Key Verse: "He said to him, "If they do not listen
to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises
from the dead." Luke 16:31
Here Jesus is offering a preview of things to come. A man
would be raised from the dead, yet many in His listening audience would still
refuse to believe and instead choose to reject the gracious gift being offered
from God.
Once again, we must address the culture to understand this
parable of Jesus. In our western culture, we may tend to frown on this rich man
for his greed and insensitivity. After
all, throughout the Old Testament, God calls His people, over and over again,
to remember the poor and to show mercy. (Micah
6:8) However, another part of Jewish history is God's promise that if His
people would obey Him, they would be blessed by Him and if they disobeyed, they
would, in turn, be cursed.
The rich would often give to the poor for show, but in their
hearts, the rich believed that they were rich because God was rewarding them
for being so obedient to the law. Certainly, the religious leaders, Jesus’
critics, who were grumbling at the back of the crowd, could sympathize with the
rich man in the parable. They would assume that poor old Lazarus was probably
some sort of a derelict, perhaps a drunkard or leper, who was merely receiving
what he deserved. Perhaps he was. Jesus doesn't say. But in the cultural
thinking of the day, Lazarus’ suffering was probably for his own good. God had
judged him or was punishing him. It
wouldn’t make sense for the rich man to go against God's judgment of Lazarus.
I have talked about that as a cultural difference, but even today don't moderns often pride themselves on the hard work that makes them a good and rich, and often accuse the poor of being lazy and getting what they deserve, and thus excuse themselves from any obligation to help them?
I have talked about that as a cultural difference, but even today don't moderns often pride themselves on the hard work that makes them a good and rich, and often accuse the poor of being lazy and getting what they deserve, and thus excuse themselves from any obligation to help them?
When Jesus turns this thinking on its head, and Lazarus
becomes the one who makes it into heaven, he probably shocked His listeners
just as much as the rich man was shocked to find himself in hell. That was the
last place this man, or Jesus’ audience, thought they would ever be.
In fact, this parable gives Jesus the opportunity to talk
about the afterlife in general. There is hell and there is heaven. What we do
here, in our earthly life, will determine where we will spend eternity. Jesus
does not paint a comfortable picture for the selfish, self-centered person, who
is comfortable in this life. He has said before, "They have their
reward," to those who are the hypocrites, (actors) in this world. Their
house is built on sand. They are constructing a set for the play of their lives
which will come down when they are done with it. Sadly, they are so caught up
in the play, that they miss reality as the rich man learned too late.
The rich man finally begins to think of others. He wants
Lazarus to go back to earth to warn his brothers. And so, when Jesus did in fact come back from the dead, he proved his point.
God's word and our witness through our changed lives are the
most effective tools, and the most profound miracles that God has available to
lead others to Him. His warnings are in His word, along with His incredible
love story. He gladly gives those tools to you, along with your own story, to
use so that your loved ones do not need to spend eternity in hell. Pray, and
use His tools for His glory and your joy.
Hymn: "The Rich Man and Lazarus"
Not a song, but really cool: Make Disciples
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