![]() ![]() ![]() ’ 31 And 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. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to come over from here to you will not be able, and none may cross over from there to us.’ 27 So the rich man said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send Lazarus to my father’s house- 28 for I have five brothers-in order that he may solemnly warn them and witness to them, so that they too will not come to this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets let them listen to them.’ 30 He replied, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent. ![]() 24 And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in severe agony in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus likewise bad things but now he is comforted here, while you are in severe agony. 23 In Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom (paradise). 22 Now it happened that the poor man died and his spirit was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom (paradise) and the rich man also died and was buried. Besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 21 He longed to eat the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. 20 And a poor man named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, covered with sores. Its also one of the most misunderstood sections of the Bible. They now had the opportunity to enjoy God’s favor eternally.- John 17:3.19 “Now there was a certain rich man who was habitually dressed in expensive purple and fine linen, and celebrated and lived joyously in splendor every day. The tale of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus is one of Jesus most well known parables. Many accepted the Scriptural message that Jesus taught and benefited from it. The common people-who had long been neglected by their religious leaders-were now experiencing favor. And they were tormented by the message that Jesus and his followers preached.- Matthew 23:29, 30 Acts 5:29-33. But they experienced death, as it were, when God rejected them and their form of worship because they did not accept Jesus’ message. The Jewish religious leaders thought that they enjoyed God’s favor. The change in circumstances was drastic for both groups. Lazarus symbolized the common people who accepted Jesus’ message and who were despised by the Jewish religious leaders. and even the dogs would come and lick his wounds. 20 And there was a vagabond named Lazarus, lying at his door, fed up with injuries. Nevertheless, the rich mans plea provides the parables lesson, a voice of one who has seen Gods judgment: Be warnedâ wealth does not mean spiritual health. No one will be sent to warn the rich mans brothers, not even Lazarus. These religious leaders looked down on the common people.- John 7:49. He was a rich man, dressed in purple and fine linen, who ate every day. There is irony here also, for what the rich man is denied the storys imagery supplies. The rich man evidently symbolized the Jewish religious leaders, “who were money lovers.” ( Luke 16:14) They listened as Jesus spoke, but they opposed his message. The story shows that two groups of people were about to experience a great change in circumstances. How could Abraham be alive in heaven, since Jesus clearly stated that up to the time Jesus related the parable, no one had gone to heaven?- John 3:13. If the rich man were in a literal place of burning torment, would not the fire evaporate the water on Lazarus’ fingertip?Įven if it were not evaporated, would a single drop of water bring the rich man lasting relief from his suffering in a literal fire? Was Jesus teaching lessons about life after death? Did he mean that some people suffer in a hellfire when they die and that Abraham and Lazarus were in heaven? Several facts show that this could not be the case. Consider for a moment the vivid, dramatic imagery Jesus is using in this text. And the Catholic Jerusalem Bible, in a footnote, states that this is a “parable in story form without reference to any historical personage.” The Rich Man is paying the eternal price for his sin and is in anguish in this flame (24). For example, a subheading in the 1912 edition of Luther’s Bible states that this is a parable. The fact that this is a parable is acknowledged by scholars. This is a parable that Jesus related in order to teach a lesson. ![]()
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