The Rich Man and the Poor Man

By Dan & Brenda Cathcart

Moed Ministries International

The video version of this teaching is available at:

https://youtu.be/J0xhs4_IrCA

The scripture reading for this teaching is Luke 16:19-31

In Luke’s gospel, chapter 16 verses 19 through 31 we find the puzzling parable of the rich man and Lazarus, a poor man. I suppose no two people could have less in common. While the rich man wore the finest of apparel, the poor man wore rags and suffered from disease with open sores.

Luke 16:19-20 NKJV 19 "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 "But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,

During this trip to Jerusalem following the Feast of Dedication or Hanukkah, Yeshua taught using many difficult parables.  How are we to interpret these difficult to understand words of the Master?  How do we put ourselves in the minds of the disciples and Pharisees of Yeshua’s day to receive His words as they would have?

In this parable of the rich man and Lazarus, we see the genesis of much of the traditional Christian theology regarding heaven and hell; where one goes after he dies; to judgment, torment, or paradise.  The traditional church has, for centuries, espoused a doctrine of Satan as the ruler of an underworld of tormented souls. This imagery permeates our popular culture to this day. The author and Oxford scholar C.S. Lewis used this imagery in his allegorical novel “The Great Divorce” describing hell as a place with “horns, pitchforks, and people sizzling on grids.”  Such imagery is certainly frightening, even to rational adults, but is it accurate?

We at Moed Ministries believe that to properly understand the scriptures, one must understand the times is which it was written and who it was written to.  In other words, linguistic, cultural and historic perspective is critical to understanding the many difficult teaching of the Master Yeshua as well as the rest of the scriptures.

The seventeenth century Christian theologian, Jonathan Lightfoot was perhaps an early example of a Hebrew Roots teacher using this approach to understanding and interpreting scripture. His arguments were that one should not attempt to interpret Yeshua’s words in light of common and accepted Christian theology of the present but strive to understand them as the disciples and Pharisees would have understood them.

There is a treasure of wisdom in Yeshua’s words to His listeners contained in this parable of the rich man and Lazarus from which we can draw many lessons.

The parable goes out of the way to mention the type of clothing the rich man wore, as we saw in verse 19.  The color purple was unusual in the ancient world, usually reserved for royalty because of its expense.  So this would be a very wealth man for the time.  The beggar on the other hand, was obviously very poor and destitute and suffering from a chronic injury or disease.

Luke 16:21 NKJV 21 "desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

The parable jumps ahead quickly and relates that both parties died, both the rich man, and the poor beggar.

Luke 16:22 NKJV 22 "So it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.

These verses provided the early Christian church with an interesting teaching or doctrine; that of a place called “limbus partum”, or in English “Limbo of the Fathers.”  This being what is referred to in the scripture as “Abraham’s Bosom.” The word Bosom here is the Greek word kolpos, #2859 in the Strong’s lexicon meaning a bosom. It implies to be in someone’s embrace or care.  Such as a parent holding a child in their lap.

This Limbus Partum doctrine, which permeates much of Catholicism and many Protestant churches and dates from medieval times, says that it is the place where the Old Testament saints resided prior to being freed by Yeshua at His resurrection.  This interpretation and subsequent doctrine further enhanced replacement theology by allowing the Old Testament righteous men and women of the Bible to have access to the New Testament salvation and at the same time keeping most Jews out of heaven altogether.

Having grown up in mainstream Christianity, the Episcopal church specifically, I remember the words of the “Apostle’s Creed” which supports this doctrine.  It says in part:

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead…” (some translations say descended into hell)

Lightfoot’s premise is essentially correct; we need to understand the words of the Master in the context of first century Judaism.  We need to understand what the terminology that He used, meant to His disciples and to the Pharisees and others present. First Fruits of Zion, in their work “The Chronicles of the Messiah” explain:

“Despite the popularity of the teaching, it has never been an official church doctrine. Nevertheless, it survives in Protestant thought. Christ’s “harrowing of hell” remains a common belief among Catholics and Protestants both… Some explain that the enigmatic resurrection described in Matthew 27:52-53 (where the graves were opened upon Yeshua’s death on the cross) as the transition point at which the souls of those Old Testament saints were released from “Abraham’s Bosom.”[1]

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus acknowledges the existence of man’s immortal soul, a common and basic tenet of Pharisaic theology.  When someone dies, the soul leaves the body and goes to reward or punishment.  In the case of reward, the word used is paradise in our English bibles.  It is derived from a borrowed Persian word, “pardes.”  In both Greek and Hebrew, it means the place of the soul’s reward after death.

Going to Abraham’s Bosom is a Jewish idiomatic term for going to paradise. The parable describes the soul of Lazarus being carried by angels to Abraham’s Bosom.  Rabbinic literature speaks of angels escorting souls of the righteous to paradise.

“When a holy man leaves this world, three companies of angels attend him”[2]

Yeshua’s words in the opening verses of this parable would have been very familiar to His listeners as he spoke these common idioms of first century Judaism.  The paradise to which Lazarus was carried was not understood to be a limbo state of existence. If we understand this then we are better equipped to correctly understand the apostle Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 5:7-8 NKJV 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Also, the words of John in Revelation:

Revelation 6:9-10 NKJV 9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"

As we continue in the parable, verse 23, turns attention to the fate of the rich man.

Luke 16:22b-23 NKJV 22 …The rich man also died and was buried. 23 "And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

The typical Christian concept of hell or hades comes directly from Greek mythology.  FFOZ’s The Chronicles of the Messiah explains:

“One can visit the realm of the dead with Orpheus to discover a place of misery and torment ruled by the despotic Greek god Hades; hence the name.”[3]

Perhaps because of the unfortunate use of the term hades to translate the Hebrew Sheol in the Septuagint, the third century BCE translation of the Hebrew Bible to Greek, the traditional Christian church has had the long-held belief of a kind of kingdom called hell ruled over by Satan.  However, in the Hebrew understanding, the soul’s of the dead go down to Sheol, which is a spiritual place for the disembodied human souls and is a simple Hebraic metaphor for the grave.  Sheol is not hell in the same sense as the Greek hades.  This understanding of the difference between the Greek Hades and the Hebrew Sheol, also helps us better understand the words of Paul and John.

Another Hebrew term that we run across from time to time is Gehenna, which is a transliteration of the Hebrew words gei (gay) and Hinnom.  It literally means “the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom.  The Hinnon Valley in Jerusalem has the same root word origin.  In Rabbinic literature, Gehenna is associated with torment and is referred to as a place in, or a part of Sheol.  At the time of the Judean kings, the Hinnon Valley was a place where apostate Jews who worshiped the pagan god Molech, sacrificed their children. Subsequently, Hinnom Valley became known as a place of torment.

The prophet Jeremiah condemned the practice, saying that one day the valley would be referred to as “the place of slaughter.”  For reasons unclear, the Hinnom Valley took on an association with the netherworld and a place of torment of souls in Hebraic mysticism.

In Pharisaic theology, Gehenna is a place of purgation, very similar to the Catholic concept of purgatory. The apostolic view is that there will be a universal resurrection of all for a final judgement.

Revelation 20:12-13 NKJV 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

Also, in Acts.

Acts 24:15 NKJV 15 "I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.

In the days of Yeshua, the Pharisees taught about these four concepts; the existence of the soul, paradise, Gehenna, and the resurrection of the dead.  The Sadducees on the other hand, believing in only the written Torah, which contains no specific reference to these things. They rejected all four, dismissing them as “traditions of men.”

As we look further in this parable, we see that, although separated by a great impassable chasm, those in Gehenna can see and speak to at least some in paradise.

Luke 16:23-24 NKJV 23 "And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 "Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'

The rich man of this parable appealed to Abraham for mercy and relief from his torment.  In the days of the Master Yeshua, many believed that the merit of Abraham would give them a pass from the torment of Gehenna.  This is reflected in a commentary in the Talmud.

“Rabbi Levi said, “In the hereafter Abraham will sit at the entrance to Gehenna and permit no circumcised Israelite to descend therein.””[4]

Perhaps the rich man of this parable could best be understood as a Sadducee because of the answer given him to his inquiry about warning his five living brothers.

Luke 16:27-29 NKJV 27 "Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, 28 'for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.' 29 "Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'

Very similar to the teaching of the Master, the Pharisees taught that social station and rank will be reversed in the World to Come.  They generally taught that those comfortable in this world would pay in the end if they didn’t act in charity for the benefit of the less fortunate in this world.  As we have seen in pervious studies, some didn’t always practice this concept.

Yeshua wasn’t revealing any great or new divine secrets with this parable.  He was speaking to them in plane, everyday language that they would clearly understand.

All of Yeshua’s teaching contained in this parable were in keeping with the beliefs of traditional Judaism. The late 19^th century Biblical scholar Alfred Edersheim commented on Yeshua’s teachings in this parable.

“For the views held at the time of Christ, what ever these views, Christ did not, at least directly, contradict, or so far as we can infer, intend to correct them.”[5]

This parable of the rich man and Lazarus is more about repentance and the result of repentance than it is about the afterlife.  The rich man had five brothers that he was now concerned about.  Did he care that much about them while he was alive?  Did this rich man speak to his siblings about repentance while he could?

Abraham’s answer to the rich man’s plea was that the brothers have the Torah and the prophets.  If they would obey the Torah and repent, it would keep them out of the predicament this rich man now finds himself.  When that didn’t work, he then implores Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers.

Luke 16:30b-31 NKJV 30 "And he said, …but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 "But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"

These words apply to us and our world today! If we will not listen to Moses and the prophets, how will we listen to the one who comes back from the dead? Or even know who He is?

What do the various elements and characters in this parable illustrate?  How should we interpret them?

The rich man represents the greedy and self-indulgent. The sinful unrepentant person who may even be outwardly religious, but it is not what is in his heart: Lazarus is the poor and afflicted as well as the righteous: Abraham’s Bosom is paradise: Hades is Gehenna: Moses and the prophets are the revelation of scripture: Someone rising from the dead to warn others is an illustration of Yeshua’s own death and resurrection coming in just a few months after this time.

There are a multitude of lessons to be gleaned from this single parable. And we have only scratched the surface. There is the lesson about caring for the poor. Yeshua directed this lesson straight at the Pharisees who practiced a kind of public self-righteousness. Yeshua was telling them that if they wanted to reside in paradise with Abraham, then they needed to humble themselves and be a servant to those less fortunate than themselves, giving of the resources and gifts that God has blessed them with.

The parable also illustrates in a powerful way the principle of inversion. A concept the Master taught on many occasions throughout His earthly ministry; the first shall be last and the last shall be first.  The parable was also directed to the philosophy and doctrines of the Sadducees who, like the rich man’s brothers, had the Torah and the prophets but failed to believe them.  They failed to believe in the eternal soul, reward or punishment in the afterlife, and the resurrection that is sure to come.

This parable teaches us that attaining paradise in the afterlife does not require any new philosophy, religion or theological construct.  The road map to paradise was laid out before them, and it is still valid today; Moses and the prophets. And now augmented by the words of the Master!

The parable also points to Yeshua’s death and resurrection. And the main point of the parable is the same main point of Yeshua’s entire mission; Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!

Study Questions:

1. How does this parable illustrate the idea of 2 tables that we discussed last week?

“A popular rabbinic adage says, ‘Not everyone has the merit of two tables,’ meaning that some who regularly enjoy a full table in this world will not have the same privilege in the kingdom. Yeshua offered His host some advice on how he might procure the privilege of enjoying two tables.”  (quote from last week's teaching)

2. Is it possible to know Yeshua if one does not know Moses and the prophets? (Luke 16:27-29)

3. Do a word study in the 4 Gospels for the places where Yeshua uses the word “hell” (Hades).  What is the context of His usage of this word?  Does Yeshua’s use of the word better fit the Hebrew concept of Sheol or that of the Greek Hades, similar to the Hebrew Gehanna?

4. John in the book of Revelation uses the phrase “Death and Hell” 4 times, (1:18, 6:8, 20:23-24) separating or differentiating between the two terms.  What is the concept that John is trying to communicate to his readers by using the two different words in this manner?

5. What are some of the other parables or teachings of the Master Yeshua where He uses the illustration of a rich man?  How are these similar to the parable of the rich man and Lazarus?  How are they different?

© 2018 Moed Ministries International. All rights reserved

---

[1] FFOZ The Chronicles of the Messiah, D Thomas Lancaster, Vol. 3 P 1087

[2] B. Ketubot 104a

[3] FFOZ, The Chronicles of the Messiah, D. Thomas Lancaster, Vol 4 P1087

[4] Genesis Rabbah 48:8

[5] Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah,(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers) P1061