Christ's Message In The Parable Of Lazarus And The Rich Man
“Christ's Message In The Parable Of Lazarus And The Rich Man”
The final year of Christ ministry was a time of the last preparation for the great event in history which was about to dawn. In the past only the descendants of Jacob, or Israel were the people of God, but now coming was a way to graft into the Vine the rest of humanity. In this third year, Christ performed many prophetic demonstrations toward this preparation in presenting the purpose for which He had come and the great event which He and the Father were to perform.
In this article we will see some of this preparation starting with one of Christ's first miracles preformed in this last year. “And as Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was blind form his birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:1-3). Notice, Christ said: “But that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” We understand that Christ healed this man from Christ's statement to His disciples that this man was born blind for this very purpose of being given His sight by Jesus the Christ at this time. The Pharisees wanting to discredit Jesus and this miracle hounded the man and his parents in their desperate attempt to find fault. “Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, “Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.” He answered and said, “Weather He be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, I was blind, now I see” (John 9:24-25). “The man answers and said unto them, “Why herein is a marvelous thing, that you know not from whence He is, and yet He hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth His will, him He heareth.' Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind” (John 9:30-32). Jesus coming in contact with this man after he had been cast out of the temple makes this statement to him. “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind” (John 9:39 NKJ).
What did Christ mean by this statement? Lets see if we can answer that question. Paul said to the brethren in Rome, “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25). “Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.” Just as it is written, “God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day” (Romans 11:7-10 NKJ).
God says through Hosea concerning the Gentiles: “I will call them My people, which were not My people; and her beloved, who was not beloved, And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said to them, `Ye are not My people,' There shall they be called the children of the Living God” (Romans 9:25-26).
We can see from these scriptures the message Christ was conveying in healing the man born blind and when He made the statement, that He had come into the world that those who could not see may see, and those who see may be made blind. Israel being part of the Olive Tree had to be broken off that the Gentiles could be grafted in (Romans 11:16-17). After the context of Christ healing the blind man in the succession of the book of John the next subject in this succession, Christ reveals that He is the true Shepherd. He says, “I am the door: by Me if any man enterin, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” He later made the statement, “Therefore doth My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again” (John10:9,17). Jesus here is talking about His death and His resurrection. In the next Chapter in the succession of the book of John is the death and resurrection of Lazarus.
Shortly after the beginning of the last year before Christ's death, Jesus received a message from Mary and Martha that their brother Lazarus was sick. When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby”(John 11: 1-4). Remember the reason Christ said this was a lesson for His disciples, that the Son of God might be glorified!
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus but He did not go immediately up but stayed two more days in the place where He was. Before He left He said to His disciples, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go to wake him up.” And then He told them, “Lazarus is dead”(John 11:11-14 NKJ). When Jesus arrived Lazarus had been in the tomb four days. Martha came out to meet Him and when she arrived she said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here my brother would not have died.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:21-23 NKJ). Jesus also told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: [the next verse reads:] “And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die” (John 11:26). Taken from the original Greek Text, in the Emphatic Diaglott and Interlinear word for word translation of the New Testament, this passage reads: “And no one living and believing into Me, shall die to the age.” The inspired Greek word here used for “age” is “aion” and its meaning is: forevermore, perpetual, or eternity. Instead of “forevermore,” in this day and time we would say “forever.” A better translation then of verse 26 would be “And no one living and believing in Me shall die forever [or forevermore].
After Martha left Jesus she found Mary her sister and told her that -“The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” Mary went to meet Jesus and told Him the same as her sister. “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died” (John 11:28-32 NKJ). Neither of the sisters could comprehend that Christ would resurrect their brother. They had faith that He could have healed him but they didn't seem to have faith that He could raise their brother from the dead. Maybe they hadn't heard that Christ had raised the daughter of Jairus from death or had raised the son of the widow Nain, maybe they thought he had been dead to long. Regardless of the matter, Christ was very distressed at their lack of faith because scripture says, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying” Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself and came to the tomb” (John 11:33-37 NKJ). Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave and it says, “Many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Him” (John 11:45 NKJ).
What prophetic message was Christ revealing through this miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus? Was it possibly a type of His death and resurrection that was drawing near? In this demonstration Christ revealed Himself as the resurrection and the life (John 11:25).
We understand that Lazarus fell sick and died for the purpose of the glory of God to be revealed in this miracle. What about the name Lazarus, is there significance in this name? Was he given his name just for this purpose also? The Greek name “Lazarus”(Strong's # 2976) is a form of the Hebrew “Eleazar,”( Strong's # 0499), this word comes from two different Hebrew words. The first word is “El”(Strong's # 0410), meaning, a god-or the Almighty God. The second Hebrew word is “zar”(Strong's # 05826) and it's meaning is, to surround, protect, aid and to help. Lazarus: “God who helps and protects.”
We will find the name Lazarus used another place in scripture, the parable of “Lazarus and the Rich man.” Does the resurrection of Lazarus as a type of the resurrection of Jesus Christ have a connection to this parable? Does the healing of the blind man representing the blinding of Israel and opening the eyes of the Gentiles, have a connection to the parable of Lazarus and the Rich man?
We also understand that most of the Churches of God organizations believe the Jewish community has complete authority over when Gods people keep His sacred Holy Days. The proper understanding of this parable will show that this could not be so.
Let's begin by getting some background information on the situation in which Christ told this parable. Luke tells us that all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to Christ to hear what He had to say (Luke 15:1). This made the Pharisees and scribes jealous and they complained, criticizing Christ for receiving sinners and eating with them (Luke 15:2). They were probably envious of Christ's growing popularity, afraid that His importance would take away from their own glory and prestige.
Christ first spoke to those gathered around Him a three-part parable, the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. This parable was designed to show the tax collectors and sinners as will as the Pharisees that God was concerned for them and He would seek out the lost and welcome them into His family when they repented and turned to Him. This is the job that the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees should have been doing but instead they just looked on these people with contempt.
After this, speaking to His disciples but probably the crowd and Pharisees still listening in, Christ told the parable of the unjust steward. The Pharisees realized that Christ was directing this parable toward them and they took great offense! “Now the Pharisees who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, “Ye are they which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:14,15). The final part of Christ' response to the ridicule of the Pharisees and Scribes was the parable of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31). “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day.”
Let's examine the description Christ gives us of the rich man. First He tells us that the rich man was clothed in purple and fine linen. This type of clothing would not have been out of the ordinary for one of considerable wealth in that time period. However, this clothing also has symbolic meaning. The Web Bible Encyclopedia says: “Robes of the color purple were worn by kings and high officers” (Judges 8:26; Esther 8:15). The Web Bible Encyclopedia says, “The use of linen in Old Testament times was uniformly used of the sacred vestments worn by the priests.” “And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework” (Exodus 28:39).
We can see from this that the garments worn by the rich man were symbolic of royalty and the priesthood. With this in mind let's see what God told Moses on Mount Sinai concerning Israel. “And ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shall speak to the children of Israel” (Exodus 19:6). From this we see that all of the children of Israel in the beginning were the royal priesthood, God's holy nation. The clothing of the rich man identifies him symbolically with the children of Israel, whom God chose to be His special people. They were called to be a witness to the nations around them, to confirm the blessings available to those who would obey God and keep His laws. Unfortunately, the majority of the time they did not live up to their high calling but finally were taken into captivity for their rebellion. Only the remnant of the house of Judah, which had returned from the Babylonian captivity, continued to have a covenant relationship with God.
The rich man in this parable represents the Jews of Jesus' day, which were exemplified by the Pharisees and scribes. Next it says concerning the rich man? “The rich man fared sumptuously every day.” Symbolically, this represents the wonderful spiritual feast that was available to the Jews in the first century AD.
What about Lazarus, who does he symbolize in the parable? “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” The first thing we notice is that Lazarus is a beggar. This is a fitting description of the Gentiles who “lay at the gate” of Judah.
Paul explains the situation of the Gentiles before Christ's sacrifice for the world's sins. “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). The Gentiles were beggars, located outside Judah and longing to be fed spiritual crumbs from the table of the Jews. The parable says, “....Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores” (Luke 16:21). The Jews considered the Gentiles to be unclean “dogs.” Next in the parable it says, “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” (Luke 16:22). The death of both the rich man [who represented the Jews] and Lazarus [who represented the Gentile nation] are symbolic in this parable, here their deaths picture a change in the position of the two groups. Instead of the Jews being in the bosom of Abraham as they were intended to be at the beginning, now they have lost that right and God has grafted in the Gentiles who are represented here as Lazarus who are now in the position of being in the bosom of Abraham. As in Gentile believers become “sons of Abraham” through faith in Christ.The scripture says: “And in hell [Hades] he [the rich man] lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom” (Luke 16:23).
Where did the rich man go after death? We all know the word Hades is the grave but in the definition is also a land of darkness, or a hidden state of those buried in the earth. The rich man was tormented in Hades. What was this torment? This word torment from the Crosswalk Web Lexicon states this word “torment” means “mental anguish.” The rich man asks father Abraham to send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue, for he was tormented in the “flame.” Notice this word is singular, not flames. This mental torment that the rich man was suffering was the acknowledgment that he was no longer in Abraham's bosom and those whom he had despised had now taken his place. The symbolic “flame” here is probably a representation of the suffering and the persecution that the Jews would experience down through the centuries. “But Abraham said, `Son, remember that in thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and thou art tormented. And besides 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” (Luke 16:25). What does this great gulf represent? Just as was presented in this article earlier, in Romans 11:7-10,16-17, 25 NKJ; Christ has given Israel a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear.
The rich man then said to Abraham, “I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house. For I have five brothers, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” The fact that this rich man had five brothers is another proof of his symbolic identity. For Judah, the father of the Jews had five full blood brothers. Their mother Leah had five other sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, and Zebulum (Genesis 35:23).
Continuing in Luke 16 vs.29, “Abraham said to him, they have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” Abraham was telling him this because he knew that Moses and the prophets testified of the coming of the Messiah and even though the Jews had these writings they had still rejected Christ when He came. “And he said, `Nay, father Abraham; but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.' “And he said to him, `If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.”
Let's notice that it was Lazarus that the rich man wanted Abraham to send to his brothers. He thinking that if, “One was sent from the dead” they would listen to him. But Abraham exclaims that even if “One rose from the dead” they still wouldn't be persuaded, as the Jews were not persuaded by Christ' life and resurrection.
Let's remember what the name Lazarus means, “God who helps and protects.” Lazarus of Bethany was symbolically a type of Jesus Christ. Christ being the prototype of Lazarus. Christ portrayed His own death and resurrection through the death and resurrection of Lazarus of Bethany.
In this parable of Lazarus and the rich man, Lazarus portrayed the Gentiles coming to Christ, but in another sense he also portrayed Jesus Christ as “One who rose from the dead.”
Carlos McGuire