“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭19‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ story about the rich man and Lazarus is probably the clearest glimpse He gave us of the afterlife of both the righteous and the unrighteous. In it, there are a few descriptive details of the state and the experience of two categories of people who died. 

Humans categorise people in many different ways…rich or poor, educated or uneducated, lazy or diligent, even black or white… and the list goes on. However, Jesus categorised people and nations according to their standing before God, righteous or unrighteous, calling nations “sheep” or “goats” (Matthew 25) according to their lifestyle and, consequently, their eternal destiny. 

What was the dividing line? Not belief in God, but the outcome of belief in Him. Believing in Jesus is knowing Him. Knowing Him is loving Him. Loving Him is obeying Him. Obeying Him is serving Him…and serving Him is serving His people. 

“And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, in Jesus’ story, the rich man went to the rubbish dump where trash is burned, because his neglect of the poor man at his gate revealed his indifference to God, ending in a wasted life. 

Jesus’ target audience was the Pharisees…

“The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Imagine their outrage when Jesus continued…

“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 Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Pharisees thought that they would be the ones who would be carried by the angels to paradise when they died. However, instead, even their “generosity” was part of their play acting. 

The rich man begged for a little respite for his suffering…

“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.’”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…but Father Abraham responded…

“…‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Why was the situation of the rich man and Lazarus reversed in the afterlife? Although not clearly stated, in the context of Scripture, the rich man spent his life enjoying his wealth with no thought for the poor man at his gate. Although Jesus did not specifically say so, Lazarus must have trusted God despite his poor condition. There was no other way for him be in paradise with Abraham. 

There are preachers today, proponents of the “prosperity gospel”, who enjoy the spoils of their preaching, claiming that their wealth is evidence of God’s blessing and even His reward…

…while, by contrast, Paul taught that…

“Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and Jesus said that…

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There are many ways to show our love to God’s people but the most practical way is to take care of their material needs. 

“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Let’s get this clear. The rich man did not go to the fire because he was rich. He went there because he did not love God by using his wealth to serve the poor man. 

Now, the sequel to the story is this…that the rich man only woke up to the plight of others when he was in torment. While he was on earth, he had pampered only himself. Then, in the fire, he pleaded, “Send Lazarus to warn my brothers.” He found out the hard way that there was a price to pay for his selfishness. 

“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭27‬-‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Moses and the prophets” were there all the time! His brothers only had to read to find out what God required of them. Not even the miraculous return of someone from the dead would make a difference to those who ignore Jesus and reject His word. 

Was Jesus alluding to His own resurrection which was on the horizon, that would judge the Pharisees because they chose to reject Him and His word? They tried to cover up the truth by spreading lies about Him but it didn’t work. By His resurrection from the dead, Jesus forever sealed the fate of those who refuse to take Him seriously. There was no need to send Lazarus to the rich man’s brothers. Jesus Himself would rise as the witness to His own truth. 

This story was intended to expose the heart. The Apostle Paul digs deep to uncover the core of the issue, not the doing but the motive. 

“If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

That’s where it really hurts!

To be continued…