The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)

[Hiddenthings]

The parables Jesus told during this period of his ministry are remarkable for their emotional intensity. Love, anger, pity, anxiety, rejoicing, and sorrow continually jostle for prominence, spoken, of course, by a Jesus whose emotions were heightened as rejection by his own nation became increasingly inevitable and as the shadow of the cross lengthened across his path.

Derided by the Pharisees for their misunderstanding of his parable about the dishonest steward, he proceeded to tell another parable that addressed them, and their Sadducee colleagues, even more directly, if that were possible!

 

[Hiddenthings]

A certain rich man lived in almost unimaginable luxury. He wore the finest clothes, feasted daily on the best food, and every desire was catered for. His life was one of ease, comfort, and constant merriment.

In stark contrast stood a beggar named Lazarus. Crippled (the text says he was “laid” at the gate), he was covered in dreadful sores, perhaps yaws from malnutrition, or something even worse (cf. Lev. 13:18–26; Deut. 28:27, 35). Day after day he was placed at the entrance of the rich man’s splendid home, hoping for scraps of food discarded by the household. Yet even these were scarce, for the roaming dogs of the city often devoured what little there was. These same unclean animals licked Lazarus’ sores, the only “comfort” he received. The one hint of hope in his story comes from his name: Eleazar “God is my help.”

The rich man knew him by name (v. 24), yet despite countless opportunities to show mercy, he did nothing. Was it pride, or sheer indifference? We are not told. Significantly, nothing overtly evil is said of him; indeed, his concern for his brothers later in the story suggests a measure of decency.

When both men died, however, the contrast sharpened. Lazarus, whose broken body may well have been discarded in Gehenna for dogs to consume, was carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom, a place of comfort and cleansing. The image recalls John resting on Jesus’ breast at the Last Supper (John 13:23, 25). By contrast, the rich man was buried with honor, but his soul awoke in torment.

From afar, he looked up and saw Abraham embracing the beggar he had ignored. In anguish, he cried out: “Father Abraham, have mercy on me!” the same plea he had heard from Lazarus countless times. “Just a drop of water to cool my tongue, even if brought by that beggar!” How striking the reversal: the one who would not lower himself to offer help now begged for the smallest act of mercy. His cry echoes Abraham’s hospitality in Genesis 18:4 (LXX), where he offered strangers water to “cool” themselves, yet now the rich man is denied.

 

[Hiddenthings]

No Present Help

Abraham could offer no comfort or relief. With quiet firmness, he reminded the rich man of the reversal that had taken place: “You received your good things, while Lazarus received evil things” (cf. Luke 6:22–25; Ps. 17:14). The emphasis on you is striking. The rich man had assumed his wealth and pleasures were his by right (cf. Luke 12:17–19), while the beggar had endured his suffering without complaint.

Now, help was impossible: “Between us and you a great chasm has been fixed.” No one could cross from one side to the other. Even in this, Abraham hinted that it might have been otherwise, if only the rich man, while alive and blessed with opportunity, had not treated the gulf between himself and the needy as something that could not be bridged.

The rich man accepted the inevitability of his fate, but turned his concern to his family: “Send Lazarus to my five brothers, to warn them so that they do not come to this place of torment.” Behind this plea may lie a veiled protest: “I wasn’t given a fair chance. No one warned me.” He thought Lazarus’ appearance would not only warn but also convince his brothers.

Abraham’s reply was sharp and final: “They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.”

Still the man protested: “That may be so, but if someone rises from the dead and goes to them, then they will repent.”

Abraham’s answer was unyielding: “If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead.” His words foreshadowed Israel’s rejection of Jesus himself, whose resurrection was witnessed not by all, but only by those chosen by God (Acts 10:41).

Remarkably, through this entire account Lazarus remains silent. He offers no complaint about his past suffering, no protest against God, no bitterness toward the rich man, no objection to being sent on an errand to his brothers. Every necessary word is spoken instead by Abraham, carrying far greater authority!

 

[Hiddenthings]

Life after Death

Before attempting any serious interpretation of this remarkable parable, it is essential to establish clearly that it does not present an actual depiction of life after death. Anyone reading this story literally, as a believer in the immortality of the soul, is likely to be led astray.

While Luke’s Gospel does not explicitly label it a parable, the same is true of the story of the unjust steward. Both begin with the words, “There was a certain rich man…” Yet who would insist that the unjust steward was a real person known to Jesus? Indeed, verse 15 requires interpretation in the context of the Pharisees.

Detail after detail in the story becomes absurd if taken literally: “In hell the rich man lifted up his eyes and saw Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom… Send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.” Do disembodied souls truly have eyes, fingers, tongues, or bosoms? And what use would one drop of water be in a place of unquenchable fire? Clearly, Jesus crafted these details to impress the audience with their impossibility.

Consider, too, the idea that part of the joy of the blessed hereafter would consist of constantly observing the damned in torment. What kind of everlasting happiness could this be? Lazarus is described as resting in Abraham’s bosom, yet is this meant to be taken literally as the eternal state of all righteous people? The parable provides no indication that the rich man was wicked or Lazarus inherently virtuous. In fact, the rich man is shown as loving toward his brothers. Should we then conclude that wealth in this life leads automatically to hell, and misery guarantees eternal bliss? Such reasoning is absurd, Abraham himself enjoyed considerable wealth in life (Gen. 13:2, etc.).

Finally, the parable concludes with a strong emphasis on the teaching of Moses and the prophets. What do they say about the state of the dead? “Abraham… was gathered to his people” (Gen. 25:8), yet his people were idol-worshippers (Josh. 24:2). Regarding Joseph’s death, Jacob lamented: “I shall go down to the grave (Hades) unto my son mourning” (Gen. 37:35). Similarly, Jonah cried from the belly of the fish (Jonah 2:1-2), which he mistakenly believed to be a kind of hell. Hezekiah, facing death, acknowledged: “The grave (Hades) cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee… the living, the living, he shall praise thee” (Isa. 38:10, 18-19).

Taken literally, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is one of the most fragile foundations for belief in disembodied immortality.

So why, then, did Jesus frame his teaching around such an obviously false concept?

 

[Jericho]

Why do you presume it's a parable? When it's a parable, it will say so. Jesus doesn't preface the story of the rich man and Lazarus by saying it's a parable. Moreover, parables don't use specific names.

 

[Hiddenthings]

Why do you presume it's a parable? When it's a parable, it will say so. Jesus doesn't preface the story of the rich man and Lazarus by saying it's a parable. Moreover, parables don't use specific names.

Do you also presume the unjust steward is a parable?

 

[Jericho]

Do you also presume the unjust steward is a parable?

I'd say it has a higher probability of being a parable than the Rich Man and Lazarus. If the latter were a parable, it would be the only parable in the Bible to use specific names, two of which we know were actual historical people. It would also be the only parable to mention the afterlife.

 

[Hiddenthings]

I'd say it has a higher probability of being a parable than the Rich Man and Lazarus. If the latter were a parable, it would be the only parable in the Bible to use specific names, two of which we know were actual historical people. It would also be the only parable to mention the afterlife.

Yes, the Lord’s creativity shines brilliantly in this parable, it carries the unmistakable mark of mastery! I would even go so far as to say it may be the greatest of all his parables. As you know, the Lord’s rebukes of the religious elite grew sharper and more intense with each parable in Luke 15 and 16, building to a climactic crescendo in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.

 

[Hiddenthings]

Christ Exposes False Ideas

The purpose of this parable was not to give a literal picture of life after death, but rather to parody and expose the false beliefs of both the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The Jewish historian Josephus, himself a Pharisee of the next generation, provides a detailed description of Pharisaic beliefs about the afterlife in his Discourse to the Greeks concerning Hades. He describes Hades as a subterranean place where souls are kept under the custody of angels who assign temporary punishments. Within it is a lake of unquenchable fire, prepared for the final judgment. The righteous are guided by angels to a region of light, called “the Bosom of Abraham,” while the unjust are dragged to the left hand, facing a terrifying view of fire and tormented further by seeing the righteous across a great chasm, which no one can cross. The parallels between Josephus’ account and Jesus’ parable are too striking to be coincidental.

Rabbinic writings also echo this imagery. For instance, Rabbi Judah the Holy said of a deceased colleague: “This day he sits in the bosom of Abraham.” Clearly, Jesus deliberately drew on these Pharisaic ideas to portray them in a way that highlighted their absurdity and exposed them as false.

But it was not only the Pharisees whom Jesus was addressing. Just as he shaped the parable of the pounds (Luke 19:11–27) around the political experiences of Archelaus and Antipas, the sons of Herod the Great, here he seems to have built the parable around Caiaphas the high priest. His five brothers-in-law, the sons of Annas, also served as high priests at different times. The description of the rich man “clothed in purple and fine linen” aptly fits this family, known for its pursuit of wealth and power. In doing so, Jesus also confronted the Sadducees, exposing the futility of their denial of the resurrection. In effect, he declared: These men are so determined not to believe in life after death that even if someone they knew were raised from the dead, they would not be persuaded. Indeed, this proved true, for they were not granted a direct encounter with the risen Christ.

The leaders claimed to “hear Moses,” yet in reality they disregarded his precepts and rejected the authority of the prophets altogether. The prophets, after all, spoke plainly of resurrection (Isa. 26:19; Dan. 12:2; Ps. 17:15) and often denounced corrupt priests (Isa. 28:7; 56:10–12; Ezek. 34:2–10; Mal. 2:1–9).

No wonder these writings were uncomfortable reading for them.

 

[Jericho]

Where was Jesus and what was he doing during the three days after he died on the cross, prior to his resurrection? Scriptures tell us:

He descended to the lowest parts of the earth (Eph 4:8-10)
He went to the heart of the earth (Mat 12:40)
He went to paradise (Luk 23:43)
He preached to the spirits in prison (1Pe 3:18-20)

Scriptures say Jesus went to hell (Hades), but it also says he went to paradise. So, which is it? It seems like a contradiction unless we take the story of the rich man and Lazarus literally. It also makes perfect sense.

The saved souls who died prior to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ couldn’t automatically ascend to heaven because their sins had not been atoned for. It would have been necessary for God to partition off a part of hell as a temporary paradise for the pre-Christian saints to reside. He placed a gulf between them and the lost souls, so it could not be crossed. Jesus, however, in his divinity, was able to cross the gulf, as he holds the keys of Hades and of Death (Rev 1:18). After he descended to hell, to paradise, aka Abraham’s bosom, he was able to cross the gulf to preach to the spirits in prison.

After Jesus was resurrected, what happened? The tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who died were also raised from the dead (Mat 27:52). Who were they, and where did they come from? They were the saints that were in Abraham’s bosom. After Christ ascended to heaven and shed his blood on the mercy seat, the pre-Christian saints were able to finally ascend to heaven with Christ. Thus, the story of the rich man and Lazarus is more than a parable.

 

[Hiddenthings]

Where was Jesus and what was he doing during the three days after he died on the cross, prior to his resurrection? Scriptures tell us:

He descended to the lowest parts of the earth (Eph 4:8-10)
He went to the heart of the earth (Mat 12:40)
He went to paradise (Luk 23:43)
He preached to the spirits in prison (1Pe 3:18-20)

He simply entered the tomb dead (utterly) and God raised him on the third day.

Each of these verses must be read in their proper context and understood according to their true meaning, but I get the sense that you may not actually want to hear the truth.

Am I right?

 

[Jack]

BILLIONS burning in Hell FOREVER will wish it was a parable!

 

[Hiddenthings]

Detailed interpretation

A full interpretation of the parable must go beyond its negative elements, for its meaning extends much further. Just as in the parables of the prodigal son and the great supper, Jesus looked ahead to a day when Israel’s unfaithfulness would be exposed in contrast to the eager acceptance of the gospel by godly Gentiles. From this perspective, the parable’s details become especially significant.

The rich man represents Israel, clothed in great religious privilege. The phrase “purple and fine linen” (cf. Prov. 31:22 LXX) is part of a symbolic picture of what Israel ought to have been. The expression “your good things” (using agatha instead of the expected kala) suggests this deeper interpretation of his prosperity. Even the word used to describe how he “feasted sumptuously” is rare in the Old Testament, appearing with reference to priestly garments (“the beauty of holiness,” Ps. 110:3) and as a description of the Shekinah glory (Ps. 90:17; Isa. 60:3).

TBC...

 

[Hiddenthings]

On the other hand, the torments of the rich man in the parable provide a vivid picture of the collapse of the Mosaic order and Israel’s dereliction, their scattering, and the ongoing persecution they faced (cf. Deut. 32:15, 20, 24). This suffering could have been borne by the One God provided for that very purpose, as the familiar prophecy declares: “He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isa. 53:4), using the same term. Yet, embracing this required faith in Jesus, which they were unwilling to do. The “great gulf” evokes the deep pit into which Absalom’s body was cast (2 Sam. 18:17) the rebel son for whom the Beloved cried, “Would God I had died for you!”

This torment has persisted across the centuries, representing a profound, seemingly unbridgeable divide between Gentile Christians and the Jewish outcasts, and also between Father Abraham and his natural descendants. The rich man’s plea to “send Lazarus” reflects his continued sense of superiority, a mindset that, to this day, parallels the pride of race observed among some Jews.

 

[Jack]

Detailed interpretation

A full interpretation of the parable must go beyond its negative elements, for its meaning extends much further. Just as in the parables of the prodigal son and the great supper, Jesus looked ahead to a day when Israel’s unfaithfulness would be exposed in contrast to the eager acceptance of the gospel by godly Gentiles. From this perspective, the parable’s details become especially significant.

The rich man represents Israel, clothed in great religious privilege. The phrase “purple and fine linen” (cf. Prov. 31:22 LXX) is part of a symbolic picture of what Israel ought to have been. The expression “your good things” (using agatha instead of the expected kala) suggests this deeper interpretation of his prosperity. Even the word used to describe how he “feasted sumptuously” is rare in the Old Testament, appearing with reference to priestly garments (“the beauty of holiness,” Ps. 110:3) and as a description of the Shekinah glory (Ps. 90:17; Isa. 60:3).

TBC...

Why don't you just accept what Jesus said, the rich man DIED and is in torment in fire, crying! It's clearly literal.

 

[Hiddenthings]

Why don't you just accept what Jesus said, the rich man DIED and is in torment in fire, crying! It's clearly literal.

Matthew 13:13 (Mark 4:11–12 and Luke 8:10): “Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” (ESV)

 

[Hiddenthings]

In the early days, Gentile believers would have been eager to provide material help to their Jewish brethren during the turmoil of the Jewish war (A.D. 67–70) symbolized by the rich man’s plea for a drop of water to cool his tongue, but even this was impossible. The time of opportunity for Israel had passed.

The “five brethren” may represent Jewish communities scattered abroad (the Dispersion), or perhaps later generations of Israel, who had never personally heard the voice of the Son of God in Galilee and Judea. Yet Abraham’s closing words underscore the futility of expecting Gentile believers to persuade them. For Israel, no testimony could be greater than that of Moses and the Prophets. If they would not listen to them, even the witness of one returning from the dead would make no difference.

And indeed, one did rise from the dead. Not long after Jesus spoke this parable, Lazarus of Bethany, well known to the Jewish leaders (Jn. 11:19, 31, 44) was raised from the grave. Instead of believing, they conspired all the more to kill both Lazarus and Jesus (Jn. 12:10–11). Soon afterward, Jesus himself rose from the dead, yet this truth was met with even greater hostility (Acts 4:2–3). The shift in wording from verse 30 to verse 31 is striking: “go to them from (apo) the dead ... repent” intensifies to “rise from (ek) the dead ... be persuaded,” showing the increasing resistance of Israel.

Yet even within this bleak picture there remains a glimmer of hope. Abraham still addresses the rich man as “son” (child), echoing Paul’s tender reminder: “As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes” (Rom. 11:28). Still, Abraham remains “afar off” (v. 23), a reminder of Israel’s estrangement.

So the haunting question lingers: how long before Israel will heed Moses and the Prophets, and their torment ends in the embrace of Abraham’s Seed?

This parable echoes the lament of Moses in his solemn song: “I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell (LXX: hades), and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them. They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat” (Deut. 32:20–24).

All this came upon them because “Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked … covered with fatness.” Yet the song does not end in despair, for it concludes with hope: “He (the Lord) will be merciful unto his land, and to his people” (v. 43).

 

[Jack]

Matthew 13:13 (Mark 4:11–12 and Luke 8:10): “Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” (ESV)

Jesus made up HORROR stories? Quote the verses where Jesus warned us about THE FIRE?

 

[Jack]

In the early days, Gentile believers would have been eager to provide material help to their Jewish brethren during the turmoil of the Jewish war (A.D. 67–70) symbolized by the rich man’s plea for a drop of water to cool his tongue, but even this was impossible. The time of opportunity for Israel had passed.

The “five brethren” may represent Jewish communities scattered abroad (the Dispersion), or perhaps later generations of Israel, who had never personally heard the voice of the Son of God in Galilee and Judea. Yet Abraham’s closing words underscore the futility of expecting Gentile believers to persuade them. For Israel, no testimony could be greater than that of Moses and the Prophets. If they would not listen to them, even the witness of one returning from the dead would make no difference.

And indeed, one did rise from the dead. Not long after Jesus spoke this parable, Lazarus of Bethany, well known to the Jewish leaders (Jn. 11:19, 31, 44) was raised from the grave. Instead of believing, they conspired all the more to kill both Lazarus and Jesus (Jn. 12:10–11). Soon afterward, Jesus himself rose from the dead, yet this truth was met with even greater hostility (Acts 4:2–3). The shift in wording from verse 30 to verse 31 is striking: “go to them from (apo) the dead ... repent” intensifies to “rise from (ek) the dead ... be persuaded,” showing the increasing resistance of Israel.

Yet even within this bleak picture there remains a glimmer of hope. Abraham still addresses the rich man as “son” (child), echoing Paul’s tender reminder: “As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes” (Rom. 11:28). Still, Abraham remains “afar off” (v. 23), a reminder of Israel’s estrangement.

So the haunting question lingers: how long before Israel will heed Moses and the Prophets, and their torment ends in the embrace of Abraham’s Seed?

This parable echoes the lament of Moses in his solemn song: “I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell (LXX: hades), and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them. They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat” (Deut. 32:20–24).

All this came upon them because “Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked … covered with fatness.” Yet the song does not end in despair, for it concludes with hope: “He (the Lord) will be merciful unto his land, and to his people” (v. 43).

There will be BILLIONS of humans in Hell Fire who don't believe in Hell! You really should pay attention before it's too late.

 

[soberxp]

1 Corinthians 13:3
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.