Luke 16: 19-31
The Rich Man and Lazarus

by Gary DeLashmutt

Introduction

A crucial part of the biblical world-view is that there will be an afterlife, that there is a connection between our choices in this life and the kind of afterlife we experience, and that the next life will be a surprising reversal for many people. “Many who are first shall be last, and many who are last shall be first.” This parable illustrates this maxim.

SETTING: Jesus has just told a parable teaching that we should use our money in this life so as to profit in the next life (16:9).
The Pharisees, who were materialists, scoffed at this idea (16:14). They believed (contrary to Old Testament teaching) that material wealth was a sign of God’s blessing, and that material poverty was a sign of God’s disfavor. Therefore, if you are rich, it doesn’t matter how you use your money in this life—you’ll still be OK in the next life. Jesus tells this parable in response to their scoffing . . .

Injustice in this life

Read 16:19-21. Jesus presents a stark contrast between these two people:

The rich man was rich indeed. His purple clothing was colored by dye derived from snails and was extremely expensive. His fine linen referred to linen underwear—which only the wealthy could afford. The “gate” to his home was an ornate portico into a palatial estate. He spent every day enjoying his luxuries and buying more—he didn’t have to work.
Lazarus was poor indeed. He was seriously sick—immobile and covered with sores. He was so hungry that he drooled over the scraps the rich man gave to his own pets. He was so weak that he could not keep the wild street dogs from licking his open sores and further infecting him.
“ . . . rabbis would have described his condition as no life at all. They had a saying that three situations resulted in no life: one who depended on food from another’s table, one ruled by his wife, and one whose body was full of sores. Fulfilling two of these three conditions, Lazarus’s situation is as desperate and tragic as the rich man’s is full and sumptuous.”[1]
The rich man evidently was aware of Lazarus (16:24 shows he knew his name), but he was too absorbed in enjoying himself to care about Lazarus’ plight. If you had rebuked him, he probably would have said, “Hey, I’m not hurting anyone. I earned what I have and I have the right to enjoy it.”

Does this sound unrealistic to you? It happens all the time, not only on a local scale but also on a global scale (AMERICANS ARE 6 PERCENT OF WORLD’S POPULATION & USE 60% OF ITS RESOURCES; AMERICANS USE ENOUGH FERTILIZER ON GOLF COURSES TO SUBSTANTIALLY ALLEVIATE 3^RD WORLD HUNGER; INVERSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AMERICANS’ INCOME & PERCENTAGE OF INCOME GIVEN TO CHARITY). The non-compassionate use of accumulated wealth causes tremendous suffering in the world, and prompts many people to question God’s fairness: “Doesn’t God care about this injustice? What is he doing to resolve it?”

Part of the Bible’s answer to this question is that God’s people should be generous with their money to relieve the suffering of the poor.

But another part of the biblical answer is what Jesus says in the following verses: God will do something about it in the next life.

Justice in the next life

Read 16:22-26. This is a parable, so we must be careful not to build our entire view of the afterlife on it. Some of the details may be figurative for dramatic effect (Abraham’s chest; flame; water; etc.), but the key elements of the picture are confirmed by the clear teaching of scripture: people remain conscious after death and go to one of two states which are very different.

Before we go any further, we need to answer this question: Did the rich man go to Hades because he was wealthy? Did Lazarus go to Abraham’s bosom because he was poor? The rest of the Bible answers this question with a clear “No.”

If wealth cancels our ticket to heaven, then Abraham wouldn’t be the one meeting Lazarus because he was a very wealthy man.
The issue that determines where we spend eternity is not how much money we have, but how we respond to God in this life.
Lazarus means “God helps” and signifies someone who is dependent on God. The Bible tells us that God gives eternal life as a free gift to all who respond to him in this way.
The last part of this parable tells us more about how to respond properly to God.
The connection to wealth is not that our bank account determines our afterlife, but that what we do with our money is one of the things that reveals how we have responded to God. If we really believe in the God of the Bible, we will use our money in a way that helps the poor (THIS PARABLE) and spreads the gospel (LAST PARABLE).

The main point here is that God will bring full justice in the next life. This is either disturbing or comforting—depending on your standing with God.

It is disturbing if you’re headed to Hades. God’s justice won’t be pretty—this is a terrible picture!
As the rich man had no crumbs for Lazarus in this life, so there will be no drop of water from Lazarus for the rich man in the next life.
As the rich man has no compassion for the poor in this life, there will be no mercy for him in the next life.
16:26 is especially disturbing. Nothing can change our fate in the next life. The choice we make about God in this life will be permanently enforced in the next life. We can change our minds about God during this life and God will respond to our choice, but once we die it is too late. There is no reincarnation, no purgatory, and no second chance to receive Christ (see also Heb. 9:27).
It is comforting if you’re headed to Abraham’s bosom. All that was denied you in this life will be richly made up in the next life.
As Lazarus was isolated and suffering in this life, he will enjoy intimate fellowship and comfort in the next life.
This is only a small part of what God promises in the next life for those who respond properly to him. There is the eternal presence of God & experience of his kindness, permanent relief from all sin, temptation & deception, new bodies suited for eternal life, reunion with saved loved ones & new relationships with other saved people, and full satisfaction for every holy & wholesome longing & aspiration.
This not only gives us something to look forward to in the next life. It should also change our perspective in our sufferings in this life.
Our culture expects and demands that happiness, fulfillment, and success should be attained in this life. Even Christians who reject the world’s definition of happiness and success still expect to attain spiritual happiness and success in this life (TRIUMPHALISM EXAMPLES). This sets us up for deep disappointment.
“I think we have lost the old knowledge that . . . (this) life is overrated . . . Our ancestors believed in two worlds, and understood this to be the solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short one. We are the first generations of man that actually expected to find happiness here on earth, and our search for it has caused such unhappiness. The reason? If you don’t believe in another, higher world, if you believe only in the flat, material world around you, if you believe that this is your only chance at happiness. If that is what you believe, then you are not (just) disappointed when the world does not give you a good measure of its riches—you are despairing.”[2]
PAUL personifies the alternative. He suffered greatly (EXAMPLES), yet his convictions about the next life made a big difference in how he viewed and responded to his sufferings in this life. Read Rom. 8:18 and 2 Cor. 4:16-18. The glories of the next life are so much greater than our present sufferings in both degree and duration that they virtually overshadow them. Focusing on the sufferings of this life is myopic—like focusing on the discomfort of a jet flight instead of the great place it’s taking you to. It’s like looking only at what the spotlight shines on in a darkened stage—it is real, but when the house lights come on, you see it is only a small part of the total situation. What do you “focus” on? Is there any connection between your answer and your view of your sufferings?

How to respond properly to God

Now let’s return to the parable. Through the continuing dialogue between Abraham and the rich man, we learn how to respond properly to God.

Read 16:27-31. First of all, it tells us that responding to God properly begins by listening to his Word. His brothers don’t need a visit from Abraham. They already have all they need to avoid his fate—they have the written word of God in the Old Testament. This is where you need to start, too.
How can you know what God is really like when there are so many different gods? By learning his Word. There you will discover that God is not a cosmic force that we’re all part of, but that he is a Person who is both righteous and loving.
How can you know how to get to God when there are so many different ways? By learning his Word. There you will discover that he has always denied that we are all already one with God, but that we are separated from him because of our sins. There you will discover that he has always warned us against trying to earn his acceptance by good works, and that he has always provided a Substitute whose death would pay for our sins and provide us with complete forgiveness. This is what Jesus means when he says that the Old Testament scriptures “speak of me” (Jn. 5:46).
How can you know which book about God tells the truth when there are so many different books? By reading his Word. There you will discover that he has validated the Bible as his Word through fulfilled prophecy, historical and scientific accuracy, marvelous continuity, and the “ring of truth” (FAITH MAKES SENSE).
Read 16:30-31. The rich man protests that God’s Word is an inadequate measure for his brothers. They need something more dramatic—Lazarus rising from the dead and appearing to them. This is another big misconception many people have about responding to God. They think they must see a miracle or have an overwhelming spiritual experience before they can come to him (EXAMPLES).
But God says this is not the case. There is no correlation between witnessing a miracle (or having some dramatic experience) and responding properly to God. The Bible is full of examples of people who responded properly to God without ever seeing such things—and of people who saw many such things and did not respond properly to God. His audience was about to prove this. Soon after this incident, Jesus would raise another Lazarus from the dead—but their response was to step up their plans to kill Jesus (Jn. 11:46-57). When Jesus raised himself from the dead, their response was to pay the guards off to say his disciples had stolen the body.
You don’t need a miracle to be able to respond properly to God. You need to put your faith in Christ. And faith is not being swept off your feet by a miracle or an experience—it is a choice to bow to God and ask for his forgiveness through Christ.

Footnotes

[1] B. Besa 32b, cited in Darrel L. Bock, Luke: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996), vol. 2, pp. 1367.