THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.
By L. D. Santee
WE are often referred to the account of the rich man and Lazarus, by those who believe that the dead are conscious between death and the resurrection. The account is found in Luke 16 : 19-31. Let us give the subject a careful study, and see what we can learn from it. In the first place, we are all agreed that Inspiration does not contradict itself. The Bible has spoken with no uncertain voice, of the condition of those that “go down into silence.” “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” Ps. 146 : 4. “In death there is no remembrance of Thee.” Ps. 6 : 5. One more evidence will forever determine the condition of the mental faculties in death: “Their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished.” Eccl. 9 : 6. Everything in the Bible, rightly understood, must be in harmony with these positive statements. With the understanding that this is the last of five parables, given by the Saviour to teach a grand truth, it is easy to understand, and it is in harmony with the rest of the Bible. There is the best of evidence that it is a parable spoken to the Pharisees. A manuscript of the seventh century reads, “And He spake also another parable.” Another, of the tenth century, reads, “The Lord spake this parable.” He was talking to the scribes and Pharisees. Now turn to Mark 4 : 11: “And He said unto them [the twelve], Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables.” Verses 33 and 34: “And with many such parables spake He the Word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake He not unto them; and when they were alone, He expounded all things to His disciples.” When defining a parable, Dr. John Kitto says, “It denotes a fictitious narrative invented for the purpose of conveying truth in a less offensive form than that of direct assertion.” —“Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature,” Vol. 2, p. 467. In his “Greek Lexicon,” Dr. E. Robinson defines a parable as follows: “A short relation under which something else is figured, or in which that which is fictitious is employed to represent that which is real.” Now we will consider the parables of the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of Luke. We will first ask concerning the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Is it proper to found a doctrine upon an unexplained parable that will contradict all the plain scripture on the subject in the whole Bible? Or is it creditable that the Saviour has taught in a parable contrary to what He has said in plain terms elsewhere?—No, certainly not. Now let us begin at the beginning of the subject. Luke 15 : 2: “And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.” (You and I have reason to thank God that it is so.) In the parables that follow, Christ justified His action. In all these illustrations, the two classes are contrasted. In verses three to seven is the parable of the lost sheep. The Pharisees were quick to recognize themselves as the favored class. They said to Jesus, “We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man.” John 8 : 33. They were quick to make the application that the Gentile was the lost sheep, the lost piece of money, and the prodigal son.10 In this parable, Jesus gives a sharp reproof to the Pharisees. They would make special effort to find lost sheep, and lost money, and be joyful when their lost property was found, but when lost men came to Christ to be saved, they acted just like the elder brother, who was so offended because his poor, lost, prodigal brother had been received that he would not enter the house. In these parables, the Saviour admits that He received sinners, and says that Heaven is glad over their salvation. Passing by the parable of the unjust steward in the first part of chapter 16, we come, in verse 19, to the subject that we wish to study. “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day; and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table.” Here again, the two classes appear in sharp contrast. Of course, this being a Scriptural illustration, the riches, or poverty, must be taken in a spiritual sense. What had the Jew?—“Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises.” Rom. 9 : 4. They were rich in every spiritual blessing. Purple and fine linen was the clothing of the priests. Now think of the poverty of Lazarus. “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh . . . that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” Eph. 2 : 11, 12. No God, no Christ, no hope. Poverty unutterable. Says Dr. Bullinger, an eminent authority, in his “Critical Greek Lexicon:” “The rich man represents the Jewish nation. Lazarus represents the Gentiles. The Jews died to their national privileges in A.D. 70 [34?]. The Gentiles died to their poverty by Christ offering them salvation.” Let us continue the parable. Verses 22 and 23: “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom; the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” Both parties died, but the death they died seemed to reverse their condition. Spiritually, one can be “dead IN trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2 : 1), or “dead TO sin” (Rom. 6 : 2). Evidently the poor man died the latter death, as it brought him into the bosom of Abraham. “If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Gal. 3 : 29. The rich man by dying IN sin, found himself in Hades (meaning always the grave). The expression is often used of those who have turned away from God and become reprobate. “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell [Hades].” Matt. 11 : 23. It was said of backslidden Israel, “Thou didst debase thyself even unto hell [the grave].” Isa. 57 : 9. If this was a literal statement of facts instead of11 a parable, then heaven would be vocal with the voices and cries of the lost. Read carefully verses 24 and 25. They were within speaking distance. It might be well to inquire how much of the Jewish nation was represented by the rich man. Evidently, those who had seen Christ and rejected Him, and were instrumental in putting Him to death. There were two tribes living in Jerusalem, Judah and Benjamin. Joshua 15 : 63, and Judges 1 : 21. Then if the two tribes represented one man, the “five brethren” spoken of in verse 28 would be the ten tribes that would hear of Christ, through the preaching ing of the apostles. As they would read “Moses and the prophets,” and show their fulfilment, they could say as did the eunuch, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” It is too much to hope that every part of the parable will find an exact counterpart; this is seldom true of parables, but with the view that I have presented, there is a harmony with every other part of the Bible. Finally, in closing, God gives the “poor man” a solemn warning. “Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear.” Rom. 11 : 20.