19 "Now THERE was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, faring sumptuously every day; and a 20 certain beggar named Lazarus was laid at his gate, full of 21 sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table; yea, even the dogs came and licked his 22 sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels into Abraham's bosom; 23 and the rich man also died, and was buried. And in hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham 24 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; 25 for I am in anguish in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedest thy good things, 26 and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now here he is comforted, and thou art in anguish. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that they which would pass from hence to you may not be able, and 27 that none may cross over from thence to us. And he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to 28 my father's house; for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of tor29 ment. But Abraham saith, They have Moses and the prophets; 30 let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham; 31 but if one go to them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, if one rise from the dead."
NOTE.—The design in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is to show that in this life men decide their eternal destiny; that there is no probation after death; and that the Scriptures contain all the instruction and warning necessary for the race. The choice which some have made during life, and the character which they have formed, create between them and the ransomed ones an impassable gulf. In the very nature of things, neither can cross to the other. This parable, or allegory, has been used by many to prove that the wicked will be tormented forever in a burning hell. Such a conception of its teachings is out of harmony with the positive teaching of the Bible, and inconsistent with the parable itself, and weakens its force in the direction of the principles the Saviour intends to teach. Verse 31 shows that, tho represented as speaking, both are dead; and, according to the Scripture, "the dead know not anything;" and there is no "knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Eccl. 9:5, 6, 10. The Saviour is simply using an allegory in order to teach a truth. Some to whom Christ was talking did believe in a conscious state of the dead between death and the resurrection, and the punishment of the wicked during that time; and the allegory is based upon this preconceived idea of some of His hearers. These remarks also apply to the idea that the true Christians go to heaven immediately after death. See 1 Cor. 15:51-54 and 2 Thess. 4:16, 17.
Golden Text: "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." Matt. 6:20.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) What class of persons is introduced in the first verse of to-day's lesson? What is said of their temporal condition? V. 19. (2) Who is the representative of the other class? To what dire straits was he reduced? Vs. 20, 21. (3) What happened to both these men? Compare what follows the statement of each one's death. V. 22. Note 1. (4) What is the rich man represented as doing? Whom is he represented as seeing, and where does he see him? V. 23. Note 2. (5) To whom is the rich man represented as crying in his anguish? What does he request Abraham to do? What service was he willing to receive at the hands of him who had lain at his gate? V. 24. Note 3. (6) How does Abraham address him? What does he call to the remembrance of the rich man? V. 25. (7) How does Christ through this allegory show the impossibility of a change in one's condition after death? V. 26. (8) What other request is the dead rich man represented as seeking of father Abraham? V. 27. (9) What was the purpose of this request? V. 28. (10) What reply does he receive from Abraham? V. 29. (11) What argument does the rich man still make? V. 30. (12) What emphatic declaration does the Saviour then make through the name of Abraham? V. 31. Note 4.
NOTES.
1. The beggar died.—Notice the contrast in what follows the statement of the death of each. The beggar is "carried by the angels." The rich man "was buried." The time when the elect are really "carried by the angels" is shown in Matt. 24:30, 31 and 2 Thess. 4:16, 17. It is at the coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven. "And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds." Those who are alive at that time will be caught up with the resurrected ones "to meet the Lord in the air." The redeemed will be "carried by the angels" at that time.
2. He lifted up his eyes, being in torments.—The Saviour is carrying to its conclusion the preconceived ideas of a portion of His hearers, in order to convey to their minds an important truth. "He held up before His hearers a mirror wherein they might see themselves in their true relation to God. He used the prevailing opinion to convey the idea He wished to make prominent to all,—that no man is valued for his possessions; for all he has belongs to him only as lent by the Lord. A misuse of these gifts will place him below the poorest and most afflicted man who loves God and trusts in Him."—Christ's Object Lessons.
3. Father Abraham.—The Jews would not accept Christ, or salvation through Him, because they had Abraham as their father. They were placing their trust in their lineal descent from Abraham. Christ shows them in this parable that such reliance could not save them. Jesus shows (Matt. 3:9) that more is required than lineal descent from Abraham. The righteousness of Christ must be imputed to the man who would enter heaven.
4. Neither will they be persuaded if one rise from the dead.—The truth of this statement was illustrated not long afterward, when Christ did actually raise a Lazarus from the dead. The Jews not only rejected the testimony of Lazarus, but they sought to kill him and the One who had brought him back to life. Jesus Himself afterward passed through the grave and bore His testimony; but they rejected it. Note in verses 30 and 31 that the ones represented as talking are dead.
