Understanding Difficult Passages (Part 1) • ~10 min read
Welcome, dear friends, to another enriching session of our Bible study! Today, we're continuing our exploration of what the Bible teaches about death, hope, and the resurrection. We're diving into a passage that has often been misunderstood and has led to many questions about the state of the dead: the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Our goal today is to understand this powerful narrative within its biblical context, recognizing it as a parable that Jesus used to teach profound moral and spiritual truths, rather than a literal description of the afterlife.
Let's open our Bibles and ask for divine guidance as we seek to understand His word.
Our main passage for today comes from the Gospel of Luke. Let's read the entire account carefully:
Luke 16:19-31 (KJV): "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: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 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. 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. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto 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, though one rose from the dead."
Luke 16:19-31
This is a vivid and dramatic story, isn't it? It paints a picture of two men, one living in luxury and the other in abject poverty, whose fortunes are reversed after death. The rich man finds himself in torment, while Lazarus is comforted in "Abraham's bosom." The rich man pleads for relief, for a warning to his brothers, but is told that a great gulf separates them and that his brothers have sufficient warning in the Scriptures.
On the surface, if taken literally, this story could suggest that immediately upon death, individuals go to either a place of comfort or a place of torment, where they are conscious, can communicate, and experience physical sensations. However, we must always interpret Scripture with Scripture, allowing clearer passages to illuminate those that might be more symbolic or figurative.
One crucial aspect of understanding this story is recognizing Jesus' common teaching method. He frequently used parables to convey spiritual truths. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, often employing symbolic language, exaggeration, and fictional characters to make a point.
Matthew 13:34 (KJV): "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them."
Matthew 13:34
This verse clearly tells us that parables were Jesus' primary mode of public instruction. He communicated profound truths through stories that were easily understood by His audience, even if the deeper spiritual meaning sometimes required further thought or explanation. Another example of Jesus using a symbolic story is found in John:
John 10:6 (KJV): "This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them."
John 10:6
Here, even though the KJV uses "proverb" in some instances for similar illustrative sayings, the essence is the same: Jesus used symbolic narratives that His listeners needed to interpret to grasp the spiritual lesson. Parables are not meant to be read as literal historical accounts or scientific descriptions. For instance, in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-9), no one believes that a literal sower cast seeds on an actual path, stony ground, or among thorns, but rather we understand these elements represent different responses to God's word.
When we apply this understanding to the rich man and Lazarus, we see elements that are characteristic of a parable, not a literal description:
Interpreting this story literally would create a conflict with other plain teachings of Scripture regarding the state of the dead, which consistently describe death as a sleep awaiting resurrection (e.g., John 11:11-14; Daniel 12:2). Jesus used this parable, drawing on common cultural ideas, to teach specific moral lessons rather than to reveal new details about the afterlife.
So, if it's not a literal description, what vital lessons did Jesus intend to convey through the rich man and Lazarus?
The story of the rich man and Lazarus is a masterful parable from Jesus, designed to shake His listeners out of spiritual complacency. It's a vivid illustration of the consequences of neglecting God's word and the needs of others, and it teaches us about divine justice and the sufficiency of Scripture. It is not, however, a detailed blueprint of the state of the dead. Understanding it as a parable allows us to grasp its profound moral lessons without creating contradictions with other clear biblical teachings about death as a sleep awaiting the resurrection.
May we take its warnings to heart, living lives of compassion and heeding the inspired counsel of "Moses and the prophets" found in God's Holy Word.