Ángel
Manuel Rodríguez
Does the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) suggest
that we are not totally unconscious when we die?
Perhaps the basic question is whether this story is
a parable or a historical narrative. If it is historical, then Jesus is describing
what really happened to the rich man and Lazarus after they died. If it is
a parable, we need to look at its purpose.
1. A Historical Event? A reading of the passage
indicates that it is not describing a literal event that took place in the
afterlife. If it was historical, a literal reading would be required; yet a
literal interpretation reveals some serious problems.
First, there is no explicit reference to the soul or the spirit
of Lazarus or the rich man. Those who believe that the story describes
conditions during the intermediate state between death and resurrection
also teach that the soul or the spirit survives after death, but
not the body. But a literal reading of the text clearly indicates
that they were in "hell" (Greek, hades) in bodily
form. Jesus mentioned the rich man's tongue, Lazarus's finger,
and verbal communication. Their eyes
enabled them to see each other. That language and imagery indicate
that we are not dealing here with disembodied spirits.
Second, the place of rest for the saved
is not God's presence but Abraham's bosom, a place of felicity
in Jewish literature; obviously not a literal place. The phrase
was used among Jews to refer to the high privilege of sitting at
the right hand of Abraham.
Third, the parable suggests that the
righteous and the wicked coexist close to each other. If the righteous
were able to see the pain and suffering of the wicked, that would
not lend itself to a universal state of peace and rest.
Fourth, the term hades (hell)
is not used anywhere else in the New Testament as a place of eternal torment,
but simply as the tomb or realm of the dead. Therefore a literal interpretation
of the story would contradict what the Bible teaches elsewhere
on that topic.
Fifth, a literal interpretation also contradicts
the biblical teaching that rewards are given after the second coming of Christ,
and not immediately after a person dies (Matt. 25:31, 32; Rev.22:12).
2. A Parable? It is likely that
Jesus was not discussing the condition of the dead during the intermediate state,
but simply telling a parable. This parable, like all parables, has one of
several purposes. The text itself reveals two main purposes. The
first one provides comfort to the oppressed followers of Christ:
The time is coming when their fortune will be reversed; the wicked
will be humiliated and the righteous will be exalted by God.
The second, and possibly the most important element in the parable,
teaches that our decisions in this life become irrevocable after
we die. There is no such thing as, a purgatory. We must listen
to "Moses and the Prophets" while we are alive. Scripture
is enough to enlighten us concerning God's eternal purpose for
us.
3. Why Did Jesus Choose This Parable? Jesus
told this story as a vehicle to teach His hearers animportant lesson; it
is merely an illustration.
But why would He use a story with such
bad theology? In a sense, what He did here was similar to what He did with the
parable of the unrighteous servant (Luke 16:1-10). There Jesus was not teaching
that the dishonest administration of money is right; He was emphasizing
the importance of placing
our resources at the service of others and of God.
In the parable of the rich man, Jesus was
retelling a story well known by His audience. The background of this parable
was a folk story going back to Egyptian sources. In the Jewish version a contrast
was made between the experience of a poor scholar and a rich publican.
In a dream a friend of the poor scholar saw him enjoying heavenly
bliss in a paradisiacal garden with streams of water, while the
rich man was standing by a stream unable to drink from the water.
Jesus told this fictional story and dramatized it in order to make
His discourse more relevant to His audience. His point: We only
have this life to choose our eternal destiny.
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