Rich man Poor man parable.

[concretecamper]

What do you make of this parable?

Luke 16:19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

And he said: Then, father, I beseech thee that thou wouldst send him to my father's house, for I have five brethren, That he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torments.

I've always understood hell (place of eternal torment) as absence of God and therefore no compassion. The rich man shows compassion for his brothers. So therefore, he cannot be in hell. So is he in a place of purging?

 

[blackhead]

The point of the story of the rich man and Lazarus is to remind us not to love money more than we love God and neighbor. We need to be rich towards God and not just rich in the things of this world.

 

[W2L]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

[bling]

Why did God not help Lazarus?

Why are there tons of people like Lazarus?

Did Lazarus buy into the health and wealth gospel?

What is the rich man’s objective and Lazarus’ objective in all this?

Jewish people of Jesus’ days on earth thought what about beggars and rich people?

John 9: 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Jesus tells us “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him”.

Can good come out of any tragedy?

Why does Good not come out of every tragedy?

Did God Love both the rich man and Lazarus?

If God does Love every person then would God not do all He could to help every willing person to fulfill their earthly objective?

Lazarus of the earth might spend their whole life providing the very best opportunity every day for some rich man to experience true Godly type Love. That rich man might have a huge charitable hospital named after him taking care of people like Lazarus, but trips over Lazarus every day without allowing himself to experience Godly type Love.

It is truly sad that God virtually sacrificed Lazarus’ life to help that rich man, but that is who God is and will make it up to Lazarus in heaven, but you can understand why God would be so displeased with the rich man.

I need to leave and go visit a “Lazarus’ in the hospital, he had surgery yesterday.

 

[W2L]

Why did God not help Lazarus?

Why are there tons of people like Lazarus?

Did Lazarus buy into the health and wealth gospel?

What is the rich man’s objective and Lazarus’ objective in all this?

Jewish people of Jesus’ days on earth thought what about beggars and rich people?

John 9: 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Jesus tells us “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him”.

Can good come out of any tragedy?

Why does Good not come out of every tragedy?

Did God Love both the rich man and Lazarus?

If God does Love every person then would God not do all He could to help every willing person to fulfill their earthly objective?

Lazarus of the earth might spend their whole life providing the very best opportunity every day for some rich man to experience true Godly type Love. That rich man might have a huge charitable hospital named after him taking care of people like Lazarus, but trips over Lazarus every day without allowing himself to experience Godly type Love.

It is truly sad that God virtually sacrificed Lazarus’ life to help that rich man, but that is who God is and will make it up to Lazarus in heaven, but you can understand why God would be so displeased with the rich man.

I need to leave and go visit a “Lazarus’ in the hospital, he had surgery yesterday.

Thank you. I hope your friend is ok.