The parable of the rich man and Lazarus Luke 16:19-31

Luke 16:19-31   Gospel reading for Sunday 26th September 2010

What parable you might say? You see, it doesn’t actually tell us that this is a parable. Frequently when a parable is told, we have the prelude something like … "Then Jesus told them this parable" … (that’s missing here). So first we need to face perhaps the most important question with regard to this text. Is it a literal story that is presented as something that has already happened or is it a parable of Jesus? I’ll state right up front what I think. It is very definitely a parable. And that makes a huge difference. Listening to it as a story that actually happened, has arguably given much of Christendom a rather warped view of heaven and hell and life after death – a view that is not at all helpful to us in the 21st Century. If it reassures you, I can tell you that Luther was convinced about this being a parable, as do most theologians these days. Luther also went on to say that it definitely should not be used as a text to tell us about life after death; but I think we have probably done that over the years!

If we interpret this as a literal story, we immediately get into strife. FOR EXAMPLE: Firstly we have to deal with the implication that rich people go to hell and poor people go to heaven. Sure, Jesus has a lot to say (in context) to the rich and about the rich, but he is not for a moment saying to us today to go out and get poor or be a refugee or a beggar to assure ourselves of a place in heaven. That is very anti-gospel. Besides, Abraham was a VERY rich man, so what then is he doing in heaven? As for Lazarus, was this Jesus’ friend and the man he raised from the dead? That is VERY DOUBTFUL! It is certainly implied in John 12 that the Lazarus that Jesus raised did not come from a poor environment!
So what’s going on here? The following observations may be helpful:

- Jesus is under attack and has been constantly so since the start of the sequence in Luke 15.
- Jesus is talking to the Jews – Scribes and Pharisees
- He is trying to correct the widely held mis-conception that if you are wealthy you have been blessed by God, but if you are poor, then that is a sign of ungodliness or being cursed / punished by God.
- They were sure that poor people were not going to heaven
- Jesus has tipped that thinking upside down here.

So to get to the point … for us to understand what Jesus is on about here, we need to have an answer to the questions… Who is the rich man? Who is Lazarus?

The Rich man almost certainly represents the JEWISH PEOPLE in general – especially that upper echelon of people that Jesus is actually addressing:
-  Fine linen, purple (royalty)
-  Language used – Father Abraham is a very Jewish term. Abraham was their hero
-  Five brothers (Brothers of Judah and the sons of Jacob and Leah?)

Lazarus – firstly, it is not likely that he is the Lazarus of the other NT stories.
-  almost certainly is symbolic of the Gentiles (everyone other than the Jews.)

Jesus is trying to teach the Jewish people: 
-  You are NOT SAVED just because you know Abraham!
-  Salvation is NOT obtained through anything that you do or accumulate
-  Jesus is saying – salvation is available to ALL who place their trust in me

So what does this mean for us in 2010 as leaders in Lutheran Schools? (Or how do we respond?)

Well, one could say that this story is largely irrelevant to us! You see, there is the SMALL MATTER of us having the benefit of standing the other side of the cross! Our response is to CELEBRATE! We can celebrate our understanding of God’s Grace, the fact that we have been told about Jesus and through knowing him, we are invited to the party. We have guaranteed right of entry, the door has been thrown wide open to the biggest party ever. We simply walk on in through the doors.  There will be no bouncer at the door to check our credentials – we’re in! That’s a cause for celebration!

(We need have no fear of any undesirable alternative – thanks to God’s unconditional love, and the new deal he has made with us through Jesus, we can fast forward over that story without any fears or anxieties.) Sometimes we get so side-tracked and caught up in the scare tactics of some of Jesus’ words to the Jews – that we forget that – we are already at the party!

Lord help us to celebrate the fact that you have already accepted us into life with you – no strings attached. AMEN!