Storyteller: The Parables of Jesusනියැදිය

Open Your Eyes (The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus)

Near the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the religious leaders were never far away. They were constantly looking for ways to discredit Him or find something on which they could use to bring a charge against Him.

When Jesus told the Parable of the Dishonest Manager to His disciples, the Pharisees and scribes were within earshot, and because they were “lovers of money,” they looked down their noses at Him, in self-righteous arrogance, and both interrupted and mocked Him.

The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is Jesus’ rebuttal to their reaction to the Parable of the Dishonest Manager.

During this time, there was a common, yet false, belief among the religious that if you were rich, you were blessed by God, and if you were poor, you were cursed and experiencing His retribution for sin. Jesus’ aim was to show how extraordinarily wrong this belief was.

Jesus speaks with ultimate authority about the afterlife, and He does not shy away from the topic. He reveals that both Heaven and Hell are very real destinations, where people will experience eternal joy in God’s presence or unimaginable suffering apart from His presence. As the Son of God and the only One to conquer sin and death, His teachings on our eternal fate are absolute and trustworthy.

While this parable serves as a powerful reminder about the consequences of ignoring those in need and prioritizing self-indulgence over compassion, there is a deeper spiritual failure that Jesus is pointing to.

As the readers, we might initially wonder why the rich man is being condemned, as he is not explicitly called “wicked.” However, the key to his downfall is revealed in his final exchange with Abraham. His request for a messenger to warn his brothers is met with a devastating reply: They have already heard “Moses and the Prophets.” His true failing was not a lack of evidence, but a lifelong, willful rejection of the testimony of Scripture.

The climax of the parable shows how the rich man’s rejection of his neighbor and his needs directly mirror a rejection of the truth of Scripture.

The rich man represents the religious leaders, and Jesus indicts them, explaining how God Himself stands before them in the flesh, and they still refuse to believe in Him.

The evidence of Jesus’ identity is undeniable, and it has so profoundly changed us that we are compelled to share it. With urgency and a deep sense of purpose, we must proclaim this Good News to a world in desperate need, knowing that our time to do so is limited.

We must open our eyes to the hurting sitting right outside our doors!

Prayer

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? (1 John 3:16, ESV)

Jesus, open my eyes to the needs around me, and make me an instrument of Your love and care toward them. Amen.