S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Luke 16:19-31 contains the account of a very rich man who lived a life of extreme luxury. Laid outside the gate of this rich man's house, however, was an extremely poor man named Lazarus who simply...

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July 01 2013 • 10 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Aurel Gheorghe Supporter

In the parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus, Jesus was not talking about the afterlife; instead, He was addressing the Pharisees (Luke 16:14) and their unfaithfulness in regards to their responsibility. They had a special message of truth and failed to share it with the Gentiles, who were eager to hear it. And we clearly know this is a parable because of the many allegoric elements of the story. 

In Luke 16:22 the NKJV says "....that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom." This is the first clue: there's no other Scripture that says that the saved go to the bosom of Abraham. 

Second, Jesus uses the word Hades, a mythological Greek place. Jesus did not believe in Greek mythology and is undoubtedly using here a figure of speech that the audience understood. 

Third, both (Lazarus and the rich man) are being taken to their respective places of reward. Their bodies apparently came along, for we find the rich man desires to have his tongue cooled by a drop of water from the finger of Lazarus who is resting in Abraham’s bosom. Are we to believe that the graves of these two people are now empty? It would make no sense to take the story literally. Also, there is no other place in Bible where people in heaven are communicating with people in hell. 

The lesson is that the rich man, who symbolizes God's people and who have the truth are not sharing their food with the poor, the lost, and that they may find that in the Judgment the poor are saved and the rich are lost. Jesus thus rebuked the Pharisees for their disregard of the Scriptures, foreseeing that even a supernatural event would not change the hearts of those who persistently rejected the teachings of “Moses and the prophets.”

September 10 2014 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Meluleki Maphosa Supporter Amateur Bible Student

In my view the parable told by Jesus here had absolutely no bearing or meaning on the age old question - What happens after we die? I think this attention that is given to "hell" and "Abraham's bosom" diverts attention away from some important and eternal truths that are quite relevant to our time. Every Christian ought to listen to the real message that Jesus was passing to his audience. I am convinced that the message is as relevant as it was during the time Jesus said it. 


The starting point in understanding this parable is actually 2 verses earlier. It is here that we begin to understand the back ground to this parable and we ask the question why did Jesus tell the parable at this particular moment? To whom is it addressed? I am going to direct our attention Jesus’s audience in Luke 16:19-31. In verse 14 just above it tells us that the Pharisees heard Him and derided Him. 



Jesus was talking to a class of people who sincerely believed themselves superior and privileged from God by being born Jews, children of Abraham. There was nothing in the world more precious more coveted than to be called the children of “our father Abraham” John 8:39. Clearly the proud Jews represented by the Pharisees were the “rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen”. Jesus used the symbolism of poor Lazarus infested with sores and living on scraps from the rich man’s table. In Isaiah 49:6 we are told that Jews were supposed to take the light from God and pass it on to the gentiles, instead they despised the gentiles and hoarded the truth. The Jews regarded the gentiles as dogs Mat 15:26 and Mark 7:27. 



Jesus was telling the “rich” and powerful Jews that they were still accountable for the riches (the gospel) which they received from God. The riches are only valuable if they are used and passed on. Otherwise the reality is that the Jews weren’t as rich as they thought they were. In other words the greatest riches was to inherit eternal life, of which they weren’t destined if they didn’t change course. Rev 3:17 You say, 'I am rich and well off; I have all I need.' But you do not know how miserable and pitiful you are! You are poor, naked, and blind. I advise you, then, to buy gold from me, pure gold, in order to be rich. Buy also white clothing to dress yourself and cover up your shameful nakedness. Buy also some ointment to put on your eyes, so that you may see. I rebuke and punish all whom I love. Be in earnest, then, and turn from your sins. Listen! I stand at the door and knock; if any hear my voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them, and they will eat with me.



The attitude of the Jews and Pharisees still haunts the church today. We still want to keep the truth to ourselves instead of sharing it with the poor. Jesus said one day if the He stopped the children from singing Hosanna the stones would cry out! That appears to be the case with Lazarus. Somehow with the “crumbs” that fall from our table they are somehow redeemed into heaven. The little truth that they are able to get, they utilize diligently. We the custodians of the truth on the other hand are negligent with the truth.

October 08 2016 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

James R Supporter

Jesus is addressing the Pharisees, so he used a popular traditional story they would have been familiar with. Unfortunately, the Jewish teachings of the day had absorbed much of the Greek afterlife mythology into their thinking, hence this mishmash of Jewish and Greek concepts.

Lazarus (Eliazar in Greek) means God who helps, and it would have stung the listeners, who Jesus linked to the rich man in his purple finery, that they missed out and were condemned while the beggar was blessed by God. 

All manner of pictures come through this parable which aren't held up by scripture and simply because Jesus used the storyline does not equate to it being literal. Like the 'souls under the altar' in Rev 6, we are to grasp the meaning of the message not assume the picture actually exists. Otherwise Jesus has a sword in his mouth (Rev 1:16) and death and hades can ride a horse and walk (Rev 6:8)

Finally, Jesus was prophesying that even though someone (him) would rise from the dead, they (the Pharisees) would not believe in him.

September 17 2016 • 8 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Shantkumar S. Kunjam Supporter An Indian, Mennonite Church, Pastor, Administrator, Bishop,

The whole chapter is devoted to the truth about earthly riches and about the word of God. These are the two masters that rival for the devotion of humans (vs. 13-15). The earthly riches is defined by three phrases: it is 'least', it is 'unrighteous' and it is "another man's" (vs. 10-12 NKJV). The right use of earthly riches can be beneficial in after life, which is highlighted in the story of the unfaithful steward and stated in v. 9.

On the other side the preciousness of the word of God is stated in three ways: it is very precious and requires wholehearted diligence to benefit from it (v. 16), for God it is more precious than the whole universe (v. 17), and for God His words are like marriage vows and He cannot be unfaithful (v. 18).

Now comes the parable. Two questions arise: What was wrong with the rich man that he ended up in the place of torment? What was good about Lazarus that he ended up in the place of eternal happiness? For the first question two facts can be gleaned: The rich man's happiness and desires were limited to earthly life only. He did not care at all about afterlife happiness (v. 25), and he had knowingly rejected God's word (29-31). The answer to the second question can be gleaned from the name Lazarus. This is the only time that Jesus named any person in His parables. The name Lazarus is Greek form for the Old Testament Hebrew name Eliezer (Gen. 15:2), which means 'my God is help'. So this poor man had all his life trusted God for help.

The Pharisees were lovers of money and their whole religiosity was focused to serve riches and not God (v.14).

This chapter should be read along with 18:15-30 and 19:1-10. It is impossible for people trusting their riches to enter the kingdom of God (18:25), but even such people can enter the kingdom of God if they turn to Him and forsake their earthly riches (19:8-9).

So earthly riches are good if rightly used, let them not be our master. It is only God and His word that deserve our wholehearted devotion and service.

October 02 2018 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

James Kraft Supporter 74 year old retired pipeline worker

Why was the rich man in hell in the first place? Because he was rich? No. Because he lived in luxury. No. Because he did not feed the poor? No. 

John 3:18. He never trusted Jesus as the only way of salvation apart from works. Romans 4:5. 

He did not realize he was a sinner and needed a savior. The only reason he was in hell is because he never did the will of His Father in heaven. John 6:40 and John 6:29.

Salvation or eternal life has nothing to do with how we live or what we do. Because how we live or what we do cannot save sinners, which we all are.

If we could be saved by what we do, then Jesus died in vain. Galatians 2:21.

If good works could save us, then Jesus died for no reason. If keeping God’s laws could save us, then Jesus died in vain.

What is the only way of salvation? Acts 16:31 Believe on the name of the Son of God, and thou shalt be saved and thy house. 

Jesus’ last words on the cross were, "IT IS FINISHED". That is an accounting term meaning, "PAID IN FULL". John 3:18.

There is only one sin that keeps people out of heaven. Unbelief. Once we believe it we are saved forever. John 6:4. John 6:47. 

All we have to do is accept the free gift already paid in full. Romans 6:23.

Jesus paid our sin debt in full so we can never be condemned again. John 3:18. The GIFT of God is eternal life. Not a reward for good behavior, but a free GIFT. PAID IN FULL.

We can do nothing to save us. The best works in the world cannot save sinners. The blood of Jesus covers us from all sin. 

Colossians 2:13 He has forgiven us ALL trespasses. ALL, not some, but ALL.

February 13 2022 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

John Appelt Supporter

The usual interpretation of this parable is that when the rich man died, he went immediately to hell, and Lazarus went to heaven which the “bosom of Abraham” is said to signify. But this is based on the Greek mythological two-compartment concept of Hades. Part of it is supposedly the burning hell and part of it “Abraham’s Bosom.” Some say that according to Ephesians 4:8–9, Jesus went into Hades and led the saved out of Abraham’s bosom, but this is contrary to the Scriptures. It seems Jesus was using this erroneous teaching in this parable, but that is not the case.

One problem is that no one goes immediately at death to heaven or hell, and no one has an immortal soul. Besides, only God is immortal, 1 Timothy 6:15–16. Every person goes to the grave, the hidden realm of death, which is “Sheol” in Hebrew and “Hades” in Greek. “Hades” is the word Jesus used in this parable. The Greek word for hell “Gehenna” is not used here at all. 

Nothing is said of hell or heaven in this parable. To think this is to incorrectly say the rich are in hell and the poor are in heaven. The fact is everyone will be in Hades until they are resurrected at their respective time, believers at the Rapture, 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, 1 Corinthians 15:52, and unbelievers at the Great White Throne judgment, Revelation 20:13–15. 

The way to see this parable is to note that Luke 16:12 indicates Pharisees were lovers of money. The parable contrasts the lives and the deaths of two individuals. These see a great reversal of their condition after death. 
But this is a hypothetical story. Jesus uses images familiar to the Jewish people’s thinking, whether true or not. The after-death conditions have to be figurative. Abraham’s bosom (place of honor at a banquet) is figurative of the bliss and security for Lazarus. The torment in flames is figurative for the agony and deprivation of the rich man. 

In this parable, Jesus paints a picture of what it might be like as He tells how the rich man has not changed his attitude about being superior to the poor man. He wants for Lazarus to serve him by bringing him water and have him sent to warn his five brothers lest they end up in the same condition. The audience can visualize the point Jesus makes that the greed of the Pharisees will lead to great disappointment after death. 

Technically, the Greek word for torment does not mean torture, but intense grief or anguish. Luke uniquely uses this word for how Mary and Joseph “anxiously” felt as they searched for Jesus in Jerusalem in Luke 2:48 and when the Ephesian elders were “sorrowing” as they were saying goodbye to Paul in Acts 20:38. 

The Jews believed that the rich would be blessed, but the parable is a warning to the leaders, not about hell, but of their greed and self-centered life.

January 21 2024 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report