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Lazarus and the Rich Man (a parable)

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A parable is a story that uses examples of things that we know and understand to teach us about things that we don't know or understand. The word parable comes from the greek word Parabole (Strong's Concordance #3850 ⁽¹⁾) and means: a similitude ("parable"), i.e. (symbol.) fictitious narrative (of common life conveying a moral). In the New Testament, this word was translated into english as: comparison, figure, parable, proverb.

There are many parables in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

In the New Testament, Christ used parables to teach people about the things of God. "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them" (Mat.13:34). In Mat.13:10,11 Jesus disciples asked "...Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given". Also, "...but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables" (Mar.4:11). These mysteries would need to be revealed to the world in order for people to know God better and to understand how to get into the Kingdom of God. Christ revealed these mysteries to his apostles. His job was to preach the Kingdom of God and to set up the ministry of the early church in his apostles. While he was with the apostles, he could protect the mysteries he was placing in their minds: "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept..." (Joh.17:12). Later, after the day of Pentecost, these men would go out into the world and reveal the mysteries to the rest of mankind.

Some of the parables in the New Testament include:

• Sower of the seed - Mat.13:3-23; Mar.4:3-20; Luk.8:5-15
• Kingdom of God like a mustard seed - Mat.13:31,32; Mar.4:30-32; Luk.13:18,19
• New wine in old bottles - Mat.9:16; Mar.2:21; Luk.5:36
• New cloth on old garment - Mat.9:17; Mar.2:22; Luk.5:37-39
• Kingdom of God like leaven - Mat.13:33; Luk.13:20,21
• Wicked husbandmen - Mat.21:33-46; Mar.12:1-11; Luk.20:9-18

One parable Christ told was "Lazarus and the Rich Man" which is found in the 16th chapter of Luke. Let's look at this parable:

Luk.16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 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;

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 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.

25 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.

26 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.

27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Some have taught that this is not a parable, but an actual event concerning two men. One [Lazarus] who died and went to paradise, and another [rich man] who died and went to hell. This story is then used to prove that there is a literal hell that ungodly people go to. This teaching says that hell (hades in the greek) is divided into two parts: paradise (a good place) and tartaros (a place of torment). Let's look more closely at some of the reasons people use to say this is not a parable:

Reasons given for Lazarus and the Rich Man not being a parable:

1. "A parable doesn't use real people's names"

Not so! In the 23rd chapter of Ezekiel (in the the Old Testament), there is the story of "Ahola" and "Aholiba". In this chapter Ezekiel says these two names represent Samaria and Jerusalem. Since proper names are used in this parable, it is clear that a parable can use a person's (people's) name(s).

2. "A parable must begin with a statement saying it is a parable"

Not so! There are several parables told in the scriptures which are not preceded by the statement that it is such. The 16th chapter of Luke begins by saying: "...There was a certain rich man, which had a steward..." This is the well known parable of the "unjust steward". The accounts of "Ahola and Aholiba" (see previous paragraph) and of "Lazarus and the Rich Man" are both even recognized as parables in the book entitled "All the Parables of the Bible" by Lockyer. Peloubet's Bible Dictionary also recognizes the account of "Lazarus and the Rich Man" as a "...well known parable...". This argument, therefore, is neither Biblical nor valid.

3. "The word Hades in the Greek is representative of the 'Hadean World' which contains 'paradise' and 'tartaros' - both literal places"

This is a man-made idea and is also incorrect. The word "hades" (#86 Strong's Concordance) was never rendered "paradise" (#3857 Strong's Concordance) in the scripture. Hades has the definition unseen, i.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls, and was translated into english as "hell" and "grave". There is not even an implication of a dual world here. The word paradise, on the other hand, means a park, i.e. (spec.) an Eden (place of future happiness, "paradise"), and was only translated "paradise" in the New Testament (paradise does not appear in the Old Testament). There is no Biblical or language evidence to even remotely suggest a connection between the words "paradise" and "hades". The word "tartaros" has the definition, (the deepest abyss of Hades); to incarcerate in eternal torment. It was only translated "cast down to hell" and found once in the New Testament in 2Pt.2:4. It is not connected with "paradise" in any way, nor does it have any relationship to "hades" in this scripture.

Further, there is no context in this parable for the use of either one of these words, because neither one of them (tartaros or paradise) are found in the text of the parable! There also is no such thing Biblically as the "Hadean World". This is purely a man-made expression.

Can the account of Lazarus and the Rich Man be a literal story?

Let's look at this story more closely to see whether it can be considered a literal story or not.

In verses 19, 20, & 21, two characters are described. There is the rich man, who is clothed in fine clothing and eats well. Then there is Lazarus, a beggar who is full of sores and lying at the rich man's gate. Lazarus is desirous of the crumbs of the rich man's table, and dogs come and lick his sores.

In verses 22 & 23, we see that both Lazarus and the rich man die. Lazarus is carried "...into Abraham's bosom..." and the rich man is buried and finds himself in hell. Lazarus is carried into Abraham's bosom by the angels. Surely, Abraham's bosom is symbolic of something, for Lazarus was not literally planted in Abraham's literal bosom. Also, if "tartaros" and "paradise" are different parts of the same place (hell or hades), then the rich man should have been carried by the angels to get there, yet the scripture says nothing about this happening. Further, what kind of angels would be transporting people to hell? Holy angels on the paradise side? Evil angels on the tartaros side?

In verses 19, 20 & 21, we learn the situation of these two men prior to death. If this were a literal story, it would seem to imply that the criterion for getting into paradise is to be a hungry beggar, full of sores. On the other hand, if a person wanted a ticket straight to the lowest abyss of hell, then they should dress and eat well! These scriptures couldn't be interpreted literally and make sense. This is because man is the one that looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart of man (1Sa.16:7). This must therefore be symbolic language.

In verses 23 & 24, we find the rich man seeing "...Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom...", crying and speaking to "...Abraham...". This could not be happening literally because the scriptures are very clear about the fate of an ungodly person. When they die, their thoughts perish and they see no light:

Ecc.9:5 "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything..." Ecc 9:10 "...for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, wither thou goest." Psa 146:4 "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." Psa 49:19 "He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light."

If the ungodly person has no thoughts and never sees light when he physically dies, it would be very difficult for the rich man to see, cry, or speak. This must, therefore, be symbolic language.

Also in verse 24, the rich man asks for Lazarus to be sent to "...dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame." Several common sense questions could be asked here:

1. If this man were in a literal, burning fire, wouldn't his body burn up?
2. If it is not his physical body but rather his spiritual body in this fire, how could spirit be tormented by a literal fire?
3. If this were a literal man in a burning fire how much good would a few drops of water from Lazarus' fingers do for him?

To these questions, the answer is simple: this verse is symbolic, part of a parable "...conveying a moral."

In verse 25, Abraham tells the rich man that in his life time he had good things, and Lazarus had evil things. Now the tables have been turned; Lazarus is comforted and the rich man tormented. If this were taken as a literal story, part of the lesson would be to be a beggar now, so that in some future life you will be comforted. More importantly, if you have any good things... LOOK OUT! You will be tormented in flames of fire.

In verse 26, Abraham says to the rich man that "...betwixt us and you there is a great gulf fixed..." How great could this "great gulf" be if Abraham and this rich man are having a conversation back and forth across it? A few feet? A few yards? A few miles? It is interesting to note that even though one can't pass from one side of this gulf to the other, they can hold conversations. Yet Paul said, "...what communion hath light with darkness?" (2Co.6:14). How is it that Abraham was communing with the rich man? So, this couldn't be a literal gulf separating two literal parts of a literal hell (hades) in a Hadean World. This must therefore be symbolic language.

In verses 27-31, the rich man requests that Abraham send Lazarus to his father's house; to his five brethern to testify to them so that they won't end up in the same place that he is in. Abraham tells him that his brethern have Moses and the prophets and that they should listen to them. The rich man replies, "they would listen if one rose from the dead". Now we have a situation where this rich man wants to have Abraham literally send Lazarus back from the dead to speak to this man's brothers. How would this happen? Would the angels carry him back? Would Lazarus have his sores back again so people would recognize him? You see the problems this presents if you try to take it literally. As with the rest of this parable, the language here must be symbolic.

One of the strongest reasons that Lazarus and the Rich Man is a parable lie in Jesus own words: "...but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables..." (Mar.4:11). The 16th chapter shows who Jesus was speaking to. It was to "...the Pharisees also... who heard all these things..." (Luk.16:14). They were very much "without", and not a part of Jesus' disciples. As it was said of Jesus in Mat.13:34, "...without a parable spake he not unto them."

Our conclusion is that the account in the scriptures of "Lazarus and the Rich Man" is indeed a parable, a "...fictitious narrative..." with a "...moral..." The question however, is, what is the moral that this parable teaches? As with all parables, Jesus presented ideas to people to teach more about God and how to get into the Kingdom of God. These parables not only spoke of the process of getting into this kingdom, but also to warn them of what would keep them from entering in... so it is with the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man.

Correct understanding of the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man

This parable parallels the Jews who had God's laws (the rich man) and the Gentiles who didn't have them (Lazarus). The Jews under the law had been clothed with many of God's truths and they were able to partake (eat) of them. This is what would keep them sealed in God's mind (or written in the book of rememberance - Mal.3:16). The problem was that the Jews had perverted the law and allowed evil to get into it. That's one of the reasons Christ was sent: "...to save his people from their sins." (Mat.1:21)

Lazarus pictured the Gentiles who did not have God's laws, but were hungry for any truths that they could get (eating the crumbs from under the rich man's table). This is shown in the account of the Syrophenician woman in the book of Mark (Mar.7:25-30). She was a Greek (Gentile) and wanted Jesus to heal her daughter. Jesus told her that he was called to feed the children (the Jews), not to feed the dogs (unbelievers/Gentiles) with the children's bread (word or doctrine). The woman replied that even "...the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs." (Mar.7:28). Because of her faith, Jesus healed her daughter. There were Gentiles who had faith and sincerely desired to have more of God. One lesson Jesus was teaching was that Gentiles with faith in God and a desire to know God better, would have the opportunity for salvation. The rich man pictured the Jews who as a nation, having the laws of God, did not honor them, and as a result missed out on God.

Verse 22 shows the condition that Lazarus (the Gentiles) found himself in by exercising the faith that he had. He was in paradise, because "paradise" (#3857 Strong's Concordance) is a condition of becoming, and being in harmony with, the living God. It is a "place of future happiness", in the sense that it is a spiritual process through which we grow. This is a process which begins while we are alive in this world, and continues until we come to "... a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Eph.4:13). The faith that the Gentiles had would enable them to crucify their "old man". This "old man" is the old way of doing things; a condition of being led around by sin rather than God. This is what Paul meant in Rom.6:6 when he said, "knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.". Also Gal.2:20, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live;...". Paul wasn't crucified with Christ in the literal, but he had crucified his "old man" or his old way of doing things under the law. Even though the Gentiles were not under the law, they certainly had been led around by sin. Mixing their faith with the teachings of Christ would allow them to get into "...Abraham's bosom...".

Abraham is picture of God. This can be seen as in the fourth chapter of Galatians where Paul uses Abraham's two children as pictures of the bondage people were under by the Moses law. This is contrasted with the freedom people could get under by the New Covenant promises. Abraham's bosom represents the great faith that God has to give mankind, just as the man Abraham had. The promise of the New Testament is that we can become promised children and Abraham's seed if we have his faith (Gal.3:29). This applies to both Jew and Gentile who chooses to move on with God. Paul says in the previous verse that if a person is really in Christ it doesn't matter what he or she is because in Christ "There is neither Jew nor Greek..." (Gal.3:28)

Verse 23 shows the hell that the rich man (the Jews under the law) found himself in when he wouldn't move on with the gospel message that Jesus brought. What is hell? Hell or hades, is a place of departed souls (#86 Strong's Concordance); not after they are dead, but while they are alive, being "...departed from the living God..." (Heb.3:12). Hell is a condition in the mind, causing one to be separated from God. The Jews became "...departed souls" (Heb.3:12), separated from the living God and found themselves in hell.

Verse 24 shows the desire for more spirit that these Jews had (water pictures spirit - Joh.7:38,39). They had had God's spirit under the law, but now that God had moved on with Christ, the depth of spirit they had, had run out. The flame that was torturing them was God's word in a deeper depth. God said to Jeremiah that he (God) would put his (God's) words in Jeremiah's mouth as fire and make the people hearing them wood. (Jer 5:14) God not only did this with Jeremiah, but with all of his prophets. Christ brought God's fire (word) in its deepest depth. If the Jews refused to move on with God's word brought by Christ, they would perish and go out of existence.

In verse 25, the rich man had good things, because the Jews had the laws of God. However, by perverting the things that God had given them, they caused God to back off from them. This is what was causing them torment... being separated from God in hell. Lazarus had evil things, or the Gentiles didn't even have God's laws to govern their lives; and yet, if they had faith, God would lead them to Him where they could be comforted.

In verse 26 the Jews had become so set in their ways, they would not believe that Jesus was the Christ. This is the gulf that was set between Christ and the Jews - unbelief of his words. This is the same gulf between which the rich man and Lazarus found themselves... the gulf between belief and unbelief of the truth.

Verse 28 continues to show the condition in which the Jews found themselves when Christ came. There were six sects of the law (pictured by this rich man and his five brethern), and all of them had perverted God's laws. If the Jews had listened to Moses and kept God's laws, they would have been ready for Jesus. As Christ said in Joh.5:46 "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me." The scripture Christ was referring to was Deu.18:15, "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;" This was a prophecy of Christ.

Verses 29-31 show the hard-hearted condition of the Jewish nation's leaders at that time. God knew that if they wouldn't listen to Moses or the prophets, they wouldn't listen to anyone. Jesus had grown up and come out from under the Jewish law depth of spirit (a spiritually dead condition) and had resurrected into an eternal, regenerating spirit and they wouldn't listen to him. It wouldn't matter who God sent to them, they would not believe!

As with all parables, Jesus was planting thoughts and ideas in people's minds. The story of Lazarus and the Rich Man is a story with an important moral. People were to be prepared to move on with God when he had a deeper spirit for them. The Jewish nation, on the whole, was not prepared to do so. They had caused themselves to be in a hell condition - separated from God. The lesson for us is the same as it was for the Jews in Christ's time. When God is moving on, we need to be prepared to follow His leading. God doesn't want anyone to suffer in a hell condition in their minds, but wants all of his children to have the faith of Abraham and gain eternal life.

[Strong, James. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. Reprinted in 1982 by Baker Book House]

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