the rich man covered with sores and starving to death.  The dogs would come and lick the sores on his body, but the rich man does not seem to care in the least about the suffering of Lazarus.  Neither poverty nor wealth are indicators of God’s blessing.  The rich cannot presume that they are being blessed by God and the poor cannot presume that they are condemned by God.  Our life after death is not determined by the size of our bank account.

DIFFERING DESTINATIONS: When both the rich man and Lazarus die, they are ushered into very different destinations.  Lazarus goes to what is called the bosom of Abraham, while the rich man goes to Hades.  The bosom of Abraham is a place of comfort and pleasure that we might call paradise.  This was where the Old Testament saints went when they died but I don’t believe it is where believers go when they die today.  Since Christ had not yet died for man’s sin; I think that these Old Testament saints could not go to heaven in the presence of God.  I believe that when Jesus died, He also came to this place and announced what He had done, preached the Gospel, and set them free from this place of comfort to enter the presence of God in heaven.  Believers who die today go straight to heaven because we live after the death of Christ by which we have been saved.  Hades is a place of torment in flames.  This is where all unbelievers go immediately upon death where they await their final judgment, after which they will all me cast into the lake of fire with Satan and all the fallen angles.  Death will mark the start of our time of comfort and pleasure in the presence of God or a time of torment separated from God.  Our destination will be determined by our faith in Christ.

LASTING LAMENTATIONS: The rich man cried out to Abraham begging for him to allow Lazarus to come over into the flame with a drop of water to cool his tongue.  He is in so much pain and so thirsty that he somehow thinks that a drop of water will provide relief and refreshment.  Abraham informs him that there is no way for his request to be fulfilled because there is a permanent separation between these two locations.  The rich man’s lamentation is still going on and will continue for all eternity.  Death marks the end of all hope for salvation from sin so all who have rejected Christ will immediately go to this place of torment where they will await the final judgment of unbeliever that is called the Great White Throne in Revelation; after which they will all be thrown for eternity into the lake of fire.  The only way to avoid this lasting lament is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

REJECTING REVELATIONS: When the rich man realizes he cannot be comforted, he becomes concerned about the plight of his relatives.  He prays that Lazarus be sent to warn his brothers of terrible reality that awaits them while they still have time to repent.  It is interesting to observe that those in hell pray for missions.  Lazarus must have been asking why the rich man, who ignored him during life, couldn’t leave him alone in death.  First, he wanted him to go into the flames with a drop of water and then he wanted to send him back to his misery on earth.  Abraham informs him that his brothers have the Law and the Prophets that are sufficient to warn the brothers.  The problem is that the rich man knows the he also had this same revelation but rejected it.  The rich man insists that if someone rose from the dead the impact would be greater than the Scriptures.  Abraham stands firm on the fact that those who reject the revelation of God will continue to reject even in the face of a miracle like resurrection.  Jesus was being predictive of His own reality for the future when people would ignore His resurrection. 

APPLICATION: Do not judge people by their current conditions.  Poverty and wealth are not accurate indicators of a person’s faith or eternal destinies.  Recognize the permanence of eternity so prepare diligently and faithfully for it.  Pay close attention to God’s revelation and urge others to do the same.