Saint Andrews
Anglican Orthodox Church
Parable of
the Rich Man and Lazarus
First
Sunday after Trinity.
The
Collect.
|
O
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GOD, the strength of all those who put their trust in thee;
Mercifully accept our prayers; and because, through the weakness of our mortal
nature, we can do no good thing without thee, grant us the help of thy grace,
that in keeping thy commandments we may please thee, both in will and deed;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
19There 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. (Luke 16:19-31)
Before we look more closely at this great parable of Jesus, we must understand
that Christ never uses a parable of things physical or spiritual whose
principle is not consistent with the truth. This story of the rich man
and Lazarus may be just as actual as it is figurative. God's principles never
change and neither does His truth.
The parable addresses the issues of the hereafter in stark illustration of
Paradise and Hell. There are those whose wealth dim their eyes to mercy
and compassion, and encrypt their hearts in greed and malice. There are, on the
other hand, those who would prefer to give whatever material possession they
have if it will render a greater good in improving the life of that one
standing nearby. Because their hearts are not centered on the material, their
souls are fixed on goodness and mercy. Christ does not mean to teach that there
is evil in riches, but in the way that we may covet such wealth. There is no
honor is being desperately poor, either, but the circumstances of life may render
any of us unable to provide for ourselves and impoverished by misfortune. When
poor men, such as Lazarus, are made to beg by the gates of the wealthy, this
condition is an illustration of the sin in the sin that lies covered in the
purple garments of the wealthy who refuse to share their excess with those who
are so deprived even of food to eat.
It should be noted that God does not always provide material reward to His
righteous in this world. The tables are often turned so that the wealthy are the
wicked, and the poor, the righteous. It does not necessarily need to be so, but
often is. Even a very righteous man may be corrupted when he comes into great
wealth. He may forget the estate from which he has come, and dwell only on the
improvement of his finances.
We must not misapply Scriptural counsel regarding money: it is not money itself
that is evil, but the love thereof. For the love of money is
the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the
faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (1 Tim 6:10) If
God rewards you will a million dollars in your account, the mere possession of
so much money does not make you a bad person. The manner in which you use the
money for good is a measure of your virtue.
The deference which Christ shows to the poor man in giving him a Godly name,
Lazarus, or Eleazar, is notable. The name means, God is MY Help. We have
churches in the AOC in parts of the world in which every member depends upon
God alone for the next morsel of food they consume. This Holy name imputes a
righteous character to the poor man.
But what of the rich man? He is given no name at all. Why do you suppose this
is so? Because if our names are not written in the Book of Life, then they are
not written at all. In fact, there are no names in Hell. Why would you need a
name there?
19There
was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared
sumptuously every day This man was filled with himself and cared not a whit for those around
him. He had much more than he needed, yet was unwilling to share a morsel from
his well-stocked pantry to a poor man diseased and dying. The love of wealth
petrifies the heart and closes its gates of mercy. Christ only refers to this
man as a "rich man." He has no redeeming qualities that recommend him
to God.
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus,
which was laid at his gate, full of sores You may wonder why
Lazarus is a beggar? Could it be a result of his complete helplessness due to
disease. He could not help himself – he had to be helped. Someone must help
those around us who are unable, due to tragic circumstances, to help
themselves. Before the advent of utopian and socialistic philosophy, the Church
and Community were the source of help – and still should be.
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. He desired no great
thing – only to be fed the crumbs from the rich man's table. These the rich man
did not need, but it is doubtful that the rich man cared enough to give them to
Lazarus. Even though men of means showered no mercy on their own kind, at least
the dogs lived up to their reputation of loyalty. The dogs comforted Lazarus –
not with food which they had not – but with compassion and love. Are we better
than dogs?
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 How
casually does the LORD make reference to that grave which awaits every beloved
reader of this devotion. It shall come to pass that each of us shall die. Then
what?
You will observe a great difference in the disposition of Lazarus after death,
and that of the rich man after death. Christ says of the beggar (he) was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom
Truly the destination of all righteous souls. Abraham is father, not only to
the Hebrews, but all who believe in the Promised Seed – Jesus Christ! What a
royal sendoff did Lazarus receive. Though a poor, sick beggar, he was honored
with the dignity of being carried by the angels to Abraham's Bosom. Angels are
important heavenly dignitaries, but not so dignified as to ignore any soul that
dies in Christ.
How does the honor paid Lazarus differ from the disposition of the Rich Man's
body? The rich man also died, and was buried. He was placed, not in the Bosom of Abraham, but
in the depth of the earth – his eternal home, or ultimately, Hell. Instead of
the angels carrying him to Abraham's Bosom, the rich man lies in the cursed
soil of the world. Quite well do the final words of a poem by Sir Walter Scott
summarize the matter:
"For him no minstrel raptures swell;
High though his titles,
proud his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim
Despite those titles,
power, and pelf,
The wretch, concentred all in self,
Living, shall forfeit
fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust from whence he
sprung,
Unwept, unhonored , and unsung."
But Scott's words do not fully reveal the extent of the tragedy of such
a lifestyle – the fires of Hell await such a one the very moment his eyes are
blinded by death.
23 And
in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and
Lazarus in his bosom.
Christ does not leave the
reality of hell open for question, but states the fact outright. There are
fires in Hel, and torments as well. There are no medical stations there to
relieve the pain for, in Hell, the character of its citizens rule – NO MERCY!
The rich man can see Lazaraus "afar off" in the bosom of Abraham.
Heaven is a far off place from Hell. But the wicked can see the delight of
those in Heaven.
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
The pride of wealth no longer
dominates the rich man's thinking. He takes no longer pride in his fine raiment
for that was burned away the moment he was cast into Hell. The rich man begs
for that which he had none of in life – MERCY! Lazarus is now rich, and the
rich man a beggar. He begs for mercy to be delivered by the very finger of him
to whom he granted no mercy. Hell is a hot dry place. The drought never ends
there. It is interesting to note that there is no evidence that Lazarus is
aware of the rich man's condition in Hell. Such knowledge might dampen his joy
in Heaven for he obviously was a man of compassion as opposed to the rich man.
Hell is a place of torment. God sends no one to Hell – we send ourselves.
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.
We sometimes find men in
conditions and circumstances from which we cannot extricate them, but we still
should have what kindness we can have and show respectful regard. Observe with
what sympathy Abraham addresses the rich man in Hell: He calls him
"son!" It is possible that this man could have been a true son of
Abraham as was Lazarus had he followed in that faith of Abraham in Christ. But
he was more likely a son by hereditary descent and not spiritual. The temporary
luxuries of riches born out of greed will avail nothing in Heaven. The pleasure
is so temporary, and eternity so very long – endless in fact.
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. We must
recognize that the distance is so great between Heaven and Hell that none can
pass to and from. No one has descended to Hell and returned to tell of it, and
the same is true of Heaven regardless the cheap little books of commercial
fodder marketed today. If you believe that you can visit Hell, you probably
will do so for longer than you wish.
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. Even the wicked in Hell are aware of the lost condition of their loved
ones. Does this give cause for pause? Those in Hell would do anything to save
their loved ones (for the damned also love their own) from coming to such a
place of hot torment.
. 29 Abraham saith unto
him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. Have we, too, heard the voice of Moses from the beginning in Genesis?
Have we heard and heeded the writings of the prophets and the Gsopel and
Espitles that tell of Christ? If so, it is enough! We need no astounding signs
to prove our faith else it is not faith.
An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and
there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For
as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son
of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matt 12:39-40) Is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ as your Lord and
Savior enough for you, or do you seek cleverly designed signs of men?
30 And
he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they
will repent. Really? Christ rose from the dead and the
obstinate, faithless Jewish rulers still hated Him. Faith is based in hope and
love, not sure evidence.
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.
If our faith is not founded on
God's Word, no other considerations are important. We believe because God's
Love is reflected to our hearts in the hope and reality revealed by Scripture.
If our hearts are made of lead, the iron Magnet will not attract it. There must
be a kinship (even if distant) in the heart that responds to the Call of God.
Do you have
that kinship?
