Today’s (9/29/07) Gospel reading is from Luke 16:19-31 and is Jesus’ story of the rich man and poor man who both die at the same time and the rich man goes to hell while the poor man goes to heaven. This parable reveals a great spiritual truth, however, because it’s usually interpreted superficially, it is terribly misunderstood and a source of great confusion.
In summary, the story is about a rich man who has a poor man named Lazarus living just outside his house but never gives him any food or help. They both die and Lazarus goes to heaven and sits besides Abraham and the rich man goes to the netherworld or hell. The rich man is able to see Lazarus and Abraham in heaven and asks for a drop of water but Abraham denies and tells him that during their lifetime he received what was good while Lazarus received what was bad. He then says that Lazarus is now comforted while the rich man is now tormented and that there is a great gap between them that can’t be crossed. The rich man then asks to send Lazarus to warn his family but this request is also denied.
The following are three incorrect assumptions that are often drawn from this parable and which lead to a lot misunderstanding:
- God hates the rich. Of course this is incorrect and the idea of God hating anybody is ridiculous. The lesson here is that when you are emotionally and mentally “attached” to your possessions, you don’t understand what’s important. You’re suppose to be detached from all things of the material world, not only physical possessions but also base emotional and mental possessions such as superiority, depression, bigotry, anger, immaturity, pessimism, close-mindedness, lustfulness and fear. Ideally you align yourself with the “things” of spirit and when you do you can have all the material possessions you want but you won’t be attached to them and if you lost them you would be centered in your connection with spirit.
- God loves the poor. Again the idea of God loving or hating a person and their financial status is ridiculous. There is no virtue in being poor. The issue is not what you have or don’t have but how you’re aligned with spirit. A poor man who is attached to a sense of self-rightousness or self-importance because he thinks it’s “spiritual” to be poor is as separate from spirit and will be as tormented as the rich man in Jesus’ parable. Further, to the extent that a person is poor due to being slothful, indifferent and lazy, he will also be separate and in torment because we’re intended to be productive and contribute to the growth of God’s humanity even if in a small way.
- God won’t grant your requests if you get on His “bad side”. God doesn’t give Lazarus the two things he asks because, figuratively, Lazarus is distant from the divine due to his attachment to the material world and his lack of compassion toward Lazarus during their lifetimes. The gap is not closed by simply a direct giving of the requests rather Lazarus must make an effort to understand how to be generous, compassionate and aligned with spirit and thereby close the gap on his own. In this way the divine find a stronger vehicle with which to work with and express itself. This is a true act of love by God, Who does not have a “bad side”, and is in no way a punishment.
Cheers,
Brendan
Well said. I like your three points: especially the line where you said “There is no virtue with being poor.” I get sick of people misinterpreting Jesus’ teachings on money, especially overusing the “Camel through a eye of a needle” parable; but that’s another rant I’ll leave for some other time. Haha.
Anyway. I’m not really sure how I got to your page (it was through a google search, I think), but I just wanted to throw my two-cents in. Cheers.
Love your explanations. May I add these too? Please.
“God hates the rich” – Witholding love, mercy, kindness, etc. from those in need is similar to acting like being rich and selfish in spirit.
“God loves the poor” – Those in need of comfort, truth, love, etc. are totally dependent on God’s love for redemption.
“God won’t grant your requests if you get on His “bad side”- The “bad side” of God is my own selfishness, dishonesty, unrealistic demands, hidden agendas, etc., which is brought to light by His Divine Truth and from which I cannot hide, ever – thanks for a conscience, something never to be despised – it’s best to put it to good use.
A man becomes wealthy by focusing on gathering wealth. If your focus is on gathering material possessions, it is not focuses on God’s Will or His message. Jesus himself owned nothing but his robes. Those who seek to follow his path would be wise to think and act in a like manner.
God may not “hate” wealthy people, but He has no place for them in His kingdom either.
I agree with you Brendan! I found your site because the Holy Spirit told me to look at this passage this morning for my devotion and I couldn’t remember where it was found – so I googled it and found your site. After reflecting on it for a few moments and reading it through, the thing I walk away with is the importance of how we should live our lives and the fact that when this life is over – it is not over. We will give an accounting of whether we treated people as an example of how much we love Christ (which is the greatest commandment). When life is over here, we cannot redo it or send somebody to warn our family and friends about what awaits them if they mistreat people and are unkind. Death permanently separates us – it is a gulf – between this life and the life that awaits us. I think we focus so much sometimes on the evil or potential of possessions that we miss the greatest lessons to be learned. In fact, you can be poor and evil as a snake. So, the issue is not about what we have, the issue is about how we treat each other when we have the opportunity to ease pain with a simple morsel of bread. That is the truest test of our demonstration of the Christ in us. Can I love people past their sores and their filth and see Christ in the dullest of people and the worst of every situation. Am I willing to give of whatever I have to help somebody in need – or do I look past a need sitting right outside my front door and go on with my life as if that human being is worth no more than a dog?
wow this is great staff, I thing it is important to remember that this two were acquainted with each other. One, Lazarus living desperately in need of food shelter clothing etc and the other living affluently but totally oblivious to the simple needs of the poor man just outside his mansion. Ironic how even today this parable springs to life in our very own eyes but we are too caught up in our own lifestyles to notice the needy that God himself has placed in our gates. first its selfishness of highest order that is eating into our societies even as we speak, me myself and I. secondly greediness of the highest kind we have more than we need and are reviled by the thought of even sharing with our own fresh and blood, yes all those skinny figures on your flat screens and computers. Thirdly it is the ultimate sin against the ultimate divine commandment of loving thy neighbour as thyself.
Spiritually speaking Lazarus is anybody that could do with you help be it financially, intellectually, friendship or anything that requires you to take time out from focusing on yourself. The rich mans gate is your heart, sometimes we are engrossed in our owns heart desire that we fail to notice how much we have and thank God for it and share our time with others. How God feels about the Rich and the poor is not important what is important is how they both live their lives on this earth. please stay blessed.
A very interesting read Mr. Philips, God bless you. What are your thoughts about this parable being used as an panoramic description of hell? From my own studying of scriptures, I am currently on the side of old and new testament saints, including Jesus, who refer to those who have passed away as sleeping.
“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; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom.”
Either this story about the rich man and Lazarus is literally true or it is a parable. Here are four reasons why it could not possible by literalistic: 1.The beggar died and was taken by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. No one believes that Abraham’s literal bosom is the abode of the righteous dead. It is a figurative or parabolic expression. Incidentally, the angels will gather the saints, but according to Matthew 24:30, 31, this will take place at the coming of Jesus, not at a person’s death. 2.Heaven and hell were separated by a gulf, and yet the persons in each could converse with each other. There are probably few individuals in the world who believes that this will be literally true of the saved and the lost (Luke 16:26). 3.The rich man was in hell with a body. He had eyes, a tongue, etc. (Luke 16:24). How did his body get into hellfire instead of into the grave? I know of no one who teaches that the bodies of the wicked go into hell as soon as they die. This story could not be literal. 4.The request for Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and come through the flames to cool the rich man’s tongue is obviously not literal. How much moisture would be left and how much relief would it give? The whole story is unrealistic and parabolic. The rich man undoubtedly represented the Jews in the parable because only a Jew would pray to “father Abraham.” The beggar symbolized the Gentiles, who were counted unworthy to receive the truth. In Matthew 15:27, the Canaanite woman acknowledged that her people were beggars at the table of the Jews. Christ probably chose the name of Lazarus to use in the parable because later he would actually raise Lazarus from the dead. And the climactic point of the entire parable is found in verse 31: “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, through one rose from the dead.” Sure enough, they didn’t believe even when one named Lazarus was raised before them.
In this story Jesus tells us that the rich man was “in hades, where he was in torment”. According to the book of Revelation, Hades will give up the dead in it (Revelation 20:13). This indicates that the dead will not remain in Hades forever but will instead be raised from Hades on judgement day. There is, therefore, good reason to believe that the torment that the rich man is experincing in Hades is not eternal but will end.
I’m not an expert in bible, but I’m a soul searching person. On this parable, my understanding is this. Sum up to two questions only. 1.) How do you get your wealth and 2.) How will you spend your wealth. That two crutial questions determaines your whole spiritual values of having and handling wealth. cheer