Notes: November 11, 2009

The Rich Man And Lazarus

Sometimes called the parable of Dives, this narrative is not called a parable by Jesus, and its details are many more than those found in his many parables.

Luke 16:19-31

A rich man unconcerned (v. 19-22)

  • He was rich. He dressed well, and he ate well.
  • He didn’t offer to help his “neighbor”, the poor, sore-laden beggar that daily sat by his gate asking for crumbs.
  • After a time, both men died.

A rich man tormented (v. 23-26)

  • In hell, the rich man was hot and thirsty.
  • His request for assistance was denied.
  • Although his body was dead, he was mentally aware and able to remember his past. Scary thought!

A rich man concerned (v. 27-31)

  • When his physical pain was sure to be unalleviated, his thoughts turned to his family.
  • One wonders whether this concern for his brothers wasn’t in some part related to the influence that he had in their neglecting the word of God.
  • Mistakenly, he believed that the word of God was insufficient to lead a man away from hell. He was told directly that men who won’t believe the scriptures wouldn’t believe a person who came back from the dead to speak to them.

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