Points in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
By E. Hillard
THIS parable is often cited to prove that the disembodied spirit of man departs to its reward at death. It is said that if the man is righteous his soul goes to Paradise, if wicked it departs to the place of torment. The advocates of man's consciousness after death tell us that the soul is not encumbered with bodily parts in the place of future rewards; and yet the parable plainly teaches that the rich man had eyes and a tongue and that Lazarus had fingers. We read that the rich man died, “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” Luke 16: 23, 24. Now eyes, fingers, and tongues are members of the body. Did the rich man have two pairs of eyes, one pair in torment and the other returning to dust in the tomb? Or two tongues, one suffering in the heat of hell and the other motionless in the grave? And did Lazarus have two bodies, one in the pauper’s grave with the fingers decaying, and the other in Paradise visible to the rich man’s eyes? It is certain that if this parable teaches consciousness after death, it also teaches that the soul is burdened with physical parts, and, therefore, nullifies the doctrine of disembodied souls. The soul represented with bodily parts disagrees with the Saviour’s teaching, “A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have.” This parable was not given to teach man’s consciousness or unconsciousness after death, but to set forth the final punishment of the penurious, wealthy class, and the reward of the penitent poor. It rebukes covetousness and reveals the penalty that awaits all who allow this fatal malady to dominate the soul. It also teaches that the Paradise of God is the eternal dwelling-place of all who through Christ conquer sin, whether they are rich or poor. According to Christ’s teaching man does not receive his reward at death, but at the resurrection. He said, “When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; . . . for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14: 12-14. Lazarus is a representative of all who sleep in Jesus, and they receive their reward at the resurrection of the just. There being no measurement of time in the tomb, it seems that the Saviour passed over the interval between death and the resurrection and presented the two characters at the final judgment-day. This must be so, as both parties are represented with bodily parts, and the body certainly does not appear until the resurrection. It is not so difficult a task to maintain a Scriptural doctrine as it is to weave Bible principles into our daily lives. Every act, whether right or wrong, is deciding our future destiny. How important, then, that we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. If through faith in Christ we daily win the victory in the hour of temptation, then whether we live or die we are the Lord’s and all will be well when the righteous enter upon their eternal reward.