The Spiritual E.R.
Is there a Heaven … and a Hell? A recent survey was taken in the United Kingdom (A very secular place). It found that 50% of respondents believe in an afterlife. Of this group, 55% think they are going to heaven. 58% worry their life choices could end up sending them to hell—so more people think about hell than heaven. Astonishingly, the poll found 68% of all respondents have no fear of what comes next! That leads me to believe a bunch of people have no fear of going to hell. The article concludes:
“No matter what happens after death, respondents are confident it’ll actually be an improvement over their current life. The poll finds adults think heaven provides people with a chance to recapture the things they’ve lost throughout their life.”[1]
That is quite an interesting survey. Read that statement again. “Regardless of whether they think they are going to heaven or hell … 70% have no fear … they think it will be an improvement on their current life.” I want you to think about that for a moment.
Friends, our world is a “Spiritual ER,” and people need to know what is at stake. That is where the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16 can be helpful.
A Disparate Reality
Jesus opens this parable with a narration about two men: (1) There is a RICH MAN. (2) There is a POOR MAN. These two men display a disparate reality. Notice: disparate is not the same as desperate. When something is disparate there is an unequal relationship. They are not the same. In this case, one is rich the other is poor. Luke writes:
There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. (Luke 16:19, ESV)
What do we learn about the rich man? Jesus highlights his attire and his eating habits. In his parables, it is unusual for Jesus to describe clothing, but he does it intentionally here. He was “clothed in purple,” and I want you to circle the word “purple.” In the ancient world, “purple” was the color of kings because it was extremely expensive to color the fabric. In order to make clothing purple, a certain dye was extracted from shellfish. It was difficult to manufacture—hence, the high cost. Only the wealthiest people could afford it.
Now we get the contrast in v. 20:
And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. (Luke 16:20-21, ESV)
Now, we see the poor man. The most interesting part of this section is he gets a name: Lazarus. Jesus never gives his characters names in the parables—except here. This is why people think the story was real. However, if you study the name, Lazarus, you can easily see why Jesus names him. Lazarus, which is the Greek form of the Hebrew, Eleazar, means “God is my help.” That designation will make sense in the next section. It’s worth stating, this is not the same Lazarus from John 11. Lazarus was a common name in this time. Again, it shows the contrast between the rich man, who helps himself and the poor man, who knows he needs help.
Adding to his torment, the dogs are licking his sores. To put this in perspective—imagine you have shingles, or chicken pox—or some other ailment … and animals lick your sores. Painful! In the ancient world, dogs were not pets. They were scavengers who also ate the scraps of food. There was no Purina Puppy Chow in Jerusalem. Lazarus and the scavenger dogs fought for the same meal!
This is the scene Jesus portrays. It is a graphic, disparate, reality. It’s meant to show a contrast … and make a point.
A Deadly Reversal
The rich man and the poor man led different lives, experienced different realities here on earth. However, they had one thing in common. DEATH. The great equalizer. They both died. What happens to them in the afterlife? When Jesus begins the parable, he starts with the rich man. However, when they die, he reverses the order: he starts with the poor man. Look at v. 22:
The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side […] (Luke 16:22, ESV)
Wow! This poor man’s death would not have included a ceremony. His body was likely discarded into a pit with the other poor nobodies. However, we read two pieces of striking information: (1) The man who couldn’t move—he was carried by angels. Messengers of God himself! (2) Where was he carried? To Abraham’s side, or other translations say, “Abraham’s Bosom.” That is significant. Abraham, the patriarch of the faith, the one who Paul is often commending for his faith is an important figure.
That word translated as “carried,” can literally mean “to be carried back home.” Lazarus is being carried to place that he was entitled to be. It is confirmation of the Beatitude in Luke 6:20, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.” Now, let’s contrast this with the Rich Man:
The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. (Luke 6:22-23, ESV)
A deadly reversal. The rich man also dies and is buried. Notice, not everyone received a burial in the ancient world. It is not stated explicitly, but it is assumed that this wealthy man received a lavish funeral celebration with speakers and a feast to commemorate his life. His body would have been placed in an elaborate tomb. The complete opposite of Lazarus! It was worthy of his social class.
But then what do we read? In the afterlife, where is he? In Hades … in torment. The ESV translates “Hades,” but the NIV uses the word, “Hell.” Some will argue this is not hell, because the more common word is “Gehenna.” However, Hades and Gehenna are often used interchangeably in the Gospels. This is hell.
Additionally, this imagery is found in 2nd Temple Jewish literature such as Maccabees, 1 Enoch, and 4 Ezra. Hades describes the afterlife of the wicked. What are the features? (1) Torment (2) Thirst (3) Flames (4) The dead of one location able to see others. For this rich man, what does he see? He lifts up his eyes only to see in the distance … Lazarus! Next to Abraham. This would add to his torment. Commentator David Garland makes this observation, “The rich man now experiences the hellish existence that Lazarus endures on earth, but the torment is exponentially greater and irreversible.”[2] A Deadly Reversal of Fortunes!
Jesus’ example here would be SHOCKING to his audience. In his day, WEALTH was seen a sign you were blessed by God. After all, Abraham himself was wealthy. How could a rich man wind up in hell? However, this was consistent with the teaching of the previous parable—his treatment of Lazarus in this life, did not earn him friends in eternity.
Now, given these unexpected circumstances, a dialogue begins:
And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ (Luke 16:24, ESV)
This is a BOLD request! Initially, you may read this verse and say, “that makes sense! It’s hot … he’s thirsty.” Friends, don’t miss what is really going on here. It is a deeper issue in this man’s soul. Who does the rich man talk to? Abraham. He sees Lazarus, but he completely ignores him. In fact, in this whole parable Lazarus says nothing. What does he request? “Abraham, have mercy on me—it’s hot! Send Lazarus, that servant, that guy who was but a beggar outside my door—send him down here to serve me!”
Do you see what is happening? Even in death … this rich man has missed the point. As with the previous parable, the fact that this man had wealth is not the issue. The problem is how he hoarded his wealth, how he worshipped his wealth, how he stepped over the outcasts and flaunted his wealth. It was all about him! He was a self-centered, unrepentant man who did not know God’s desires. And I want you to notice: even in hell … nothing has changed.
I want to make a point of application here. The doctrine of hell is difficult for so many. Certainly, it is unpopular, even derided in our post-modern age. How dare you judge me! In fact, judgment is the ultimate sin that some would argue—earns you a spot in hell itself! However, my point is this—we would like to think that nobody wants to go to hell. We would think that, when there, people would do whatever they needed to get out. When you search the scriptures, you will not find one person in hell who is repentant. Rather, their hearts remains obstinate like this rich man. Their selfishness remains. They don’t repent, they don’t come to Jesus … because they do not want to. What does Paul tell us in Romans 1? God revealed himself to the world, but there is a phrase that is repeated. “God gave them up …” In other words, God gives people what they desire. And many people don’t desire him.
You see this with the Rich Man. He still ordering Lazarus around just as he was before death.
A Desperate Request
I want you to notice again that Lazarus in central to this story, but he never says a word. People keep talking about him, and he keeps standing by Abraham’s side. The Rich Man has, seemingly, accepted his own fate. Now, his attention turns to his family. His desperate request focused on them. What does he say?
And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ (Luke 16:27-28, ESV)
So … he is concerned for his brothers. I guess he had no sisters! Apparently, the selfish gene runs in this family because he is concerned that ALL FIVE of his brothers are just like him. In the ancient world, one’s family was considered an extension of himself. This request is one of self-justification. However, it would require that his whole family change their way of thinking and how they related to the poor.
The Rich man has given up on himself, but maybe, just maybe, his brothers can be convinced. He wants to warn them! And who better to do this than … LAZARUS! He wants to convince his family … and yet, his heart attitude toward Lazarus has not changed. He doesn’t talk to Lazarus—he just assumes he’ll be his errand boy.
Abraham responds:
But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ (Luke 16:29, ESV)
Why do you need Lazarus to go to them? Can’t they read? Don’t they know the law? Are they not people of the Torah?! The modern equivalent would be this: they can read the Bible. And yet, how many people do you know who read the Bible … and scoff at it! The message is there—just read it. Read John 3:16. Read Romans. What is Abraham’s point? I think it is this: they don’t want to believe it. There hearts are captured by wealth … like the Rich man in Hades. He offers one more plea:
And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ (Luke 16:30, ESV)
Ahhhhhhh … they need SUPERNATURAL Evidence! If Lazarus, my errand boy, goes to them and shows that someone can come back from the dead … then they will believe! Notice—this is the first time we see the word, “repentance” in this story. The rich man knows what they need to do … but he still has not done it himself. Will this be the magic bullet to change their hearts? Jesus concludes the parable:
He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:31, ESV)
If they have Moses and the Prophets and they don’t listen … it doesn’t matter. Nothing can change their minds and hearts. There will always be an excuse. They will be with you soon.
How many of us have relatives like the rich man? For us, this hits home. We’ve shared the Gospel. We’ve prayed. We’ve wept. Why won’t they believe?! Luke 16 is a hard chapter. Last week’s parable, as Pastor Dave mentioned, was difficult to understand. By contrast, this second parable, is not hard to understand … but it is difficult to accept.
Loving People Means Warning People
Every parable in Luke 14-16 points out the heart problem of the Pharisees. What was Jesus’ message? “REPENT! The Kingdom of God is here!” What was the response of the Pharisees? Skepticism. Posturing. Plotting against Jesus. He was a threat … to their wealth and power. So … they rejected him. In the end, they crucified the Savior and suffered the same fate as the rich man. Their hearts were hard.
What do we do with this parable? What does it teach us? British evangelist Rico Tice says, “Loving people means warning people.” He illustrates with the following personal story:
I was once in Australia visiting a friend. He took me to a beach on Botany Bay, so I decided I had to go for a swim. I was just taking off my shirt when he said: “What are you doing.” I said: “I’m going for a swim.” He said: “What about those signs?” And he pointed me to some signs I’d not really noticed— Danger: Sharks! With all the confidence of an Englishman abroad, I said: “Don’t be ridiculous— I’ll be fine.” He said: “Listen mate, 200 Australians have died in shark attacks— you’ve got to decide whether those shark signs are there to save you or to ruin your fun. You’re of age—you decide.” I decided not to go for a swim.
[Many of the words about hell found in the Bible] are all straight from Jesus’ lips. And they’re a loving warning to us. The reason Jesus talked about hell is because he does not want people to go there. The reason Jesus died was so that people wouldn’t have to go there. The only way to get to hell is to trample over the cross of Jesus. That is a great motivator for our evangelism.[3]
Wouldn’t you warn people about Sharks??? Would you let someone you love get in the water with Jaws???
Tell people about Jesus! And then let them do business with him. Under the surface, everyone’s heart knows there is something more. But everyone’s heart is turned inward, like the rich man, unless God opens their eyes … unless they see the sharks … and fall in love with Jesus simultaneously.
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[1] Chris Melore, “Next stop, heaven? 2 in 3 people say they’re not afraid of what happens after death,” Study Finds (4/17/22)
[2] David Garland, Luke (ZECNT), comments on 16:23-24.
[3] Rico Tice, Honest Evangelism (The Good Book Company, 2015)
