The Rich Man And Lazarus

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/yo9ue4

Many people have questions about what happens to us after we die. This is natural and God gives us glimpses into the next life all throughout the Bible.

In Luke 16:19-31 Jesus tells a story about two men who live and die and are conscious after death. They find themselves in the Hadean realm, a place of departed souls. One side is Paradise, or Abraham’s bosom. This is where Jesus and the thief went upon their deaths. In Luke 23:43, Jesus said, “…today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

The other side is a place of torment. Both sides are divided by a great gulf and once a soul arrives it is incapable of moving from one side to the other.

Some dispute whether or not this is a parable since one of the characters is actually named. But either way, the lessons Jesus imparts are still valid for us to consider today.

“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

“Then 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.’ But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”

There are four things that we can learn about our situation after death. First of all, we will be conscious. We will know things that are going on and will be able to see if we are in Paradise or in torment.

Second, we will also have our identity. We will be able to recognize others as well as be recognized. No one can know how this really works, but who we are today as a person will translate also into the next life.

Third, we will have a memory. The rich man remembered that he had five brothers who were still living on earth and who were apparently following his path to torment.

Fourth, we will have awareness of our choices in life that lead to our destiny in eternity. The things that we do in this life will dictate where we will spend eternity. If we are found righteous here, we will enjoy a reward there. If unrighteous then we will suffer.

Other lessons can also be taken from this reading. For example, our place in the next life is set upon our death. There is a great gulf between the good side and the bad side of the Hadean realm. If we intend to repent, obey and serve God and Jesus then we need to do that in this life.

The rich man wanted Abraham to send back someone from the dead to warn his brothers. But that was not going to happen. They had the word of God already through Moses and the prophets. But the rich man realized that they would probably not pay attention to them.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we draw near to God through His word and may we live each day in anticipation of our eternal reward.

Our thought for the day: “Many buy cemetery lots in advance, but do nothing about preparing for a home in heaven.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.