Luke 16:19-31
16:19 | The rich man’s purple clothing was probably imported and colored with an expensive Tyrian dye, selling for about 15 dollars per pound. He also ate well; the word translated sumptuously comes from a Greek term that means “brilliantly.”
16:20-21 | Are the two men in tis story real, or is the story a parable? If a parable, then it is the only one Jesus told in which one of the characters had a name, Lazarus (Heb., “God is My Help”). The text says that Lazarus was laid at the rich man’s gate, but the Greek term conveys far more intensity, literally meaning that he was “thrown down” at the gate, an then go on their way. Despite his terrible circumstances, this poor beggar trusted in God.
16:22 | This verse employs a common euphemism for death: “The angels took him.” Like the beggar Lazarus, every believer will be carried by heavenly angels to the bosom of Abraham.
16:22 | As a poor Jew, Lazarus would not have been buried in a tomb. He may have been placed in the potter’s field – land often used to bury castaways. More likely, Lazarus was not buried at all but taken to the edge of the city and thrown on the dung heap of Gehenna, where the garbage of the city burned. By contrast, the rich man, with all of his wealth, probably had a magnificent funeral.
16:23 | The Bible clearly states that all people, created in the image of the eternal God, will be alive somewhere forever – either in the presence of Almighty God, enjoying endless fellowship with Him, or in the torment of hell. Those are the only two possibilities.
16:25-26 | On earth, perhaps less than 20 yards stood between these two men – one at the gate and the other inside the mansion – yet in eternity, the two were separated by a great, impassable gulf.
16:26 | People do not get a second chance after death (Heb. 9:27). Humans have one precious life – a wonderful stewardship bestowed by God.
16:27-31 | Jesus’ primary objective in this story was not to teach the details of the afterlife but to expose how the Pharisees were misusing the life they already had – an ostentatious, outward religion that held no lasting, inward reality. The rich man, selfish and oblivious, sinned when he looked at Lazarus and felt no pity in his heart.