This Fall, I Am Doing a Series on the Parables of Jesus. Here's A

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This fall, I am doing a series on the Parables of Jesus. Here’s a definition of what a parable is that I put together from definitions I have read:

Parables are short stories that convey spiritual or moral truths by means of an analogy or comparison drawn usually from everyday life. They are a form of indirect communication intended to deceive the hearer into the truth.

This morning we’ll be looking at the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:

Luke 16:19-31 - "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 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.' 25 "But Abraham replied, '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. 26 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.' 27 "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 30 "'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' 31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

Just as an aside, this parable is an example of why I believe it is so important to primarily preach exegetical sermons, working through Biblical passages, as opposed to staying topical. When you do it the other way, you pick and choose the parts of the Bible you like and what you want to stay away from. When you do preach exegetically, you teach what the Bible actually says, in context, and you are forced to deal with parables like this one, which primarily focus on Hell and greed, two topics that are bound to make people squirm and destined to not turn your church into an overnight megachurch the way that preaching on how to get money and experience blessings would. 2

The set-up

The rich man in dressed in expensive clothes, living in luxury. Lazarus was repulsive – covered with sores, and probably disabled, since he was laid at the gate. They used bread instead of silverware to pick up food in those days, and then the bread was thrown on the floor, and that’s what he longed to eat. Wild dogs licked his sores.

From the set-up, it’s clear that there is a rich man, and a poor man who lives outside his gate, and that the rich man probably steps over him every day on the way to work, holding his nose and calling the cops to have him arrested for trespassing and being a public nuisance. They are a study in contrasts.

The reversal

22 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.

Conventional wisdom was that misery on earth was due to divine disapproval. But not in Jesus’ eyes. Lazarus dies and is carried to Abraham’s bosom – a place of honor at the table of the eschatological banquet next to Abraham. Lazarus was exalted to a place of honor and intimacy in heaven’s fellowship of the saints. Somehow, in this world, Lazarus’ suffering must have brought him to God.

Jesus’ listeners would have assumed the rich man was blessed. Burial was very important – not being buried was a sign of God’s curse. But the rich man is buried and sent to Hell, and while there is no mention of Lazarus’ burial, he is sent to heaven. This is the only passage that describes someone in hell.

24 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.' 25 "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received 3

your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 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.' 27 "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 30 "'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' 31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

There are two main emphases in this passage: use of wealth and the reality of hell. The first continues a theme we’ve seen repeatedly in his parables – the Good Samaritan, the rich fool, and the sheep and goats – that true saving faith results in acts of compassion and mercy towards the poor and outcast.

1 John 3:16-18 - This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

We are not told why the rich man goes to Hell, but we know that being rich makes it more difficult to repent of self-centeredness and follow Jesus, as you enjoy the status and everything else it offers.

Luke 18:24-25 - Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

So the first focus of this passage is our use of wealth, and how being wealthy can prevent us from truly knowing God, loving Him and loving others. Who do you step over? Who do you walk right past? And if you do, is the love of God truly in you?

But that’s not all Jesus talks about here. He talks about Hell more than anywhere else. Now, this is a parable, not a tour of Hell. But I want to point out six things about Hell from this passage:

1) Judgment and Hell are real

Hebrews 9:27-28 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Acts 10:42-43 [Jesus] commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." 2 Corinthians 5:10 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

One day we will all stand before Jesus, who will judge us. As it says in the above passages, the only way we will be justified and enter heaven is if we have received the forgiveness of sins offered by Jesus. And then we will also be judged on the basis of what we have done here on earth.

2) Hell is eternal, conscious torment.

The Bible uses phrases like “Eternal fire” and “Worm that never dies” to describe the eternality of Hell:

Matthew 25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Mark 9:47-48 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where "'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' Revelation 14:11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."

Some have an issue with the idea of eternal punishment for finite sins. Here is what RC Sproul said about it:

Sin, the church has argued, must be punished infinitely because we sin against an infinitely holy God. The problem with taking a cookie out of the cookie jar isn’t the cookie, nor the calories. Rather it is the shaking of our fist at the God of heaven 5

and earth. When we commit even the smallest sin we are committing what one great theologian calls “cosmic treason.” When we steal the cookie we are declaring to the God who made us, who sustains us, who daily pours out His grace on us, “I WILL NOT HAVE YOU RULE OVER ME.” Thus we stand infinitely guilty, and no amount of intensity to the sinner’s pain can trump the eternity of the sinner’s pain. As painful as it may be to admit, anything less than eternal punishment would not be just, given the depth of our depravity in rebelling against our Maker.

3) There is a chasm between heaven and hell that can not be crossed (like the gate).

26 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.'

Hell is not a purifying fire that purifies you so that you can enter heaven. It is a destroying fire, and no one leave Hell.

4) If the dead could talk, they would beg us to avoid Hell.

Even the rich man, who doesn’t get it completely, begs Abraham to warn his brothers to avoid Hell.

5) All who are in Hell choose to be there

One more thing this parable teaches about Hell (leaning on CS Lewis’ The Great Divorce and Tim Keller’s The Reason for God):

The rich man is judged and sent to Hell for lack of repentance from his sin and self-centeredness. But he is still the same way in Hell. Look at the rich man. 24 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.' Send Lazarus to cool my tongue. The rich man is still treating Lazarus like a slave! He is still clinging to his status. Look at the level of denial. He’s blind to what has happened to him.

Abraham says no to his request, and so in v. 27:

27 "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 30 "'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' 31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

What is the implication? The rich man is asking Abraham to give them a proper warning, which he doesn’t think he got. He doesn’t ask to get out. He doesn’t ask for forgiveness. There is no repentance. The implication is that he doesn’t think he had a proper warning. God didn’t give enough evidence. If my brothers have enough evidence, they will believe. He doesn’t get it. He doesn’t think he’s that guilty.

He is still holding on to his status. He is still bossing Lazarus around. And he doesn’t think he deserves to be there.

Paul speaks of our choice to turn away from God, and how He honors that choice:

Romans 1:18-25 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-- who is forever praised. Amen.

C.S. Lewis put it this way:

“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done." All that are in 7

Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened. ”

And RC Sproul put it this way:

Men do not cease to sin when they die. That is, the souls in hell are still unregenerate, still captive to their sin. Indeed they are all worse than they were when they were on earth. Hell lacks the common grace of God, the restraining grace of God. It is true that even the sinners below confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, but they do so with clenched teeth, seething with rage. It is true that their knees are bowed, but only because our Lord has broken them with a rod of iron. They hate God and curse Him for eternity… Without His grace we will continually devolve, and continually earn His continuing wrath. We, like hell, spiral ever downward into deeper and deeper darkness, deeper and deeper evil.

All who are in Hell have chosen to be there.

What is the significance of the name?

Both Lewis and Keller think it is significant that the two main characters are called Lazarus and “the rich man.” One has a name, the other is just “the rich man.” Why? The rich man has no identity, no name, apart from “the rich man.” He is a rich man or he is nothing. And so when he dies, and the wealth is taken away from him, and he is nothing. And yet he still holds on to that identity, even though it keeps him in Hell.

This passage teaches us a great deal about identity. Who are you? Why do you matter? What is your purpose? Are you “the rich man?” “The good mother?” The moral person? The successful businessman? The good-looking one? The athlete? For those in Christ, their identity is in God, as His child, and nothing, no change in circumstances, can affect that.

Consider this passage from a recent article on Tim Tebow, the out-of-work quarterback:

Twenty-one months later, as Tebow prepares for his latest comeback, he eats a bison burger, no bun, no condiments, and says, “I’ve never found my identity in who I was as a football player. I found my identity in who I am in Christ. And when 8

you find your identity as a Christian, then regardless of your status, or your fame, or your popularity, or your position, that never changes. So the roller-coaster that the world has always looked at my life and viewed, I’m very thankful that I don’t have to live it.”

Lazarus may have been poor, but he belonged to God, and nothing, not even death, could change that. But the rich man’s identity was in his wealth and status, and so when he died, he lost who he was. When you build your identity on anything other than God, if something jeopardizes that identity, you’re not just unhappy, there’s no you left.

In Hell, the rich man continues to choose his idol, even those he is in torment. It’s the addict’s behavior: I will choose my idol, even if it sends me to hell. I will continue to blame others, cut myself off, and live to please my idol, no matter what happens. The rich man is still going after authority and status.

6) Hell can be avoided

The rich man asks Abraham to send someone to his brothers. Abraham replies that they have Moses and the prophets – listen to them. They will teach them of their sin and of their need for a Savior.

And Abraham tells him that they will not believe, even if someone rises from the dead. Miracles don’t make people believe. Because God is not after belief, but trust and love. Talk of Hell can’t save you – it can warn you and get you to listen, but it will not save you.

Some would argue that they do not like Hell because how can a loving God send people to Hell. But if you get rid of Hell, you actually have a less loving God. You have a God who loves you but at no cost to himself.

You need to see how much He loves you, that He died for you. On the cross, he was forsaken by the father and experienced Hell so that you won’t have to. Martin Lloyd-Jones put it this way: if you come home and find someone who says a bill arrived and I paid it, your joy depends upon how large the bill was. Was it a simple Postage due bill for a package? Or 10 years of back taxes? Similarly, God’s love for you and your gratitude and joy depend upon how great the bill was he paid. You owed Hell, and Jesus paid for it.

This is what one of the prophets said:

Isaiah 53:3-6 - He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

And Paul said this:

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus paid the debt you owed, dying in your place and rising from the dead to conquer sin and death. When you understand the depth of His love for you, then you will show that love to others.