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THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS

Well, we’ve spent the week looking at the gospel of Luke, focusing on some of the stories found only in that gospel, and on the unique picture of Jesus found there. One of the most fascinating unique stories in Luke will be our focus today. It’s one of the best known, and least understood parables in the Gospels.

Here’s the story as Jesus told it.

There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was . . . a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table . . .The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, “Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.”

But Abraham replied, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things . . . now he is comforted . . . and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.” He answered, “Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they [won’t] also come to this place of torment." Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them." “No, father Abraham,” he said, “but if someone from the dead goes to them, [they’ll] repent.” He said to him, “If they [don’t] listen to Moses and the Prophets, [they’ll] not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead" (Luke 16:19-31, NIV).

What’s the theme of the story? Salvation comes through belief and repentance, allowing Jesus to become our Burden bearer. That’s the only way to find spiritual security now and forever.

Uniquely, this parable names the leading character. This is the only story/parable Jesus ever told, in which he named the hero. I imagine Jesus added this detail, to a well-known fable. For when he named this poverty-stricken character, her inferred, “This is not just any man or woman, this is a ‘Lazarus!’ There’s deep significance in the name.” And there is—as we shall see today.

You couldn’t paint a picture in more stark contrasts than in this parable Jesus told: the greatest luxury, and the greatest poverty; every comfort, and no comforts; wanting nothing, and wanting everything. But then both men die, and we see a complete role reversal. The one that had everything on earth, goes to Hell, the one that had nothing in this life, goes to heaven. Waking up in Hell, the man that had enjoyed good times all his life on earth is a bit put out by the way things have turned around. And he has a bitter conversation with patriarch Abraham.

He claims this outcome isn’t fair! Then in the story, Abraham has a few things to share with the rich man. He says as it were, “Let’s review your case, because it seems you’ve forgotten a few things. When you both lived on earth, you had everything, and Lazarus had nothing. Now he lives in ultimate comfort and you
. . . we’ll, you’re beginning to understand what Lazarus went through. And let me add, when you both died, you went to opposite sides of an immense chasm, one so wide and deep there’s no way to cross it. It’s uncrossable. It can’t be bridged. Ever. The way things are now, is the way they’ll be for eternity.”
In those last few thoughts, we hear the story’s central theme, the core facts about personal salvation. The facts are so stark, no one could misunderstand what Jesus is saying. First, our social status in this life has no connection with where we’ll spend eternity. Social class doesn’t figure in this scene. We’re all plain sinners saved by grace. In heaven they’ll be no elite communities, no railroad tracks to divide the privileged class and some “other” class.

Second, the goods we accumulate in this life are no guarantee that we’re living under God’s special favor. That’s one of the greatest fallacies of Bible times, and our times. You can be the wealthiest person in the world and still be lost. The immense wealth of a king or queen, or an American entrepreneur, is completely irrelevant to where they’ll both spend eternity.

Third, our choices here and now determine our eternal destiny. It’s all settled in this life. So we need to be sure we make the wise choice, the choice that will see us with Jesus in heaven.

And fourth, at the end of life after we’ve made a personal choice about our relationship with God, there’s a chasm of such proportions that no one can change the decision or its consequences—ever!

In those four inter-related facts, we have the central message Jesus communicated to His hearers the day He told this parable. It’s about a simple as a Billy Graham sermon isn’t it? Nothing difficult to understand here. It’s not something you need to investigate by parsing the words and phrases, and seeking subtle meanings in Greek. It’s simple, straightforward, and profoundly personal.

Well, in the parable, the rich man suddenly wakes up to the seriousness of his predicament. In that moment of desperation, he thinks about his family. He has five brothers, all as rich and dissolute as he, all socially irresponsible, and all spiritually lost. He pleads, “Abraham, send that old beggar to my father’s house, and try to persuade my five brothers to make the right choice now, so they won’t end up in my horrible, irreversible situation.”

“No,” Abraham replies, “that won’t work. You see, they’ve got all the information they need at their fingertips. It’s in the Torah and the prophets. God can’t make it clearer than He already has in those inspired words. If they won’t listen to the words of Scripture, they won’t listen to anything, or anyone, even the personal appeal of someone God has raised from the dead.”

And there the parable ends. . . . But not the story.

You see, Jesus walked away from telling the story of Lazarus, and headed for Bethany for an appointment with a dying man named Lazarus. He’d walked only a short distance when someone from Bethany ran up to Him with a message from Mary and Martha: “Our brother is sick, come quickly and heal him.”

But both sisters had worked and waited in vain. Their brother Lazarus had died. They called the local rabbi, wrapped his body in yards of white linen, and in a full Jewish ceremony, committed him to his resting place in a cave.

Four days later, their eyes still red almost beyond recognition, Who should arrive but Jesus! Jesus explained that their prayers were not unanswered, they were being answered in a way that would serve the greater good. “Let’s go,” I hear Him say, “bring your neighbors with you, all those strong men that rolled the stone across the entrance to the cave. We’ll need them.” The sisters were shocked. When they got to the cave, Jesus told the men, “Roll away the boulder.” And the sisters tried to stop it! “Don’t do it,” they begged, “It’s been four days in this awful heat. The body is decomposing. Let our brother rest in peace.”

Through tears of great sadness at the misunderstanding of His closest friends, Jesus insisted, and the men rolled away the stone exposing the dark interior. Then in a voice of compassion and compulsion Jesus called: “Lazarus, come out.”

Instantly, they saw movement inside the wrappings of linen cloth, and a few moments later, Lazarus shuffled out of darkness, out of death, out of despair, into the sunlight of life, and love, and laughter, the family together again, all in radiant health.

So now the connection becomes obvious! Of all the miracles Jesus performed, only one names its chief character—a Lazarus. And of all the parables Jesus told, only one parable names its chief character—a Lazarus. That’s the surprise connection! And chronologically, the telling of the parable and the performing of the miracle followed each other back to back. Jesus went immediately from telling the parable about a Lazarus to performing the miracle for a Lazarus. Jesus wanted to be sure no one missed that connection.
And one final point. In the parable Jesus stated that those rejecting the message of Scripture would not believe on Him even though confronted with the miracle of a resurrection. And they were not! The Record says that in the face of Jesus’ miracle for Lazarus, the unbelieving Scribes and Pharisees plotted to take the life of the One who had just given life to the dead Lazarus.

Luke is right, Jesus is our Burden bearer. When we feel sad and in despair with the trials we experience in this life, Jesus is there to share the burden. And like the sorrowing, despairing Mary and Martha, Jesus bears the burden with us when we lose a loved one. He still speaks to us, calls us by name, as He did Mary. He loves us loyally, intimately, understandingly, more than any person that has ever lived. And His resurrection is the pledge of the great resurrection at the last day when all those that have gone to rest will be raised to life, and love, and immortality.

Your Burden bearer will support you through all the days of your life, until the new age dawns, and eternal peace is yours in heaven.