Parables of Jesus: A Rich Man and Lazarus

Luke 16:19-31

August 22, 2004

The Parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus is like a short play with two acts

ACT 1

Imagine this Chancel is the stage

Right here at the corner is a gate

On that side of the gate [most of the Chancel area] is very nice home   palace inside palace is a man reclining beside his dinner table the man himself is dressed in the finest fabric money can buy.

 

Narrator {The Voice} begins: “There was a rich man who abounded in material resources and was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.” 

Clothing alone identifies the man as “dripping with money” The Color Purple more than novel by Alice Walker - The Color Purple in biblical times reserved for rich and famous Wealthy business people and notable royalty. This was not a color for ordinary people. Even today  those who wear most expensive clothes eat well too.  Every meal was an extravagant feast.  Servants bring him roasted beef and fish and fowl seasoned with spices.  On the table are piles and piles of fresh fruit, the finest wines, and Decadent desserts.  This “Rich Man” has everything . . . everything but a name. 

 

On this side of the gate, on tiny corner of the stage, workers dump a ragged old man. 

 

Narrator continues: “But at his gate was dumped a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table.  But instead the dogs came to lick his wounds.”

[it has been suggested that these were not necessarily the Rich Man’s well-fed dogs; but were rather a pack of wild dogs who were much like vultures circling around a dead animal.  Whatever it was, the dogs noticed Lazarus, but the Rich Man did not. ]

 

The poor man had nothing . . . nothing except a name [Lazarus means “he whom God helps”]

 

Narrator goes on: “The poor man died, and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham.

As the angels silently carry him away, the curtain closes on Act 1

 

ACT 2

When the curtain rises on Act 2, the stage is equally divided   half by half.  On one half   Lazarus is sitting next to Father Abraham   engaged in easy conversation.  On the other half of stage   some men have just dumped a dead body in Gehenna.  Gehenna is word Jesus used   it’s that valley behind Jerusalem known as “City Dump”

All the trash/dead animals/dead people who couldn’t afford grave were dumped there.  The smell of burning everything permeated the air.  Little curls of smoldering whatever created smoky haze that hovered over it.  And the dead body they dump is none other than the Rich Man from Act 1.  The Rich Man looks up   and for the first time in his whole life notices Lazarus.  Read Luke 16:24-31

 

FIRST LESSON FOR US

There are two lessons from this parable to carry home with us.  First comes from the first 8 verses; it is a caution for us who live in a country that has 2/3 of all the world’s food but where the gap between the rich and the poor is growing

We who have more than we need must do what we can now to narrow that gap or the day will come when it is too late.  On that day those who had nothing in this life will have everything and those who had everything in this life will no longer have it.

 

Jesus gave a preview of this parable in sixth chapter of Luke ( 6:20 -26). 

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God . 

Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled

But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.

Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.

 

We who have more than we need must do what we can now to make life better for those who don’t have enough.  There was article in newspaper this past week showing growing gap between rich and poor; and a political cartoon showing how glad the rich are now that they can no longer see the poor; even “For Better or Worse” in the funny papers this morning speaks to us in a sobering way.

 

These are present-day warnings to us!

George Buttrick writes:  “As important as it is to share food, this parable is about an even deeper and more pervasive attitude of neighborliness toward others.  True charity is more than flinging a coin to a beggar.” 

 

He goes on to say that how we treat our neighbors shows the attitude of our hearts.  Who is our neighbor?  Remember the Parable of the Good Samaritan?  What can we do?  How can we show that we care about our neighbors?

 

Harold Kushner quotes from Jack Reimer’s prayer in When Bad Things Happen to Good People

We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end starvation; For You have already given us the resources with which to feed the entire world.  If we would only use them wisely.  We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end despair,  For You have already given us the power. To clear away slums and to give hope.  If we would only use our power justly.  So we pray to You instead, O God,  For strength, determination, and willpower, to do instead of just to pray, To become instead of merely wish. We who have more than we need must do what we can now to narrow that gap   that’s first lesson

SECOND LESSON FOR US

Second lesson comes from last 5 verses   concerns the identity of the Messiah

Jesus is the Messiah about whom Moses and the Prophets spoke

The BIG question for first-century Palestinians was “Who is this Jesus?”

Last part of this parable puts the answer right in Abraham’s mouth.  Jesus is the one about whom the prophets spoke!  Verses 27-31 reinforce the church’s belief that Moses and prophets all pointed to Jesus. Some scholars believe these verses were not part of Jesus’ original parable. They were added to convince those who refused to believe Jesus was raised from the dead.  Today we have a clearer understanding of who Jesus is than the first-century people.             Jesus is the one about whom the prophets spoke!  When we read about the promised messiah in the words of the prophets, It’s clear to us that Jesus is who they had in mind.  Prophets don’t ever mention him by name   his vital statistics were not important what was important about their prophecy was what the messiah would do and what they said he would do is exactly what Jesus did (Luke 4:18 -19).

RECAP

This is a powerful parable!

Two important lessons from The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus:

(1) We who have more than we need must work to bring God’s kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven

(2) Jesus is the one whom the prophets foretold   go tell it on the mountain!

 

(Note 1) Here Then the Parable, Bernard Brandon Scott, Fortress Press, 1989, p 142ff