Spoken at SGBC
6-14-98
Luke #117
16:19-31
The Rich man and Lazarus
We return this morning to our study of Luke's Gospel. In these last few weeks we have worked our way through some parables well known to most Christians. In the first part of chapter fifteen we find the parable of the lost sheep and of the lost coin. These parables were spoken in response to the Pharisee's negative statement about Christ, "This man receives and eats with sinners." By responding with these two parables our Lord revealed His love for the lost elect sheep of God. Jesus receives and has fellowship with repentant sinners. As the Good Shepherd He does not wait for the lost to come to Him rather He seeks them out. The urgency and persistence with which Christ seeks out the lost is illustrated in the parable of the lost coin. She was a poor woman who had lost a day's wages. She put every thing aside until she had found her money. Jesus is even more determined to save the lost. I hasten to add Christ is not alone in seeking and saving the sinner. In fact the whole of the God head is active in the salvation of the lost. God the Father orders the salvation of the sinner. God the Son pays the price for the sinners salvation. God the Holy Spirit goes after the sinner while he is wandering aimlessly in the wilderness of sin. It is the Holy Spirit who raises the sinner from death unto life. This is known to us as regeneration or the rebirth. When these lost sheep are found they repent and believe in Christ for the salvation of their souls. Jesus tells us, in chapter fifteen, verses seven and ten, that there is rejoicing in heaven over every sinner that repents.
The Pharisees did not love the lost as Christ did yet they claimed to be worshipers of God. These parables are a rebuke to such people and a call to imitate our Savior's love and compassion for sinners. One cannot be saved from the wrath to come and have no concern for those who are not.
The next parable, that of the Prodigal Son, was also spoken in response to the Pharisee's objection to Christ's interaction with sinners. The parable speaks of the Father's love for his lost children. There are four characters in this parable. The father represents God. The prodigal represents the lost and straying sheep of God. The complaining brother represents the Pharisees or self-righteous persons who believe they need no salvation and who are not concerned about the souls of others. The prodigal son wandered about in the wilderness of sin until he came to his senses. This awareness of his sin was, of course, the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart. At last he saw his sin his need to flee to his father's house in repentance. The Father is ecstatic when He sees the wandering, sinful, son returning in repentance. He was spiritually dead, he declares, but now he is alive, he was lost but now he is found. And there is rejoicing in heaven.
The first parable in chapter sixteen is also directed at the Pharisees sinfulness. It is the parable of the unjust steward. This steward had been entrusted with his masters financial treasure just as the Pharisees had been entrusted with a spiritual treasure, God's word. The unjust steward's love for money was so strong he ended up squandering his masters wealth and losing his position as steward. In verse thirteen of chapter sixteen we find these concluding words. (Luke 16:13-14 NASB) "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. {14} Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, (Just as the steward in the parable was.) were listening to all these things, and they were scoffing at Him. {15} And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, BUT GOD KNOWS YOUR HEARTS; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God."
Surely Christ has succeeded in exposing the unbelief of these leaders of Israel. They were people who cared nothing for the souls of others even though they had in their possession the scriptures that were sufficient to make one wise unto salvation. They were lovers of money, or earthly treasure. Their religion was only a means for the gratification of their lust for things and luxury. They made themselves look good in the eyes of men but Christ knew their hearts. They were evil men washed clean on the outside but full of rottenness on the inside.
In the parable we look at this morning Jesus tells us what will become of people with bad hearts if they do not repent of their sin to trust in Him. Today we consider the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus. Follow with me as I read.
(Luke 16:19-31 NASB) "Now there was a certain rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day. (This character in the parable may be compared to the Pharisees who had the great treasure of God's truth in their possession but kept it from those who needed it most.) 20} "And a certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, {21} and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. (Here is a picture of a believing sinner who could have been comforted to a great extent by God's truth and a caring shepherd. However he was not fed or cared for by this rich man, i.e., the Pharisees or shepherds of Israel.) {22} "Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; (heaven) and the rich man also died and was buried. {23} "And in Hades (hell) he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom. {24} "And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.' {25} "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; BUT NOW (things are different) he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. {26} 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, in order that those who wish to come over from here to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' (One's disposition at death is final and irreversible.) {27} "And he said, 'Then I beg you, Father, that you send him to my father's house-- {28} for I have five brothers-- that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment.' {29} "But Abraham said, 'THEY HAVE MOSES AND THE PROPHETS; LET THEM HEAR THEM.' {30} "But he said, 'No, Father Abraham, but IF SOMEONE GOES TO THEM FROM THE DEAD, THEY WILL REPENT!' {31} "But he said to him, 'IF THEY DO NOT LISTEN TO MOSES AND THE PROPHETS, NEITHER WILL THEY BE PERSUADED IF SOMEONE RISES FROM THE DEAD.'"
The focus of the parable is on these men's respective souls. Our attention is drawn to where the "real Lazarus" and the "real rich man" would spend eternity. What became of their souls?
Well Lazarus was carried up to heaven by angels while the rich man, very quickly, found himself in hell. Here is the fulfillment of the statement found in scripture, "The first will be last and the last first." What are the lessons to be learned from this great parable.
First we learn that one's social position or condition is no indication of his spiritual state. In our text we see the two extremes on earth. The filthy rich and the desperately poor. One has everything this world has to offer while the other has nothing, not even the ability to walk. For he was "laid" at the rich man's gate. Lazarus was diseased and dying. He was starving for food and no one cared, not even this rich man who, so far as he represents the Pharisees, had the means to feed his body and comfort his soul with God's truth. Here was a true son of Abraham by faith. Lazarus was a man who lived by faith and not by sight or sense. Here was a child of God, a Christian, a born-again human being who only appeared to have nothing. Yes, he was extremely poor as concerns material wealth, but he was the richer of the two. (Jeremiah 9:23-24 NASB) "Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; {24} but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD." Lazarus was the real rich man in this parable. This is a truth which begs us to remember that poverty is no indication of God's disfavor nor is wealth an indication that He is pleased with a person. In the end, imparted grace and faith is that which distinguishes one man from another.
Another thing this parable teaches us is that all humans die. This is not news to anyone here but it is a truth often ignored and forgotten. Hear the word of the Lord from Ecclesiastes 2:14-16 NASB. "The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both. {15} Then I said to myself, "As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?" So I said to myself, "This too is vanity." {16} For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how THE WISE MAN AND THE FOOL ALIKE DIE!"
(Hebrews 9:27 NASB) "And inasmuch as IT IS APPOINTED FOR MEN TO DIE ONCE AND AFTER THIS COMES JUDGMENT."
The physical lives of all men will, at the appointed time, be brought to an end. This rich man could not ward off death no more than Lazarus could. The rich man most likely lived as if he would never die. On the other hand we would be safe in concluding that Lazarus, at times, longed to die. Whatever the case both died and there was nothing on this earth that could have prevented it. It is appointed unto men once to die and then the judgement, the disposing of our souls by God based upon our faith or lack of the same. In the final analysis there will only be two verdicts handed down at the judgement. Those who have trusted in God through faith in Christ for salvation will be sentenced to an eternity in heaven. While those who die in unbelief will be sentenced to an eternity in hell.
In our parable the rich man, the unbeliever who lived a wonderful and comfortable life on earth, begins to suffer as he never thought he would. Lazarus, the Christian, begins a life of eternal bliss, comfort and happiness, things he knew little of while on earth. All his cares, pains, and tears are, in a moment, brought to an end. It is appointed unto men once to die and then the judgement.
Notice secondly how the souls of God's children are cared for at death. Our text tells us that "Angels came to carry the soul of Lazarus to heaven, or to Abraham's bosom." Fellow believer, do not be afraid of what will happen to your soul at death. God has put angels in charge of your soul. They will be on hand to carry you, the real you, into the very presence of God when is time for you to die. Further we can be comforted by the knowledge that the souls of our departed brothers or sisters are not wandering about homeless. They are not stuck between heaven and earth in some kind of limbo. No, they are at rest and in perfect peace. They are lacking nothing at all in the presence of the blessed Trinity and of saints who have gone before. The Christian who has fallen asleep in Jesus has entered into the very presence of God and of His Christ. Hear the word of the Lord in 2 Corinthians 5:6-9 NASB. "Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body (living on earth) we are absent from the Lord-- {7} for we walk by faith, not by sight-- {8} we are of good courage, I say, and PREFER rather to be absent from the body and to be AT HOME WITH THE LORD. {9} Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him." The Christian who has died is indeed absent from his earthly home but he is not homeless. Rather he has entered into his heavenly home, into the very presence of Jesus and of our Father and of all Christians who have died before. Death was indeed a blessed thing for Lazarus.
But then we must consider the other side of the coin. It is appointed unto men once to die and then the judgement. If the person who dies is an unbeliever, as this rich man was, the judgement of God will be that he spend eternity in hell. (Luke 16:23-24 NASB) "And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in TORMENT, (torture, pains) and saw Abraham FAR AWAY, and Lazarus in his bosom. {24} "And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am IN AGONY IN THIS FLAME.'
From riches, arrogance, selfishness, self-righteousness, and unbelief, to conscious agony, torment, and flame. This has been and shall continue to be the lot of all who leave this life outside of faith in Jesus Christ the Lord. Few, however, will allow this truth to enter their minds and conversation. I cannot tell you how many times I have been in the presence of those who have just lost an unbelieving loved one and heard them say, "He is finally at peace, his troubles are over." Ladies and gentlemen look at the text before you. The man of faith was carried up to heaven. He has peace and rest but the unbeliever, the man who had no time for God or His Christ, he has just begun to suffer. He is in agony, torment and flame. I know this truth may be hard for some to hear. We have all lost members of our families who were not Christian. But we must face this truth. All who die in unbelief go to hell, to agony, torment and eternal suffering! The unbeliever's death is no relief, it is the beginning of suffering. Just as the sufferings of the life are not worthy to be compared to the joy and glory that awaits a believer in heaven. So also the sufferings of this life, no matter how awful or intense, are nothing to what one will experience the moment he dies without Christ. Worse yet, there will be no mercy shown to those who enter hell. Hear again the words of our Lord.
(Luke 16:24-26 NASB) "And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, HAVE MERCY ON ME, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am IN AGONY IN THIS FLAME.' {25} "BUT Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. (Justice must and will be carried out without mercy.) {26} 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, in order that THOSE WHO WISH TO COME OVER FROM HERE TO YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE, AND THAT NONE MAY CROSS OVER FROM THERE TO US.' In other words heaven will send no relief to those in the torments of hell. The judgements of God are irrevocable and eternal.
Next we see the solemn truth that hell is a place of learning. The rich man at last knows the value of a man's soul. He understands that in the life he once lived there was a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. He thinks of the brothers he has left behind on earth. He knows they are not believers. He knows that if they do not repent and believe in Abraham's God and in Christ, the promised Messiah, they too will come to this awful place. This man has learned much but there is still something he doesn't understand. That is the way of salvation. For he believes that a miracle would serve to convert his brothers. He believes that they have not met with a persuasive enough argument. Something must happen to get their attention and then they will turn from their wicked ways. Listen to his request as found in Luke 16:27-31 NASB. "And he said, 'Then I beg you, Father, that you send him (Lazarus) to my father's house-- {28} for I have five brothers-- that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment.' {29} "But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' (the scriptures) {30} "But he said, 'No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' {31} "But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.'"
What does it take for a man to be saved? Must there be an earthquake? Must he see a vision from heaven? Will he believe if an angel comes to him with a personal message? Will he believe if his uncle Harry comes back from the dead to tell him of the horrors of hell, the joys of heaven, and his need to trust in Christ for salvation? The answer is no! If a man will not respond to the preaching of the Gospel he will not be persuaded by anything else. "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead." This man thought, like so many do today, that men are saved by reasoning with them. That they can be shocked or frightened into trusting Christ for salvation. He believed that conversion was just a matter of getting their attention and persuading them with the facts. But the truth is, men are dead in trespasses and sins. They cannot see, hear, or understand the truth whether it comes from the mouth of a preacher or one risen from the dead. Men do not need to see a miracle in order to believe. What they need is the miracle of the rebirth performed in and upon them personally. The new birth must take place first. For sinners need a new mind and will. They need the gifts of faith and repentance toward Jesus Christ. They need their obstinate and rebellious hearts replaced with hearts of flesh or hearts that are tender, sensitive, believing, and willing to go to Christ.
They do not need to see a miracle they need to experience on themselves.
Miracles witnessed by the human eye are not the way God has chosen to save sinners. Paul says that, "The Gospel is the power of God for salvation." This Gospel, in one form or another, is found in both the old and new testaments. That is why Abraham could say to the rich man, "If they (your brothers) do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead." The Old Testament scriptures were able to make one wise unto salvation!
What does this say to you? Well it says if you are looking for something more than the Good News that Jesus saves all who come to Him by faith, forget it. If you are not convinced by the scripture that tells you of your sin and the judgement to come, forget it. If you are not convinced that you must flee to Christ the only Savior of men's souls by just hearing or reading this truth in the Bible there is nothing on this earth that will convince you. Not even one risen from the dead. For he would have on his lips the same Gospel message that you have rejected all your life. It is the same message that was given to Adam and Eve, to Abraham and to the Disciples. Sinners who come to Christ confessing their sin and trusting Him for salvation will be saved form the wrath to come. That is the long and short of it. "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead."
So we see what happened to these Pharisees who would not feed the poor physically or spiritually and did not believe themselves. I speak of the self righteous, unloving shepherds of Israel who cared only for money and the things of this life. I speak of the spiritual leaders of the people of God who felt they needed no repentance. The parable tells it all. They, along with millions of others, will live forever in the tormenting flames of hell. They will never again be offered the mercy of God through faith in Jesus. Their minds will be forever filled with the knowledge of the truth they once shunned and kept from others. They will be forever anxious about the souls of those left behind. For now they know that Christ is the only way to God. Now they know that for every man there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. Now they know that religion is not a game and that God will not overlook a man's sin unless it is covered by the blood of Jesus Christ.