Dear face2face,
Yes, the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus is a parable and it's message is told told through "spiritual symbols" just like all parables do. To understand the parable, we must first identify the meaning of the symbols.
The Rich Man represents the Nation of Israel who is "rich" because they were given the treasure of God (the Old Testament scriptures). The Rich Man is not rich because of his material wealth as you suppose. His riches are a symbol for his being given God's Word.
Lazarus is a symbol for the Gentiles who are spiritually poor because they were not given the Old Testament scriptures.
But because the Rich Man (Nation of Israel) left out the "weightier matters of the law", they were rejected by Christ:
Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
In other words, the Rich Man (Nation of Israel) was found lacking and as a result, he needed to repent. For this reason, John the Baptist came and made the call of repentance to the Nation of Israel. For those who repented (the 120 Jewish Elect), the pathway for Christ to "come again" to them with the Latter Rain was made straight. However, the Nation of Israel, in large part, did not repent and as a result, they were cast into outer darkness where they dwell to this day.
The parable's overall teaching is that the Kingdom of Heaven will be taken from the Nation of Israel and given to the Gentiles. It has nothing to do with the false teachings of the apostate church on heaven and hell.
As for this verse you quoted:
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Mammon is referring to the riches of this world (man's works) which come from the lies and deceptions of Satan. Mammon is not referring to literal money.
Satan's teachings are based upon "works" (the crooked way from the crooked serpent). In contrast, Christ's riches are based upon faith alone. When a believer mixes "works" with "faith", they are trying to serve two masters (Satan and Christ). That is what Christ is teaching in the Mat 6:24.
Here is another scripture which teaches about "riches":
Mat 19:16-22 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
When Christ is speaking to the young rich man (represents the Nation of Israel) in Mat 19:16-22, Christ tells the man to sell all his riches and give the proceeds to the poor (the Gentiles). However, Christ is speaking about the man's spiritual riches of this world (mammon). These riches have taught the young man that salvation can come through his own works (following the Law of Moses). However, the man's riches cannot save him because no man has the ability to keep the Law perfectly.
The Law was given to the Nation of Israel to lead them to Christ. It was not given to them to save them. Therefore, Christ tells the man to give up his riches so that he can receive the true "treasure in heaven" (Christ and the New Covenant).
The Gentiles' pathway to salvation is the same. They will also go through the Law so that they will be lead to Christ. For that reason, Christ tells the man to give his riches to the poor (the Gentiles) so that they can start their journey to Christ and salvation.
Joe
