Parable of the rich man and Lazarus

Parable of the rich man and Lazarus

 

Luke 16:19-31 『There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and spread sumptuously every day:And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and he was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom his. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from then. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, least they also come into this place of torment. Abraham said unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, if they heard not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. .』

Since Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners, the Pharisees pointed this out. That is why Jesus spoke in Luke 16. The rich people refer to the Pharisees and scribes. When the Bible talks about the rich, it does not mean the rich of the world, but rather “one who tries to maintain his own righteousness toward God.” A rich person is a person who has nothing to ask of God. This is what Jesus says about the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:17. 『Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:』 The rich have no earnest heart for the kingdom of God.

The Pharisees and scribes are “those who try to justify themselves and be exalted before people.” Because they follow God's laws well, people respect them. It is said that the rich man wore purple clothes and fine linen and enjoyed luxury every day. This word, translated as “luxurious,” has the meaning of “clean (free from sin), indulgent.” When the Pharisees think of themselves, they think that they are living a clean life because they have always kept the law well. The Pharisees thought that they were different from tax collectors and sinners, so they always had no fear of sin and lived a happy life.

Beggars are a byword for poverty. Poverty is poverty toward the kingdom of God. Those who are poor in spirit have left the kingdom of God, and when they realize this, “the spirit is like that.” A beggar, like tax collectors and sinners, is someone who does not dare to raise his head towards God. The name 『Lazarus』 is “Lazarus” in Greek, but in Hebrew it is called “El Asar.” El means God, and Asar means receiving help. So, Lazarus means a man who received God’s grace.

Why was Lazarus able to enter Abraham's bosom? God does not save people by looking at their actions, but by looking at their faith. Entering Abraham's bosom means having the same faith as Abraham. In Galatians 3:6-7, “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 』Abraham's faith is the faith that he believed in at the age of 100, even when he could not hope for it. Those who have this faith are the same as Abraham's faith, and it becomes a faith that hopes for Christ in the future.

Hebrews 11:17-19『By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called : Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.』

Lazarus means a person who has received God’s grace. So, Lazarus symbolizes tax collectors and sinners. In the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus said that tax collectors and sinners confessed to God that they were sinners and repented. Sin is turning away from God. In the parable of the prodigal son, it is the prodigal son who leaves his father. Repentance means becoming like a dead person and returning to God.

“Now that the tax collectors and sinners have realized this, they eat and drink together with Jesus.” In other words, tax collectors and sinners return to God with Jesus Christ. The Pharisees thought themselves righteous, but the tax collectors and sinners confessed that they were sinners who could not raise their heads before God and asked for mercy. Tax collectors and sinners realized that being in this world itself was tied to the state of sin. Jesus says that when tax collectors and sinners realize their sins and seek mercy, he will give them heavenly blessings. This is resurrection life. God gives Isaac, the resurrection life, to those who have the same faith as Abraham.

『Abraham said, “Child, remember that in your lifetime you received good things, and Lazarus received evil things.” “The Pharisees and the scribes received good things” means that they received praise from people for their righteousness. In Luke 16:15, “And he said unto them, Ye are which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” That is why the rich go to Hades.

“Lazarus suffered.” “Suffering” has the meaning of “bad, evil, sin.” Lazarus accepted that he was a sinner who left God. That becomes faith for Lazarus. When a sinner repents of his sins and turns back, Jesus said, “Your faith has saved you.” When Jesus healed the blind, the withered, and the leper, he said these words. The faith that Jesus expected from Israel was the same faith as the centurion, but they did not have that kind of faith.

The rich man went to Hades and asked Abraham for a favor. The rich man said that he would save Lazarus and go out into the world, where his brothers would repent. However, Abraham said, “All you have to do is listen to the words of Moses and the prophets (Christ’s promise).” The rich man did not realize what was contained in the law (Christ) and asked Abraham to send Lazarus, but Abraham told him to find Christ in the law. The law and the gospel become one. There is the gospel in the law. The gospel is none other than Christ. Jesus Christ means death on the cross and resurrection.