233 - The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man#
233 - The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Luke 16:19-31
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.’
27 He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! We are Your children, and today we receive Your strength and supply. As a new week begins, may we gain strength from You to live, help us to know You more, carry Your power and authority, live a victorious life that glorifies Your name, and bless every brother and sister who seeks You. May the Holy Spirit renew our thoughts and minds, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
The topic of sharing is: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man
Last time we shared about: The Unjust Steward. This unjust steward was greedy. The parable Jesus told has a specific reference, pointing to the Pharisees who loved money. How does the unjust steward waste his master's possessions? This article has vividly described the wastefulness, but it is also a special article. Many people have never been to hell and are very interested in it: there is an unquenchable fire; what does it feel like to burn? I don't know, and there's really no way to answer that. Only those who have been there can know. There are some strange testimonies; some say they have been to hell, burned, and then returned. Such testimonies can be treated as jokes or miraculous stories.
So far, no one has gone to hell and returned; it is a one-way trip. It is impossible to go and come back; who would want to stay there? As long as there is a way back, you can make them do anything, they will want to go back. Therefore, our choices in this life are very important; once you go, you cannot come back. Those who think they have gone and returned can be treated as a joke.
In this article, Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Many people have debated: should this be interpreted literally or metaphorically? Some Christians believe that Jesus is telling us through this story that when a person dies, there is a form of existence in another world. Others believe that the descriptions of heaven and hell here conflict with other scriptures, saying that Jesus is using a metaphor, like scaring children with a wolf, to tell the disciples to listen to Him. Which do you think is correct? Unfortunately, many people separate this entire chapter from its context. Why do I say that the last sharing and this sharing should be connected?
If it is separated, it is a very dangerous thing. Evangelism becomes particularly easy: Do you believe in Jesus? If not, have you seen that rich man? Even if you have everything in this world, you will burn there forever. People might be scared and say: What should I do? Believe in Jesus... This is not the way Jesus wants us to believe in Him; it is scaring people into belief, which may not be true faith. Many pastors, in order to instill fear of hell, say: This method is good; it can make people believe in Jesus. This method may lead to belief, but it is not necessarily true faith.
In Luke 16, the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus is using a metaphor. Misunderstanding this story can lead you to fear hell, even thinking that if you do not listen to God's words, you will be in great danger. Some people may repent in this way, but this kind of repentance belongs to a Jewish-style repentance. Remember what the rich man said in the end? My lord, no! He did not even believe Abraham's words, stubbornly holding onto his own views. Abraham, my ancestor, if you let Lazarus rise from the dead and go back, my five brothers will see someone who has died and come back to life, and they will surely repent. Can they really repent? Has anyone ever risen from the dead? Did Jesus rise from the dead? He did, but did the Jews repent? No, they did not. So it does not matter whether someone rises from the dead; what matters is whether you are willing to believe God's words. This is what this passage is telling us.
Last time we mentioned the unjust steward, referring to those in service; this is also the case. What God delights in is serving Him in love, absolutely not out of compulsion or fear. How many people serve God out of necessity? Saying, "You have received so much grace; if you do not serve God, how can you face Him? How can you enjoy God's grace every day?" This is a condemning way, as if asking God for something, and we are so unworthy that we must do something for God in return. This is a legalistic condemnation. What can we repay to God? David said, "What shall I return to the Lord for all His goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord." Lifting the cup to continue receiving is the best return to God.
God does not give you a little, and you give Him a little; that is human thinking. Our service is receiving from the Lord and giving out, willing to receive more and give out again. And this kind of service must be motivated by love, absolutely not by fear, "If you do not evangelize, you will be cursed." This is all fear-based service. Some pastors say: If you do not serve God, something will happen to your family next week; just wait and see. This is a fear-based repentance, not true repentance. Only when a person has a correct understanding of God's love and a correct understanding of the Bible can true repentance and faith arise. We need to understand the context of what Jesus said; first, we need to understand who this was said to.
Who is Luke 16 speaking to? Let’s look at verse 14: The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and sneered at Jesus.
Jesus had just finished talking about the unjust steward, saying that you are the unjust steward, wasting the master's possessions. The Pharisees laughed at Jesus, thinking, "What are you talking about?" They looked down on Him, so Jesus told this story to say that if you continue to be unrepentant, there will be a terrible consequence; you can no longer serve God. We need to connect the context; this passage is directed at the Pharisees, to accuse them of loving money and wasting the master's resources.
In Jesus' time, the Pharisees consistently rejected Jesus and His teachings. When Jesus preached, He was very cautious with the Pharisees because there was a group sitting below, looking for any fault, ready to stand up and embarrass Him if He said something wrong. With such people sitting below, Jesus spoke very carefully, and many times He used metaphors.
When speaking to His disciples, it was not like this; sometimes Jesus said: When speaking to you, there is no need for parables; when speaking to them, parables are needed. Using a story to illustrate a point, the Pharisees needed a seeking heart to understand; if they were unwilling, they would say: "It's just a story; what does it matter?" They were always trying to trap and test Jesus. Jesus treated them with wisdom and sincerity, using metaphors even when rebuking them; many times, Jesus' teachings were embodied in metaphors.
Mark 4:33-34
33 Jesus spoke to them with many parables, as much as they could understand. 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
Jesus had many parables in the Gospel of Mark, according to what they could understand. It is not that Jesus could not speak profound wisdom; it is that the recipients had limited capacity and understanding. So He used parables to preach to them; if He did not use parables, He would not speak to them. It is not that Jesus could not preach; it is that for this group of people, this method made them willing to listen. First, the story itself and the message it conveys must be distinguished. It begins by mentioning a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day, and a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores, who was laid at the rich man's gate, longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table, and even the dogs came and licked his sores. This is a stark contrast between two characters.
Our pastor once asked this question: Lazarus and the rich man, who would you like to be? The rich man, that would be great; fire will be your eternal place. At that time, I was young and impulsive, so I stood up and said: While alive, I want to be the rich man; when I die, I want to be like Lazarus, held in Abraham's bosom.” The pastor said: “Sit down, how greedy you are!”
Actually, I know that you all thought the same thing just now; you just didn't dare to say it. I just said it out loud. Many people believe in Jesus for this reason, right? Who believes in Jesus to endure more pain, sickness, and disaster? No one. If you want to endure more pain and disaster, you do not need to believe in Jesus; that is the best path because after death, it is the greatest pain.
The purpose of believing in Jesus is to live better; to put it bluntly, it is to live better in this life and the next. Is this not the truth? In the church, do not be so vague, saying I am not for the earthly, but for the heavenly; would you be willing to have nothing on earth? So this question itself is wrong. This is about service; it is not about entering the kingdom of heaven.
If what God gives us is: Believe in me, and you will have nothing; but if you do not believe in me, you can live like the rich man in this world, and after death, go to hell. We would say: “Lord, this is difficult! There is no way to choose.” Did Jesus give you this choice? Was Abraham wealthy? What is the difference between Abraham and this rich man? In terms of service, Abraham was a generous person; he always thought of others and was willing to welcome those from afar. This is a characteristic of those who believe in the Lord.
This unbelieving rich man wore a purple robe, which was the clothing of those of noble status at that time. When Jesus was humiliated, He was dressed in a purple robe, “My King!” Did they really treat Him as a king? It was a form of humiliation, putting on a purple robe: you probably never wore this in your life. But everyone knows that even if Jesus did not wear that purple robe, He was still a king. You are the same; it does not matter what you do or wear; you are still a child of God.
A rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, this fine linen is also clothing that only very noble people can wear; common people rarely wear such clothing. What was his life like? First, this rich man was well-dressed; secondly, look at this word, living in luxury every day, eating well, and having parties every day. This is enough for life: dressing well, eating well, living well, and having fun; what more could one ask for? I ask you: What more could you want? There is nothing more to ask for; not believing in Jesus is the best, and this is how he lived every day until he died. This is the rich man. Was Abraham wealthy? But he did not live like this. So one wasted the master's resources, while the other correctly used the resources given by the master; can you see the distinction now?
Now look at this rich man; he has lived so well. Why do we say they love money? A person filled with greed absolutely has no compassion because he always thinks it is not enough, wanting more for himself, wanting to enjoy more, and unwilling to give even a little to others, always taking. A clear contrast exists; there is a beggar. Why is this person begging? Because he has nothing; he wears whatever he can find. This is a stark contrast between two extremes. The beggar is named Lazarus; the rich man is so wealthy that God does not even remember his name. Although Lazarus has nothing, God knows his name. As long as you believe in Jesus, even if you have nothing now, God still remembers your name. God does not dislike wealthy people; what God dislikes is those who love money.
Lazarus was covered with sores, begging, without dignity. Does such a person need compassion? The first person who should have compassion on him is that rich man because he has the means. We often tell everyone that if Jesus said: "I have the ability to save you, but I do not want to save you," then we cannot be saved. Now Jesus has the ability, and He is willing to save you. Does this rich man have the ability to save Lazarus? But he is unwilling; Lazarus does not have that treatment. Lazarus was always laid at the rich man's gate, longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table, which proves that this rich man was unwilling to give him even the leftovers. This rich man is such a hard-hearted person that Lazarus can only pick up a little bit of crumbs that fall from the table to fill his hunger, and the dogs come and lick his sores; this is a characteristic of Lazarus.
Here is a metaphor; who does the rich man represent? The greedy Pharisees, because only the Jews call Abraham their ancestor. This rich man eventually died; what did he see when he looked at Abraham? My ancestor... This proves that he is indeed a Jew, a Jew by flesh, and Abraham knows he is his fleshly descendant. However, in terms of spiritual truth, the Jews really do not understand; God has been gracious to them in many ways, but they do not recognize it.
Romans 9:4 says, "Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises."
Did God not prepare blessings for them? He prepared everything for them, meaning that in this world, they are not poor, while Lazarus symbolizes the spiritually poor or the Gentiles. If we compare ourselves spiritually with the Jews, what do we have? Do we have the adoption to sonship? Do we have glory? We have all fallen short of the glory of God. Do we have a covenant with God? No; we are Gentiles. Do we have God's law? No; do we have various rituals? We have nothing to boast about; do we have God's promises? We have none of these.
Spiritually, we are the poor, having nothing. Here, two characters are used: one is a Jew, and the other is a Gentile. The Gentile has nothing, while the Jew has everything. What is God's will? It is not that God looks down on Gentiles; God's will is to first bless the Israelites so that they become a blessing to all nations. Amen! Do you feel that this is a very great truth? First, bless one group, then bless another group. God has long told us that this is how He wants the gospel to be spread to all generations and to the ends of the earth; God made such a promise to Abraham.
Genesis 18:18-19
18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.
God's intention is to first bless Abraham, so that Abraham's entire household is blessed, and then He blesses that household to become a nation that is blessed, and finally, all nations will be blessed through Abraham's family. Is this not God's intention? What did the Israelites do? They received God's blessings, wisdom, covenants, and glory, enjoyed it themselves, and had no concern for the lives of the Gentiles; they even regarded Gentiles as dogs, and the Jews did not share the gospel with Gentiles.
In the past, they had a glorious temple, and Gentiles had no qualification to enter the temple to worship God; this itself was not God's intention. So they were wasting God's resources; Gentiles were starving, including their own countrymen. They were continuously wasting the master's resources, viewing Gentiles as worthless dogs. This metaphor was understood by everyone at that time. When Jesus tested the faith of the Canaanite woman, He quoted such words: "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs..." Jesus, being a Jew, knew how the Jews viewed this woman. Jesus first expressed the Jewish sentiment, and the Jews thought: Yes, Jesus agrees with our view; He is standing in our position.
But Jesus did what the Jews would not do. The woman said, "Lord, even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." Was this woman's faith great? "I do not want to become a Jew; I just want to save my child; just a little of Your grace is enough." If she were a Jew, would they give her anything? "Go away; the further you go, the better." Where is the difference between Jesus and the Jews? He is willing to give; that is the true Jew. Jesus said at that time: "Woman, you have great faith; let it be done for you as you wish." From that moment, her daughter was healed.
Jesus did not insult this woman; would the Jews? They would say: "You, such a person, come to seek my God?" You are not even qualified. The temple had walls, and Gentiles were on the outermost edge, having no qualification to approach that courtyard, let alone knowing what their God was. Jesus came to tear down the dividing wall, allowing us Gentiles to come directly into the Holy of Holies, which was completely impossible in the past. So Jesus is willing to give; the Jews did not want to give. This is our Lord. The wealthy Jews not only did not proclaim the truth but also hoarded it for themselves, wasting the master's resources, becoming gluttonous and drunkards. Before Jesus told the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, He was rebuking the pride within the Pharisees.
He said to the Pharisees: "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God's sight." (16:15)
This passage should not be taken out of context; many people think that God wants us to be poor and lowly. That is not the case; there is context. This is directed at those who justify themselves in the eyes of others. What does it mean to justify oneself? It means he is perfect, he can do anything, he can do everything, only he is loved by God, only he can approach God; these are all self-righteous. The Pharisees were so proud; they expected people to praise them, and they liked the high positions in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets; they always sat there.
But those who truly understand God's grace will not run to these places because they know: God will lift them up. If people lift you up, one day people will pull you down. Think about what Jesus meant by this statement: What people value highly, why do people praise you? If this person does not believe in Jesus, delivering you delicious food every day and doing good deeds for you, is it not for a purpose? Either you have money, or you have power; they must be after something from you. Once they achieve their purpose, will they still care about you?
This is what Jesus meant: What people value highly is detestable in God's sight because it is purposeful. God is not like this; God truly calls us righteous, and He is willing to lift you up. God is not trying to curry favor with you; do not think like that. What can you give God that is good? It is precisely because you believe in Him that He wants to give to you; this is our Lord.
These Pharisees always praised themselves in front of others, boasting about their achievements; these are self-righteous people. Under grace, we must also remember not to fall into this area. Even if your service was very successful in the past, do not keep mentioning it. Even if you bought a watch worth tens of thousands, can you not always show off? This is called self-righteousness because you have nothing to boast about.
What we truly have to boast about is: He is the source of all your blessings. If you put Jesus aside and boast about those things, it is really a pity. The Pharisees are such a pity; they have everything but do not use it, wasting the master's resources. This is very scary; in the end, they became selfish and did not acknowledge Jesus; they did not listen to what Jesus said.
Brothers and sisters, be wise. Be cautious when speaking to a self-righteous person; do not praise them anymore; if you do, they will really fall. These people think too highly of themselves and look down on others. What is the result of the pride of the Jews? Luke 16:22-26, "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried." The positions were reversed; it began by mentioning a rich man, and later a beggar was mentioned; but after they died, Lazarus was in front.
Not long ago, we just talked about how the last will be first, and the first will be last. In this world, you might say: "I have accomplished nothing," but it does not matter; even if you have accomplished nothing, you are ahead in God's eyes, much better than those who do not believe. The rich man also died and was buried, which proves that the treatment at death was different. Was anyone buried with Lazarus? It is not written; we do not know if he was buried, but he certainly would not have been buried like the rich man, who had a grand burial. What more could one ask for in life? If you do not believe in Jesus, being respected while alive and having a grand burial after death is the end.
But this is not the final end; the Bible tells us that he was in torment in Hades, proving that hell indeed exists; it is not a joke, nor is it deceiving us. Is it pleasant in hell? You only need to know that it is a place of suffering; in contrast, heaven is a place without suffering, a place of enjoyment. Always remember: that is our eternal rest.
Many people start enjoying in this world and will enjoy greater blessings in the future; this is somewhat inconsistent with the Bible. Jesus tells us: You can work for six days, and on the seventh day, you can rest. Now we are in the six days, the time for work. Why must we sleep during the time of work? When it is time to work, we should work diligently; otherwise, we will become the one who wastes the master's resources. The time for enjoyment is when we reach heaven; that is eternal rest. Working is not painful; if you consider work to be painful, your faith is wrong. Working is a joyful thing. You will find the difference.
Let me give you an example to help you understand how to work. For instance, both are pruning trees; an old gentleman takes out a very exquisite small pair of scissors and prunes a small tree every day, lost in enjoyment. Another person, using a similar pair of scissors, sweats profusely every day, able to prune thousands of trees in a day, but he complains every day. Why is that? One is enjoying, while the other is working. The old gentleman with the exquisite scissors is appreciating his work, creating a shape with his heart.
But the other person is struggling to survive, barely living. One is in grace, while the other is in law. It is not that God does not bless him; in any profession, diligence is required. Change your perspective on your work; manage it as that old gentleman does. This tree is given to you; the management is in your hands; you can prune it according to your will. If you approach work with this mindset, every day will be joyful.
If you say: "I have to prune trees again," and every day is painful, the difference lies here. So now is the time to work for six days; do not sleep during the day. Proverbs says: "Lazy people, wake up quickly; if you sleep again, poverty will come upon you swiftly." Some people indeed believe in Jesus but live in poverty, not working for years; it is not that God does not give them; they are too lazy; it is really not good. One day in the future, when we go to heaven, will we still work? That is a place of eternal rest and enjoyment. Amen!
Both of them died; Lazarus was in Abraham's bosom. Now who is crying out? All the roles have been reversed. Previously, Lazarus cried out: "Give me something to eat; please help me." The rich man ignored him; now it has turned around. The rich man cried out loudly: "Father Abraham, have mercy on me!" Why does it sound so smooth? It proves that someone had called out to him before, and he had never taken it seriously. Now it comes out of his mouth; is it a bit abnormal? He does not even need to fabricate words, "Have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire."
What is the rich man's life like now? Eternal suffering. Lazarus has not spoken from beginning to end; he is in Abraham's bosom, does he need to speak? No, because he has said too much while alive, so there is no need to speak now. Someone is speaking for him, and he speaks better than you. Perhaps Abraham wants to help him, but Abraham states another fact: "You cannot come to me, nor can I go to you; there is a great chasm fixed between us." This proves that there is no elevator between heaven and hell.
Some religious people say: "If you behave poorly, we will throw you into hell to burn for a while; once you repent, we will bring you to heaven." There is no biblical basis for this. Abraham said: "Between us and you, there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot." After believing in Jesus, can you still run to hell? There is no door. If you reach hell, can you go to heaven? There is no door. Who is that door? Jesus Christ. So there is no door; the rich man was in front while alive, but after death, he went to the back.
In the past, this rich man wore very noble clothing and lived a very refined life, always looking down on others. Now Lazarus is in Abraham's bosom, which is the highest glory because, for the Jews, the one they respect the most is Abraham; he is their ancestor. Without Abraham, they would not exist. Unexpectedly, the Lazarus they looked down upon all along ended up in his bosom; that is the place I always wanted to go, and now it has been taken by Lazarus. Now all positions have been reversed; previously, he was first in everything while alive, but now Lazarus has gone ahead.
Lazarus, in the original meaning, is "God helps." He is a believer. Jesus here tells us about two kinds of people: one is the Jews, and the other is the Gentiles. All Gentiles, although they do not have various rituals and laws, after believing in Jesus, we have God's help. Hallelujah! Our hope is also in God. Although he lives by begging and is covered with sores, remember: this is a metaphor; do not take it to extremes. To enter heaven, do not give up everything and start begging tomorrow, then get sick.
Do not take this to extremes; this is a metaphor. At this time, it must be understood as a metaphor, referring to two kinds of people: one is the Jews, like the Pharisees, and the other is the Gentiles, who have nothing, and the dogs come to lick his sores, proving that people do not have compassion for him, while the dogs help Lazarus. In the eyes of the world, he has nothing, is powerless, and no one sympathizes with him; he is afflicted with diseases and has no value. But God remembers his name; in God's eyes, Lazarus is a treasure.
Do not associate this with other places. Some say: Why is he a treasure if God allows him to live like this? What is being said here is that even if Lazarus has nothing, he is still remembered by God; he is still a treasure in God's eyes. In this world, the Pharisees represent all the wealthy people who love a life of enjoyment, but they have no love or compassion for the poor and their neighbors. There is no sharing to be seen among them; this is a characteristic of being self-centered, which is essentially the "Jacob mentality."
The meaning of Jacob is to grasp, constantly grabbing for oneself, calculating how to bring others' things to oneself, unwilling to give or share at all. In the first half of Jacob's life, he gained nothing. He grasped for himself and ended up with nothing. It was not that his father had no money; he still ended up with nothing. Originally, the two brothers were fine, but he schemed to deceive his brother and father, thinking it was his, and ended up leaving with just a staff, having nothing. When he got to his uncle's house, he still did not change his ways. When he hit a wall, should he not have thought: Did I make a mistake? He thought it was the people around him who wronged him, so he schemed against his uncle, but he met a rival; that uncle was even stingier than him.
So the Bible says: "To the pure, you show yourself pure; but to the crooked, you show yourself shrewd." The meaning is: Do not think about scheming against others; one day you will fall into others' schemes. Did Jacob scheme against his uncle? He had a weakness discovered by his uncle, hitting his weakness, making him work for free for twenty years. How unfortunate! This was Jacob's first half of life, always scheming, and in the end, he really did not achieve anything. Later, when he was willing to give, God changed his name to Israel. After changing his name, he understood the meaning of that name; when he was willing to give, he became prosperous. Let us look at a passage of scripture to see what Jacob became later.
Genesis 47:8-11
8 Pharaoh asked Jacob, "How old are you?" 9 Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my ancestors." 10 Then he blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. 11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed.
Is Jacob now beginning to enjoy blessings? But his enjoyment is not from his own grasping; the blessings he grasped have dwindled during the seven years of famine. Now he enjoys blessings because of his son Joseph. In Genesis, Joseph symbolizes Jesus. Spiritually speaking, if you still rely on your own efforts to grasp, in the end, you will end up like Jacob, with little left during the years of famine. Only by relying on Jesus, when you rely on His son Joseph, will you begin to bless Pharaoh. It is not that he is the richest; it is that his son is the richest. Hallelujah!
Joseph, following Pharaoh's command, why did Pharaoh treat Jacob so kindly? Because of Joseph. Why do people treat you kindly? Because of Jesus, because you have given them Jesus, because you have shared Jesus' love with them. So do not think that you have not given anything and expect people to love you and give you better; it is impossible. It is because Jacob first blessed Pharaoh that from that moment on, Jacob had already changed, becoming someone willing to give. Only then did he realize: My life has been few and difficult because I have been grasping; I have never known what enjoyment is; in the end, I have nothing. Is this not a characteristic of worldly people? They are just grasping, and once the years of famine come, everything they have will be lost.
Some people work hard to earn money, day and night, not knowing to rest while earning. After twenty years of hard work, they indeed earn some money, but a serious illness comes, and everything they earned over twenty years is gone in a few days. What are you striving for? But what does our God say? "I let you enjoy the fruits of your labor." This is the blessing. They cannot enjoy it; in the past, they tightened their belts to work, and in the end, all of it will become someone else's. What benefit is there? God wants to tell you: Do not waste your life on these things; store up treasures in heaven. Do not be like the rich man, always grabbing for yourself; in the end, he also has nothing. So the best way is to receive God's grace, give it out, live it out, and you will store up treasures in heaven.
At that time, Abraham said to the rich man: "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."
Many people interpret this passage, saying: "If you do not suffer in life, how can you enjoy blessings after death?" He hopes that all of us who believe in Jesus will become like Lazarus in life, pitifully seeking a little mercy from the world. Is the world created by God to torment us? No, this world was originally prepared by God for His children. So why has it turned around now? We have become pitiful like the world, hoping the world will give us a little, and they do not even give us that. Because you have God, you do not seek Him, but keep asking others; this is the pitiful part of humanity. Jesus is telling those wealthy people living in the world: You need to have a compassionate heart.
Luke 6:24-25
24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
Many people say: "Look, Jesus said not to be rich, so you should be spiritual and have nothing; you will go hungry if you eat too much; you will mourn and weep if you laugh." What does Jesus really mean by this? Many people do not understand what this passage is saying and misinterpret the Bible: because Jesus wants us to be poor, hungry, and live in pain every day. Many Christians live like this, having nothing and living pitifully. Is this the way God wants us to live?
The meaning of this passage is: "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort," just like that rich man, having no compassion. Everything was given to him by God; he ate and enjoyed it, and in God's eyes, he had nothing. It refers to the fact that you have already received your comfort in this world, and God does not need to comfort you anymore. "Woe to you who are well fed now," refers to the fact that he is full, without an ounce of compassion. So when he is hungry, now is the rich man hungry? Look at his pitiful plea now: "Father Abraham, just send... He does not dare to let Abraham serve him; he just asks Lazarus to dip his finger in a little water to cool his tongue." Does he not dare to ask for service? He is begging at this point; is he not hungry enough?
Let me ask you a question: What is hell? How do we understand this concept? It is a place without any grace; that is hell. Why does Lazarus not worry about having nothing to eat or drink? Because that place is called heaven, where God provides everything; God's grace is abundant there. Hell, on the contrary, is completely empty, without a bit of God's grace. Wanting Lazarus to bring you a little cool water? Sorry, he cannot give it to you anymore. Those who reject the grace of Jesus Christ, why do they go to hell? They have rejected everything God has provided for them; such people are foolish.
"You who laugh now, woe to you," refers to those who, during Jesus' preaching, were mocking others. "Lazarus, your life is so miserable; you really know how to choose a place. We enjoy ourselves every day, and we can see you as a bad omen..." They laughed at him. So Jesus said: "Woe to you who laugh now," not because God curses him, but because God is showing him what the outcome is.
Some say: Why let them live so well in this world? Have a little compassion; because he enjoyed a few decades of good days, can you not let him live a little better? Later, you will have many more days of enjoyment; can you not let him enjoy a little in this life? If he cannot enjoy it in this life, he will suffer eternal pain later; that is not God's doing. You need to have a compassionate heart, seeing others living better than us, bless others, do not envy others, because what you look up to is not what they give you, but what the Lord Jesus gives you. So Lazarus symbolizes those Gentiles who, in the eyes of the Jews, have nothing and are of low status, but in the end, they are in Abraham's bosom. We need to see our current identity; those who hunger and thirst for righteousness among the Gentiles will replace the wealthy and proud Jews. Those Gentiles and sinners whom the Pharisees regarded as dogs will enter the kingdom of heaven by faith.
Matthew 21:31, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you."
It does not mean that these people are of low status; they enter because this group humbly accepted Jesus' grace. At the end of this story, the rich man sees there is no way out, and he wants to drink a little water but has no qualification. So he says, "Then I beg you, take care of my five brothers at home." "Father, since this is the case, please send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. He can warn them so that they will not also come to this place of torment."
The day of rest has come, and the rich man still wants Lazarus to do something. I just said that the heaven we will go to does not require us to work anymore; the time for work is now. Now is the time for evangelism, the time for showing love, the time for showing compassion; it is not about waiting until you get to heaven to do these things; at that time, you will not need to do them. The rich man wants, "You let Lazarus do something." Abraham's point is: Do not think about it; Lazarus is not here to work. If he were to work, he would not come here; if he were to work, he would be back on earth. Coming here means enjoying eternal blessings.
So Abraham said: "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them." When a person dies and enters heaven, can he be brought back to preach the gospel to others? God does not do such things. If a person cannot believe God's words, seeing more miracles will not help. Miracles cannot make a person truly believe in God; a person who is willing to believe in God only needs His words. John the Baptist did not perform any miracles while on earth, but those who sincerely sought him went to John to be baptized, preparing to welcome the coming Jesus. In contrast, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years, seeing miracles every day; did they believe? No, they did not. So they continued to live in pain and a terrible environment.
Abraham said: "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, even if someone rises from the dead, they will not be convinced." Our Lord truly made this happen; He allowed someone to rise from the dead. After Jesus rose, did He preach the gospel to them? For forty days, He explained the matters of the kingdom of heaven to them, but they still did not believe. In the end, those who persecuted Christians were still the Pharisees. Even if someone rises from the dead, what does it matter? They still do not believe, and they even made up a lie, saying someone stole Jesus' body; it was not a resurrection at all. Their hearts had hardened to this extent. So brothers and sisters, do not focus your gaze on people or finances, nor on miracles; just focus on Jesus. He is the source of all your blessings.
If you say: "Lord, I want to be a wealthy person like the rich man." Fine, first prepare your heart, willing to give. Some say: "Once you give me more, I will give out." If you cannot give out when you have little, you will still not give out when you have more. So if you truly want God to bless you this way, to make you a channel of blessing, start learning to give now, and then God will give you more; if you are unwilling to do this, why would God give you anything? God says: "I only give to those who are willing to give out because My intention is for everyone to be blessed and prosperous." Abraham was such a giver; Isaac was also such a giver; only Jacob was not. Among the three generations, Jacob was the most pitiful.
Do not complain about why you live like Lazarus; change your mindset. Do not focus your gaze on that rich man; focus on God, and everything will change for you. Many Christians believe that the story of the rich man and Lazarus is also a revelation of the afterlife. According to their understanding, some people will be thrown into the lake of fire in hell, burned forever, and we can still see it. Clearly, this view is wrong. When we arrive in heaven, we will recognize that our memories of this world still exist. If we come to heaven and can see our ancestors burning in hell, I do not believe you can enjoy peace in heaven. So this is just a metaphor, meant to tell you about two kinds of people and two outcomes. They cannot be mixed; once you believe, your destination is determined.
So do not interpret this passage literally, saying that in the future in heaven, you will see your opponent burning in hell... This proves that there is still hatred in your heart; there are no such things in heaven. These are just metaphors, temporarily telling you that what you do now determines your future rewards. Many people believe in Jesus, thinking that Christians will enter Abraham's bosom after death. But where did Abraham go after he died? He must be waiting...
These are truly metaphors; the space between heaven and hell is not transparent. Using these metaphors is to tell us: As wealthy people, you need to have a compassionate heart to help the weak and needy brothers and sisters. But more importantly, help them know Jesus and rely on Jesus. If we only help them from a human perspective, we may ultimately harm that person, making them greedy.
I have indeed encountered such people in the past. Now, in my WeChat group, I have said that sending donation links is prohibited. It is not that there is no love; it is because some people cannot afford to help. At first, they say how pitiful they are, abandoned, and they have a child and cannot work... Can you give me some money? I will pay you back after I start working. I gave her some money, and three years later, she became more demanding: "Give me some money; if you do not give me money, I will delete you." I directly deleted her. The important thing is to help this person renew their mindset, teaching them to rely on God; otherwise, Lazarus will remain that way for his entire life. We need to help them understand how to know God and rely on God to stand up. Hallelujah! Initially, we do need to help them, but we must tell them the truth.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Thank You for helping us with such words. We are also descendants of Abraham; in Christ, we are also wealthy. Lord Jesus, You wish for us to be prosperous and to enjoy Your grace, to receive Your love, to give out, to receive Your grace and give it out, so that the world can see Your grace through me. May we receive Your strength every day and then live it out. Thank You, Lord! Thank You for giving me abundant grace. May all glory be to You, and grant me wisdom to learn to rely on You. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!