The rich man and Lazarus (Lk. 16:19-31). More than a parable, it is a story. Nothing is expressly said about the moral character of these two men, although great insensitivity and selfishness on the part of the rich man is deduced (cf. Luke 16:20, 21).
In the OT it had been taught that the mark of the righteous should be external prosperity (Ps. 112:2, 3). In the kingdom in its new phase, and consequently to the rejection of Christ, the possession of riches ceases to be a sign of divine favor.
This was a necessary lesson for the Jew. It is very difficult for a rich person to be saved, but the Gospel was announced to the poor (Mt. 11:5; Luke 11:22). Poor Lazarus was taken to Abraham's bosom, and the rich man went to perdition.
In the other world the conditions of the present world are reversed. Here the teaching of the parable of the unjust steward continues: the rich man was not sacrificing the present for the future. A vivid picture is also given of the unalterable condition of the lost.
Meaning of RICH MAN AND LAZARUS
The rich man and Lazarus (Lk. 16:19-31). More than a parable, it is a story. Nothing is expressly said about the moral character of these two men, although great insensitivity and selfishness on the part of the rich man is deduced (cf. Luke 16:20, 21).
