THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS

Sir,

In Luke 16:19-31 we have the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man, in torment, is depicted as seeing Lazarus afar off in ‘Abraham’s bosom’ and beseeching Abraham to send Lazarus to relieve him with a drop of water to cool his tongue. In response, he is reminded of the impassable gulf between them.

First and foremost allow me to submit to you that this is not a true story but a parable. The Bible tells us that Jesus often spoke to multitudes in parables (Mark 4:11, Matthew 13:34-35).
A parable can be a true story or a false story, sometimes with unrealistic scenarios. A good example is found in Judges 9:8-15 (the story of the talking trees). We know from the Bible that the dead are in their graves waiting for the resurrection morning. No one goes to Heaven or Hell soon after death. The Bible also tells us that when a person dies, before the resurrection, their ‘thoughts perish’ (Psalm 146:4).

The text says Lazarus was placed in the bosom of Abraham. Can you imagine how big the chest of Abraham was that it could carry all the redeemed from the time of Adam. This is another clue that this is just a parable not a true story.
Heaven is not Abraham’s bosom, nor is it realistic to believe that someone burning all around from head to toe would simply ask for a finger dip of water. If it were really a true story, he would have asked for far more than a drop of water.

On another note, if this is a literal story, how can it be said that all tears will be wiped away from every eye (Revelation 21:4) if a believer in Heaven will, throughout eternity, be able to see a lost loved one burning in hell?
Abraham himself is not in heaven, he died and his sons buried him (Gen. 25:8, 9). There is no account anywhere in the Word of his resurrection. In the Biblical account of Hebrews 11, Abraham is still waiting for the ‘better’ resurrection at the second coming of Christ.

The reason why Jesus taught using such a parable is simple. Among the listening crowd were ‘publicans and sinners’ (Luke 15:1). It was common belief among these that there was consciousness after death.
Jesus met them where they were, He reached out to them at their own level. He knew what they believed and through that He taught them a lesson. He used the prevailing opinion to convey an idea. He reached out to them by using language and figures that were familiar to them at that time.

The parable is designed to teach us to give to the spiritually poor the heavenly blessings we have been imparted with.
The parable is also given to warn us against the love of money. We should not love material things over the knowledge of the mighty God. For what shall it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and lose his soul (Luke 9:25)?
Love for the world must cease, while love for God and fellow human beings must increase. The great gulf fixed between paradise and hell fitly represents the fact that once a man dies, probation has ended. The time to make things right with God is while we are still alive.

Bopoto Gwinyai
(7663 8191)

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