Rich Man and Lazarus

Transcript

Hi Everyone! Welcome back to the Living on Prayer podcast. I’m Emily and in this series we’ve been talking about spiritual distractions, the basic and more complex spiritual distractions. But now over the next few episodes I’m going to take a little detour to talk about some people and stories in the scriptures that I will relate back to this topic. I just ask that you take this journey with me as I explain this all to you. It might sound like I’m going slightly off topic or as my family likes to call it, going down a rabbit hole, as we all can do at times, but I promise that I’m not and I will bring each episode back around loosely to this topic and I will tie them all back together to our topic of spiritual distractions in a much broader way after the next few episodes. 

Ok so let’s get started. Today I want to walk through a specific parable in the Bible that I believe we can all relate to somehow. This parable comes from the book of Luke, Chapter 16 and many of us have heard it referred to as the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. It’s a parable that Jesus shared with his disciples and was recorded in the scriptures. As we’ve been discussing the spiritual distractions in our lives, I thought it was a good time to talk through some scripture references like this parable that can help us understand both the obvious and subtle ways these distractions impact our lives and also how God ensures we are aware of them prior to leaving this earth. Again, it’s our own free will and choice as to whether we want to continue allowing these distractions to impact our lives or not. 

Ok so I always find when Jesus is speaking to be rather deep. He speaks in metaphors and parables. I seem to do the same a lot myself. I’m also a visual learner so having a metaphor or parable to visualize really works well for me. So Jesus’ words in the scriptures tend to really speak to me, they move me and I can always picture what He’s saying and understand it.  

Anyway, I find that when Jesus speaks in the Scripture, especially after teaching parables, he would often say something like “anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” And really what He was essentially saying there was that you need spiritual maturity, spiritual discernment to understand what He just said. And that is something I will talk about more as we go through this series to help us all understand how we can better ourselves against these spiritual distractions. 

I really find that to be interesting because I don't think we all realize that we aren't here for a really long time. By the time we all figure it out, we're not here anymore. I think that's the interesting part, because we really spend a lot of time trying to figure things out, especially on the spiritual side. And then about the time we mature into certain areas of our lives, our time here is up. So, you know, Jesus got out there and spent time with the people, he lead them, he talked to them, he preached, evangelized. 

But really, he just taught, you know, that's the word that keeps coming to mind. And he was teaching them, leading them, influencing them as the word we use a lot here in our current society. He was an influencer. He didn't have social media back then, but that's what he was, he was an influencer. And he did it in the ways that he could, which was in person, not on social media, but in person. And thousands and thousands of people came to see him each time he spoke. 

You know, kind of like the Billy Graham days, I guess, the evangelist days of yore. And, people would just flock to hear Billy Graham speak and people would flock to hear a lot of the prophets speak and the disciples even after Jesus ascended to heaven and left the earth. But during the short 33 years of time that Jesus was on the earth he influenced a lot of people and he didn’t take a lot of time to rest either. I mean he really didn’t have that much time to work did he? 

But in that short time he did a really great job. And then he left the work up to his disciples. And btw if you weren’t aware. Jesus didn’t have just twelve disciples. He specifically picked twelve as his core team. That “cabinet” or leadership team as we call it in my profession. But he also had many others that followed him. He had a large organization underneath him. They were all called disciples, they were all eventually called Christians, followers of Christ. But we can get into that at another time. 

So I was reading Luke, chapter 16, and in it, verses 19 through 31, there's the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Such an interesting parable. But, today, specifically, I want to discuss this rich man parable because I felt like in reading it, the rich man can be so many people. 

Here’s how this parable reads from the scripture: 

“Jesus said, ‘there was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man's table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. The rich man shouted, Father Abraham, have some pity. Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I’m in anguish in these flames. But Abraham said to him, Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there's a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there. 

Then the rich man said, please, father Abraham, at least send him to my father's home. I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don't end up in this place of torment. But Abraham said, Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote. The rich man replied, no, Father Abraham. But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God. But Abraham said, if they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't be persuaded, even if someone rises from the dead.’”

What’s the metaphor here? If you have ears, do you hear it? Do you understand what Jesus was telling the crowd then? All of us can be the rich man. We don’t have to be rich by societal standards. But it could be any of us who have had the life that we really kind of wanted. You know, it could be those of us who got the career we set out for or got to marry the partner we wanted or who are living comfortably. Those of us who got to retire, who get to golf every day or go fish or boat on the lake, or we get to shop and just have money in the bank. Those of us who are basically able to do the things that we want to do comfortably and are not necessarily having to live outside the gate begging for scraps from someone 

Any of us who have some comfort in our life could be considered the rich man. We could be rich in our health, rich in our career, rich in our family, rich in our wealth. Where there could be someone else that is not. Someone sitting outside our gate that is begging for scraps. Someone with health issues, someone that is disabled, someone who is lonely, broken hearted, someone with a job loss, or living paycheck to paycheck. 

However, in this particular parable, the rich man and the poor man really represent a spiritual aspect. And I love how in society, we immediately take rich and poor and apply it to worldly things. But God, and in this case, Jesus specifically, was talking about the spiritual aspect. He was applying it in a parable to something we understood to the listeners in the audience he was talking to. But the spiritual side of it is poor man and rich man. 

He was saying rich man, you have everything, but you actually have nothing because you don't believe in Christ. You don't have a relationship with him. The poor man doesn't have anything in the world, but he knows Christ. He loves him. He has a relationship with him. And when everything in this world ends and our life is over and we take none of this worldly stuff with us except our soul. Then that’s what counts. That relationship with Christ. That’s what separates us from the chasm that exists. The chasm that is where the non-believers will dwell. This chasm between Heaven and Hell that Satan will do anything to convince us does not exist. But it does exist. 

And this chasm that's between heaven and hell, we can't cross it. And those who have no relationship with Christ, who don't know him intimately, who have not accepted him, who have not repented, who have not accepted him in their heart and said, I want to know you. Please come and live inside of me. Those people will be just like the rich man in the parable. They will be on the other side of the chasm. They will be in Hell, in anguish, in heat, in flames, asking us, asking Abraham, in Heaven to please send just a drop of water over to them.  

And Abraham is going to say, I'm sorry, I can't help you. Lazarus can't help you. No one can help you. We can't come down there. No one can come down there. No one can cross the chasm.

And then they’ll be saying, tell everyone I love that is still left. Tell them because I don't want them here with me. I love them too much. 

And the last part of this parable just amazes me. Abraham says specifically in verse 31. “If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets they won't be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead” If it’s not obvious to you what this parable is saying then let me tell you now. Moses and the prophets told everyone about God and sin and evil for centuries. Read the Old Testament. We had commandments, we had God Himself speaking directly to His people, we had God choosing our leaders, we had ridiculous miracles. But we also had free will and the Enemy who never sleeps and wants to win against God. You can read how much influence evil had on people in the world and with their free will they chose to give in. But God so loved the world that He gave His only son and when He did that, His command was that we believe He sent His son and that He died for our sins and was raised from the dead and will return one day to send Satan to Hell for all eternity. This is written in the Bible for anyone to read and understand. But like Abraham said in verse 31, “If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.” All that Jesus did to die and be raised from the dead still can't persuade some people because they won't believe it happened. They won't believe that he lived and died for them. They won't believe in the word. The Old and the New Testament created the Bible. 

There are living disciples among us. I am one who says, yes, he is here. Yes, Jesus Christ exists. And the Holy Spirit can dwell within us if we accept Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the gift Jesus gave us as a part of himself when He descended back to Heaven. Again this is all in the Bible. You don’t have to believe anything I tell you. Go read it for yourself in John Chapter 14, starting in verse 15. 

And Christ gives us proof every day that he is here with us. I am just one of millions that have plenty of examples, and I'm living proof. But there will be people who say, no, doesn't happen. And even if someone rises from the dead, it still won't keep them from not believing. And that's a shame. And that is so unfortunate. I am so sad for them. I really am. 

Reading this parable of the rich man, it kind of made me sad because there are so many rich men out there. It wasn't specific to a man by the way, wasn't trying to be discriminatory. I just want so many people to understand that we have the opportunity to be the Lazarus. No, nobody wants to go out there and live by the gate, poor or living without. That’s not what Jesus was trying to convey in this parable either. But when I read this parable, it was really just to say, look, you can have everything in the world and you can be a rich man or woman or non-binary, whatever you want to call yourself. Okay, I'm not being specific about that. And whatever, again, don't care what you want to reference yourself as, but you can be that person and not end up in heaven. 

And personally I don’t want that for anyone. I definitely don’t want that for anyone I love. But honestly I don’t want that for anyone at all. The idea of eternity in anguish, in agony, in misery. That’s not something I would wish on anyone. Even the people I don’t like in this world. I always say that Heaven is big enough for everyone and the people I don’t like can just stay on the other side of it. 

But look, if you or someone you care about end up in hell, God bless you. Understand that no matter how hard you cry or beg, it will be too late then. No one can help you. And you can't ask for help for the people that you love either. Outside of the same help we're already offering now, the same help will be offered to them. But if they don't believe, if they don't listen, then it isn't going to help them either. 

So I’m going to remind you that Satan will do everything He can to manipulate your thoughts and actions, to distract you, to lie to you, to deceive you even. To not tell you this would be a disservice. And if you think this is all crazy talk that’s fine or if you find the one sentence or one comment or one grammatical issue in here that distracts you that’s fine too. But I’ll ask you to let that part go and understand that God has a message for you here and if you’re willing to hear it and let it sink in then He’ll do the hard work and help you understand whatever you need to understand. I just ask that you pray about it, whatever it is that you need. Whether it’s understanding, Wisdom, Discernment, Strength, Protection, whatever it may be.

Now before I close today’s episode I will read from one of David’s Psalms. This is from Psalms Chapter 32, Verses 1, 2, and 5 “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt, I said to myself, 'I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’” 

King David really was a humble man you know. To be a king and one of the mightiest warriors of his time and to also have everything available to him at his reach, but yet he had to problem humbling himself to his true King who was God and to me that is truly admirable. Just something to think about I guess. 

Anyway, I’d like to close today’s episode out in prayer. Dear Lord, we love you. We thank you for giving your son Christ Jesus to all of us. Lord, I ask that you will touch the lives of anyone and everyone who is listening. Thank you for everything that you've done for all of us. Lord, I ask that if there is anyone who is listening, who doesn't know you, that you will be with them, that you will help lead them to you. Lord, I ask that you will be with us as we go about our day. You will give us your strength, your knowledge, your hope, your determination, your wisdom, your guidance. We love you, Lord, and we thank you. In your holy name I pray. Amen. 

Thank you all for joining today. I’m glad you were here. As always just a reminder that God loves you and looks forward to hearing from you. Talk to you again soon, stay safe. Bye everyone!