Luke 16:19-31

Have you ever seen a rich man beg? Men with wealth usually have no problem obtaining things they desire, but those desires are limited to this life alone. Before I get too excited writing this lesson, I’ll take my time and elaborate a bit on our text. Jesus usually spoke to men in parables, stories that compelled listeners to discover truths for themselves, and its concepts concealed the truth from those too lazy or prejudiced to look for it. It isn’t mentioned whether this story was a parable or not, but even if it was, it is still true, because Jesus never used lies to illustrate truths.

Our text mentioned a true account of two men with different perspectives on life. There was a rich man who had it made in the cool shade, lived lavish, dressed in the finest apparel, and never missed a meal when he was hungry. In his mind, life was perfect, yet he lacked one of the most important attributes that separated those who were rich and arrogant, with others who were rich and righteous (Job, David, Joseph). The rich man lacked humility, and was not fond of sharing his wealth with others.

Lazarus was a beggar who seemed to have been handed a bad set of cards. It’s unknown how he wound up in such a woeful state, but Lazarus was unable to care for himself, so he sought assistance from others. It’s mentioned in verse 20 that Lazarus was full of sores, and laid at the rich man’s gate, in hopes of receiving a blessing. On a side note, I’m curious as to who brought him to the gate, because if they were kind enough to lay him in a rich place, shouldn’t they have offered to give him food or clothing first, unless they had already done what they could to assist, and felt that the next best option was to place the beggar in a place where there was unending resources. Or, perhaps those who laid him at the gate were poor as well, and just wanted their friend to get the best care before he died. In any case, he laid at the rich man’s gate, desiring only to eat the crumbs that fell from his table, but he was ignored and left there to suffer the more. The only comfort Lazarus received in his last days came from the dogs who came and licked his sores. Think on that final scene for a moment. Picture Lazarus laying at the rich man’s gate, with dogs licking his sores, then pan the camera to the rich man’s bedroom window, as he looks at the beggar in disgust, while smoking a pipe, or whatever arrogant men did back then to look cool.

There came a time when Lazarus and the rich man died, but there afterlife experiences were totally different. After the beggar died, his soul and spirit were carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. This was a phrase used among Jews to signify paradise. The paradise mentioned here is the one in the lower part of the earth. Say what!!??? Before you trip and call me crazy, let me explain, as I’m still understanding these concepts as well. Before Christ gave up the Ghost on the cross, He told the thief, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Jesus then went to the lower parts of the earth to gather the righteous who were awaiting for Him to capture them, and take them to Heaven. There is another paradise in the third Heaven mentioned in Revelation 2:7, and 2 Corinthians 12:1-4.

Unlike Lazarus who was favored by God and rewarded in the afterlife, the rich man lifted up his eyes in hell, or hades. This was considered the unseen world of departed spirits, that is similar to the Hebrew equivalent of Sheol. While there, the rich man suffered torment and great pain, but looked up and saw Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom. Typical of those who receive judgment for their evil ways, the rich man began to feel remorse and despair after seeing the man he left to die in the streets. The irony of this story is that the man who once begged for mere crumbs while on earth, was now living an eternal life of riches, whereas the man who had earthly treasures now begged for help from the same man he despised. The rich man cried for Abraham to send Lazarus over to dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool his tongue, because he was tormented in flames. Have you ever wondered where sinners go when they die, as they await the coming judgment? There’s your answer.

Even in hell, the rich man still gave orders, but his request was denied, because there was a great gulf fixed between them where no one could cross. Abraham spoke on behalf of Lazarus and reminded the rich man of how he lived comfortably, and Lazarus suffered, but now the tables were turned. The man then realized that it was too late for him to repent, but remembered his brothers who were still alive, and made another request to send Lazarus to testify to them of the reality of life, but Abraham said they have Moses and the prophets to hear, but if they refused, neither would they be persuaded if one came back from the dead.

I get jitters and goosebumps everytime I read this story, because every day I see people struggling, and wonder if I do enough to help them. Jesus said, “For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always” (Mark 14:7). These words from Christ helps us understand that we can’t save the world, but we can do what we can, when we can, but only if our time and resources allow it. The Holy Ghost will always lead us to do only what will bring glory to God, and possibly help others come to Him through our giving.

If you have been blessed with wealth on this earth, don’t allow what you have to have you. Instead, pray to God for strategies on how to use your resources to make the Kingdom of God more attractive to this dark and dying world. To those, like me, who are barely making ends meet, we may not be able to bless the poor financially, but we can always give them good, godly conversations to help enrich their spirit, and encourage their souls to be strong, and trust God to deliver them. “See a need, fill a need” (Mr. Bigweld).

Walk in love,

Ell