Parables are most fun. And they result in many difficulties.
With the account of Lazarus, there are 'ways' to see that neither Lazarus or the 'rich man'
actually DIED a physical death.
We know for example that in baptism, believers are baptized into partaking of The Lords death and
we DIE to sin.
Lazarus, AS WE, are carried to Abraham's bosom,
OUR FATHER OF FAITH. Abraham even speaking to us this day in his words and actions with God.
The words of Abraham speaking in the New Testament are the speakings of Abraham from the Old Testament, hard as they may be to perceive in the ways they are spoken in the parable and to find those same actions and intentions in Abraham's Old Testament life, they are in fact there to be seen. Even the blood of Abel speaks from the ground to this day. So does that of Abraham.
They were not 'new' understandings from Abraham in the New Testament Gospels. They were already there AND REVEALED by Grace and Truth, our Living Lord and Savior.
If a man bows to His Words and Spirit, they will be shown many matters.
The identity of the rich man is much more problematic. Those who have not bowed to Jesus' Words on matters of parable understandings
WILL NOT understand, ever. And such will flail about trying to figure them out.
And they will all land in the exact same place with the exact same missing component, every last one of them.
Justifications to themselves and condemnation to some other flesh man. That is the pattern shown by Jesus to see who sees and who does not see. Those who see that way do not actually see AT ALL.
Every parable is to be personally applied on every count of the parable.
In this particular parable, a believer, as a reality, whether they themselves see it or not, are in fact divided themselves from that 'rich man.' Even if they don't happen to see the reality of it. And that's OK. Jesus' Words are ROCK SOLID and no man can change them, neither are they meant to harm you as a believer. But they do apply personally to each of us, every single parable on every single count.
Those who go into automatic insulation mode from all the dire things do not, can not and will not have accurate understandings of ANY parable.
They will all insulate themselves. They will read
'this is how I am justified' and
'this is how it applies to SOME OTHER GUY.'
Think about this fact when you yourself read any parable. Do you not have that identical intent and direction?
'This is how I as a believer am justified' and
'this is how the other people' are condemned.
In this way,
Jesus has already read your mind before you ever picked up the parable and PREDICTED and SHOWED in advance
how you will read and what pattern you will follow in understandings.
If you read nearly any dissection of parables they are ALL THE SAME in this particular pattern. But to those who see parables, this pattern is actually already predicted in how such will read them. It's quite funny, once seen. In the parable itself, the parable
says that is the exact direction they will go and even states so in advance.
Anywhere you read a parable dissection and that is where it lands, it is instant identification that the dissection
really doesn't have a CLUE.
And there is always always always A HUGE MACK TRUCK that can be driven through the void in understandings.
There is always a MISSING COMPONENT in every one of these dissections down to the last one. It is a major missing piece.
And this too is a missing piece that
Jesus shows WILL be missing, in advance even again. It is the same missing piece in every dissection.
Anytime I read a parable, and the components are not there as Jesus has given them, it is instantly recognizable as FALSE.
If anyone wants understandings of parables, go to Mark 4:15, the parable Jesus Himself says is thee parable to understand ALL parables.
And eat those Words personally as they assuredly apply to every one of us.
And the same thing will happen
again and again in your own mind, predicted by Jesus in advance no less.
A voice will arrive in your own head right on cue that says 'this does not happen to me, I am a believer, I am justified.'
When you deny that voice in your head,
and BELIEVE that what Jesus said IS TRUE for YOU and the voice in your own head NOT TRUE, you yourself will have The Holy Spirit come and TEACH YOU directly about every parable. And you will know the meaning of every parable in intimacy and accuracy.
They are in fact DIVINE and WONDERFUL
and totally in your behalf anyway, even if you can not see them. To many they will not be given understandings.
Jesus will seem to bring you
a personal offense, if taken personally in the parable and in every parable, and that is why you deny the parts on the other side of the ledger and also will deny that side of the ledger to yourself.
Passing by the surface offense, and accepting the Truth of the matter personally FROM JESUS WORDS, you will ALL see much better. To whom it is given from Above that is. That part is not my call, but His.
Luke 7:23
And
blessed is he,
whosoever shall not be offended in me.
enjoy!
s
This is too many coincidences for them not to have been the same person.
