Verse 19 Jesus had just finished teaching about having the right perspective on money and condemning the Pharisees for loving money when he told a story about a rich man (who illustrates the Pharisees) and a poor man named Lazarus.
Here is a warning of the wrath to come for those who refuse to renounce their sin.
Prosperity Can Bring Curses
This wealthy man had access to every good thing life offered. From an earthly perspective, the rich man seems blessed by God. But prosperity is not the result of a pure heart or someone favored by God. It’s also not a sin to be rich. Some people come by it honestly. A person’s bank account, house, car, or the amount of stuff is no indicator of their love for God or God’s love for them.
Living in the luxury of plenty can tempt us to elevate its importance in our hearts and cause us to forget about God. Without wisdom, wealth can easily lead to God’s wrath. Indulging ourselves and living in the comfort of all our pleasures can ruin our souls. They can propel the sin of pride in our lives. We can easily forget those in need. The sin of this rich man is providing only for himself.
Verses 20-21 Lazarus didn’t even have the necessities in life. Left in painful sores, Lazarus begged for bread. He longed to eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table, but all he received were dogs licking his sores.
Our outward conditions are no reflection of our spiritual state. We are unfaithful to God when we ignore those in need. It is offensive to God to pamper our own dogs and animals, but let the poor in our neighborhood starve.
Jesus Provides A Heavenly Perspective
Verses 22-23 Eventually both men died. Death has no prejudice toward people. It happens to the rich and poor, godly and ungodly.
After death, these men experienced a complete reversal of lifestyles. When the poor man died, his soul ascended to heaven, delivered from the burdens of the flesh and carried by angels to Abraham’s side to be refreshed from the fatigue and sorrow on earth and filled with great joy. Abraham is the father of the faithful. (Genesis 3:6-9, Romans 4:16).
A Lifetime Of Everything Leads To Eternity With Nothing
But when the rich man died, he suffered torment in Hades, which is also translated as Sheol, the grave, or referred to as hell. This is the realm of the dead for wicked and unsatisfied souls. In Luke 10:15, we learned Satan torments the unrighteous in Hades. Cut off from mercy, they suffer anguish and misery here.
Many people believe there is no afterlife. They argue that those who die simply cease to exist. But Scripture claims otherwise. The two men had different destinations: the poor man went up; the rich man went down. But both continued to exist.
A Rich Man’s Eternal Torment
Some Christians prefer to believe that the unrighteous turn to dust after death rather than suffer a conscious, eternal punishment. But Jesus disagrees. The rich man’s soul lives in torment, and the eyes of his mind can see Lazarus being comforted in heaven.
When we flip back to Luke 13:28, we have this same description of life after death in two different places.
Verse 24 The rich man called out to Abraham for mercy and mitigation of his misery. He was still very much alive in hell. Abraham represents Jesus. One day everyone will appear in Jesus’ court and make their case by saying “Lord, Lord…”. (Matthew 7:21-22)
“Cool my tongue,” the rich man asks of Lazarus. Was the torment in his tongue punishment for wicked words, cursing, lying, blasphemy, or harsh words spoken to or against God and others?
There is a day coming when those that now hate and despise the people of God will gladly receive help from them. But the rich man who denied the poor man a crumb of bread will not receive a drop of water.
The Consequences Of Rejecting God
Verses 25-26 In response to the rich man’s plea for mercy, Abraham gave him two answers. First, the man was receiving the just consequences of a life that had rejected God. While they lived, God gave the rich man many excellent opportunities and materials, but this man was a grave of God’s blessings, burying them and hoarding them for himself.
Lazarus received bad things in his life on earth. Yet, the rich man neither acknowledged God nor sought to care for his neighbor Lazarus with the wealth God had given him. Therefore, while God comforts Lazarus after death, Satan punishes the rich man with agony.
Second, Abraham told him that the reversal was permanent. A great divide, a gulf, is between them so that no one can cross over from one side to the other. The judgment of hell is so awful because it is forever. There is no escape. God shuts the mercy door. If we die in our sins, if we throw ourselves into the pit of destruction, there is no coming out. No redemption.
Knowing this is the case, unbelievers should really wrestle up prayers and fervently seek the lost, sharing the gospel with them.
Ancestry Cannot Earn Us Eternity
Verses 27-28 Even though his destiny was permanent, the rich man had another request. His reference to Abraham as a father shows that the rich man was Jewish, a descendent of Abraham, and a member of the covenant people of Israel. He reflects the Pharisees, who thought they were right with God simply because of their ancestry. He asked Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to his five brothers. The rich man knew his brother’s lifestyles, their ignorance, and inconsideration, and wished that they didn’t end up in the same place of destruction and ruin. Here’s the problem:
There are no requests granted in hell.
It’s too late to go back and warn others now.
Verses 29-30 Abraham stated the obvious: they have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them. He said, “your brothers have God’s word. Let them heed it. If they believe in God’s promise of eternal life like their father Abraham did, then God will save them.“ We all have God’s Word for conviction and conversion. The written word prophesies another life after this, where we will recount a life spent on earth with the graces and mercies of Jesus at our disposal. A place of rewards and a place of punishment.
What Will You Do With God’s Grace & Mercy?
But that wasn’t good enough for the rich man. After all, he had access to God’s word, but he hadn’t believed it. He knows his brothers have no regard for the word either. From his perspective, his brothers needed something more. He wanted a dead man to go to them as proof of the afterlife. This would convict them and get his brothers to repent, the rich man reasoned. A resurrection from the dead would be a startling miracle that would wake them up, get them to believe, and turn to God.
We like to think that a miracle, a resurrection from the dead, or some other method would convict hearts and turn them to Jesus and that this would be better than the way God has chosen and appointed us.
No Amount Of Miracles Can Soften A Hard Heart
Verse 31 That’s when Abraham ended the conversation: if they didn’t listen to Moses and the prophets (the word of God), he could not persuade them even if someone rises from the dead. If one will not believe God’s word, then a miracle will not convince them. Though Jesus had performed countless miracles, still the Pharisees refused to believe he was the Messiah. And while he would rise from the dead, even that miracle would not persuade them. Their hearts were hard. They were unwilling to believe.
Death will come for us all. There is a heaven to be embraced and a hell to be shunned. All human beings will experience one or the other for eternity. This makes the church’s gospel mission so vital. We must do all we can to win people to Jesus. At the grave, it will be too late.
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for your grace and your mercy that goes before me, covers me, and follows behind me. Thank you for the opportunities and resources that you have endlessly supplied in my life. Father, open my eyes to the surrounding people. Give me the eyes of faith to see those in need, those I can help, those whom you love and have provided good things for through the generosity of my heart and the openness of my hands. Give me wisdom with what you’ve given me. Help me heed the warnings in your written word and live like an afterlife of rewards awaits me. Help me open my mouth and share your Truth with those who have lost their way and are living this life far from you, Jesus. I want to be a conduit of your love, grace, mercy, and generosity in this life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.