Luke 16 (NKJV)
“So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then 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.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’” (Verses 22-26)
Before we consider the parabolic interpretation of the last five verses of our parable let us for a moment, consider what the implication would be if we were to consider them literal.
Verse 27 and 28 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’”
Here again we find someone who is supposedly in hell suffering its torments and yet he still has found a way to converse with someone in heaven (a miracle in itself), and not only this but petitioning him to send Lazarus to his father’s house to speak to his brothers.
Verse 29 “Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’”
How could they have Moses, are we to assume that Moses was still alive at the time, and even if he were, why wasn’t he and the rest of the prophets in heaven with Abraham?
Were they not poor enough or destitute, afflicted, and tormented enough to qualify for heaven as Lazarus did? (Compare Heb 11:36-38)
Verse 30 and 31 “And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent. But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”
Why send a stranger? Were the five brother’s familiar with Lazarus, did Lazarus hang out in front of their father’s house as well?
If anyone from the dead could have convinced his brothers to repent, would it not rather have been someone with whom they were familiar with, such as their own father? Oh! That’s right the rich man probably inherited most of his riches from his father so his father having been guilty of being rich was probably there with him in hell. Come now people how much more nonsense must one consider before they realize the absurdity in considering this a literal account of events rather than as a parable which it is.
Having viewed these last few verses from a literal perspective and found them wanting, we will in our next post view them as they are supposed to be viewed, figuratively.
“So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then 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.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’” (Verses 22-26)
Before we consider the parabolic interpretation of the last five verses of our parable let us for a moment, consider what the implication would be if we were to consider them literal.
Verse 27 and 28 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’”
Here again we find someone who is supposedly in hell suffering its torments and yet he still has found a way to converse with someone in heaven (a miracle in itself), and not only this but petitioning him to send Lazarus to his father’s house to speak to his brothers.
Verse 29 “Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’”
How could they have Moses, are we to assume that Moses was still alive at the time, and even if he were, why wasn’t he and the rest of the prophets in heaven with Abraham?
Were they not poor enough or destitute, afflicted, and tormented enough to qualify for heaven as Lazarus did? (Compare Heb 11:36-38)
Verse 30 and 31 “And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent. But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”
Why send a stranger? Were the five brother’s familiar with Lazarus, did Lazarus hang out in front of their father’s house as well?
If anyone from the dead could have convinced his brothers to repent, would it not rather have been someone with whom they were familiar with, such as their own father? Oh! That’s right the rich man probably inherited most of his riches from his father so his father having been guilty of being rich was probably there with him in hell. Come now people how much more nonsense must one consider before they realize the absurdity in considering this a literal account of events rather than as a parable which it is.
Having viewed these last few verses from a literal perspective and found them wanting, we will in our next post view them as they are supposed to be viewed, figuratively.
