Is Lazarus and the Rich Man a Parable?

Lazarus, the Rich Man, and Whether This Is a Parable

Welcome back to coffee with a Calvinist. My name is Keith Foskey and I am a Calvinist. How would you like the opportunity to win a brand new MacArthur study Bible? Well, if you're interested at the end of the episode I'm going to tell you how you can win by watching our videos this week on coffee with a Calvinist.

All right. Let's get on with the episode. Welcome back to coffee with a Calvinist. My name is Keith Foskey and I am a Calvinist. This is your daily Bible study to accompany your morning coffee. If you want to open your Bibles with me today We're going to be turning our attention to Luke chapter 16 and we're going to focus our attention on verses 19 through the end of the chapter.

This is one of the most interesting and I would say sometimes one of the most perplexing of The stories that Jesus told and oftentimes when we talk about the stories that Jesus told we talk we call them parables but I have a difficult time calling this one a parable because I'm not sure if this really is a parable, even though in some of your Bibles it will be the the text heading will say the parable of the rich man and Lazarus however, I am of the mind that this may not be a parable at all, but that this may actually be an Account of something that actually happened.

The Rich Man and Lazarus as a Real Event

So if we begin at verse 19, it says there was a rich man who was clothed in fine.

Excuse me.

Who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus covered with sores who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table.

Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores now right away. It's got sort of some of the some of the Qualities of a parable. It's got two people. They are obviously representing two different groups of people the the rich man.

Representing the one who doesn't care about others only cares about himself. Certainly representing those who are who are rich in the worldly goods and of course the poor man representing those who are poor and who don't have anything and who are Essentially being unjustly treated by the rich because he's begging and the rich man is not willing to help him in his destitution.

However, the one thing that stands out to me and to many commentators is that his name is mentioned. This is not something that we typically see in a parable such as the parable of the prodigal son. There's no name mentioned there.

If you go to the parable of the Good Samaritan, he's only called the The Samaritan. He's not given a proper name.

Also.

This particular story if you will bears out many things again that that are not necessarily Something that we would find within a parable parables are our tales that are that are intended to teach moral lessons.

But this particular one seems much more like a warning Than necessarily a parable because it tells about a man who dies and goes to hell and It tells about him being in torment now not to get into eschatology too much because we don't have time today.

But ultimately the question of is this hell or is this Hades? How do we understand the distinction between the lake of fire the final place of the damned and the Temporary place of the damned is there such a place and how do we understand it?

Ultimately, here's my position and this is not what I'm arguing today. But just to explain I do believe when people die that their souls leave their bodies. That their souls either are with the Lord or they are in a temporary place of judgment where they will then later Be poured out into the lake of fire for final judgment.

And so there's a lot more that can be said about that. But but again, I do believe this is a real place. I do believe people really go there when they die. I think a person either goes and is with the Lord or a person goes Into the place of torment where they are awaiting final judgment.

Either way the point I want to make about this is This man in this situation He is still there if this Story is not just a parable. But if this is a story about a man named Lazarus a poor man who went and was comforted in Abraham's bosom Which is the place sometimes referred to as paradise?

Then that man is still being comforted to this day. He is still awaiting his glorified body and he is there because of grace alone through faith alone. That's why he's there. Even though that's not mentioned in this text.

We know that based on other scriptures No one got there simply by being poor. No one got there simply by being Having a difficult life. No one goes to heaven for any of those reasons the only reason why anyone goes to heaven is because they believe in the promises of God and Ultimately, they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is no one who goes to heaven simply because they're poor or because they had a bad life. And that's certainly not something we should draw from this text. But the the rich man Who did not show concern for his neighbor is a demonstration of a person whose heart has not been changed and in this?

Story.

He goes to a horrible place of torment where it tells us that he was being tormented in flames he wanted something to drink and He was so miserable that he wanted even for a drip of water to cool his tongue.

And he doesn't get it. And again, he's still there. I can't stress that enough. The people that have entered into eternal perdition. It is Eternal they do not blink out of existence. They don't go away.

Some people believe in that it's called the doctrine of Annihilationism. The Bible does not provide any sense. Where we can hold on to some kind of hope that people in hell will one day get vanished from existence.

I know some very good men have believed that and I understand the desire to believe that because it sort of alleviates the The idea that there's going to be eternal conscious torment. However, that is what the Bible teaches.

The Bible teaches that for those who are who continue in their sin. For those who do not repent who do not believe in the promises of God who do not trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who do not who do not repent of their sins that they will experience eternal conscious torment.

It's a horrible thing to consider that anyone would go there even more so that many people will go there. But that is what the Bible teaches. And so again, let me just remind you he's still there. Again, if this story is true, and I believe that it is again.

I don't believe this is a parable. I believe this is an actual event that happened to an actual person and He's still There his tongue is still parched and it will be forever. It's a horrible thing to consider.

But here's the thing that I want you to consider from this today you who are watching this are still alive and therefore you have not entered into eternal punishment and Therefore the Bible says that you still have an opportunity to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ today.

Today is the day of salvation you say but wait a minute. You're a Calvinist. You don't believe that I have an opportunity you believe in election. Yes, I do believe in election because here's what I believe and this is what the Bible teaches that until God so opened your heart.

You will continue to reject the gracious offer of the gospel. So here is my call to you because this is all I can do. I can call to you and I can say if you Have not believed in the Lord Jesus Christ repent and trust in him because it's the only way that you're going to be saved.

It's the only way for you to be saved the Bible. Jesus said that himself. He said I am the way and the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through me. So therefore if you're looking for another way if you're looking for your own righteousness.

Not going to happen if you're looking for another Savior not going to happen. There's only one name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved and it's the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. So my encouragement to you today is repent of your sin and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

And I say that knowing that you cannot do that because of your sin unless the Lord so opened your heart. So I'm going to pray that the Lord will open your heart today that you will believe if you haven't already if you are a believer.

Then you have a wonderful thing to look forward to and that's what I'm going to finish with today the wonderful thing that we have. To look forward to going back to Luke 19. I want you to notice something.

It says the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side if You're a believer when you die. Your death will be comforting but notice what it says in the very next sentence. It says but the rich man also died and was buried and in Hades or hell being in torment he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off you see.

The rich man did not have an angelic escort the rich man did not have a comforting death. The rich man Died closed his eyes here and he opened his eyes in hell. Is that frightening. It should be because it's real.

It's a reality. Remember this if you remember nothing else from today's episode. He's still there. And he will be until he is poured into the lake of fire where he will be forever. He will never not experience torment.

It's a frightening thing. But it's a real thing and the only escape is through the Lord Jesus Christ who came to save sinners. So my encouragement to you is repent of your sin and trust in Jesus for he is a greater Savior Than you are a sinner.

I hope today's episode has been Encouraging and more importantly. I hope today's episode has been a challenge to you. If you've never believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. Today is the day of salvation. I hope this has been an encouragement.

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