Lazarus and the rich man

[Grafted In]

Do you believe that Luke 16:19-31 is a parable and if so, why?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Do you believe that Luke 16:19-31 is a parable and if so, why?

Jesus Christ of Nazareth spoke a parable. The parable was in judgment towards the Pharisees, who were lovers of money and tried to derial Him.

Blessings

 

[Grafted In]

Jesus Christ of Nazareth spoke a parable. The parable was in judgment towards the Pharisees, who were lovers of money and tried to derial Him.

Blessings

What qualifies it as a parable?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

What qualifies it as a parable?

Jesus Christ of Nazareth said so.

"For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand, 14 and with reference to them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled ....

 

[Matt5]

The definition of a parable from GROK AI:

"A parable in the Bible is a short, simple story that uses everyday, relatable situations to convey a deeper spiritual or moral message. Parables are often used to teach truths about the kingdom of God, human relationships, or moral and ethical principles. They are particularly noted for their use by Jesus Christ in the New Testament, though parables exist in the Old Testament as well."

IMO, parables hide bad news. The parable of the sower is one example. It talks about a farmer and his seed/crop problems. In reality, it was about something completely different: The difficulty in spreading Christianity.

In the case of Lazarus and the rich man, it is a deep and dark parable. As the parable itself says, people won't believe the truth. Even someone rising from the dead could not convince the people, because the news is dark.

Why hide bad news? As punishment, according to Matthew 13. Because people refuse to see and hear. Just think of the Jews in the 30s. They refused to believe what their eyes and ears told them.

 

[Grafted In]

And in Luke 16:16 "And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man,....

 

[timf]

Jesus said "there was" rather than "like unto".

 

[Aaron112]

Do you believe that Luke 16:19-31 is a parable and if so, why?

For most people, it is best seen as a parable.
A more exact, specific word that classifies it accurately is a rare word most people do not know.

For details, find if possible (it gets more difficult every day)
E.W.Bullingers detailed accurate precise description in pdf (maybe html) format.
It does not good to argue this online/ in this forum.

 

[Grafted In]

For most people, it is best seen as a parable.
A more exact, specific word that classifies it accurately is a rare word most people do not know.

For details, find if possible (it gets more difficult every day)
E.W.Bullingers detailed accurate precise description in pdf (maybe html) format.
It does not good to argue this online/ in this forum.

Thank you for the information, Aaron112.

My apologies to the membership for bringing up the subject.
Bill

 

[Grafted In]

And in Luke 16:16 "And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man,....

So, He also spoke in parables to his closest deciples.
Why?
What makes this account qualify as a parable?

 

[ozso]

There are multiple analogies in Luke 16:19-31.

One of the arguments aginst it being a parable is "Jesus used a proper name (Lazarus) and Jesus never used proper names in his parables".

However... Lazarus is the Greek version of Eliezer. And in this story there's Eliezer (Lazarus) with Abraham.

What's the connection?

But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” Genesis 15:2

Interesting eh?

 

[ozso]

Also here's a very interesting examination of Luke 16:19-31:

 

[Grafted In]

There are multiple analogies in Luke 16:19-31.

One of the arguments aginst it being a parable is "Jesus used a proper name (Lazarus) and Jesus never used proper names in his parables".

However... Lazarus is the Greek version of Eliezer. And in this story there's Eliezer (Lazarus) with Abraham.

What's the connection?

But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” Genesis 15:2

Interesting eh?

Yes.
But it still doesn't rule out the possibility that it might not be a parable.

 

[ozso]

Yes.
But it still doesn't rule out the possibility that it might not be a parable.

Oh I was supposed to rule it out? I'll get right back to work on that

 

[Grafted In]

Oh I was supposed to rule it out? I'll get right back to work on that

Easy, Ozso. We're both searching for truth.

 

[ozso]

Easy, Ozso. We're both searching for truth.

I figured when I added a "" you'd know I was joking. Anyways, there's no definitive way to prove it's a parable or not. That debate has been going on for centuries. It's really up to the individual to decide.

 

[Aaron112]

But it still doesn't rule out the possibility that it might not be a parable.

It seems you want and seek truth. See e.w.bullinger: the rich nam and lazarus for full scriptural understanding that is thorough and rejected by religion.

 

[Grafted In]

It seems you want and seek truth. See e.w.bullinger: the rich nam and lazarus for full scriptural understanding that is thorough and rejected by religion.

Thank you Aaron112.
I'll have to look into your suggested read.

This portion of Scripture has special meaning to me.
Yes, I knew there was a risk bringing it up. But I don't think I've ever not learned something new every time it's discussed, although the matter never seems to get any closer being resolved.
There's so much to learn. And when a subject matter is settled in my mind by Jesus Christ, I enjoy looking for ways to pass along that experience.
That's not necessarily a statement of my understanding in this case, so I am pleased you are not offended.
Both side have much Scriptural support for its beliefs.
Please forgive me, if anything I wrote was offensive to you and I look forward discussing other Scriptural content with you in the future.
Thank you for your gracious response.
Bill