Luke 16:22-26 23And it happened that the the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried, 23And in Hades lifting up his eyes, being in torment, he saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 24And crying out he said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am suffering agony in this flame.’ 25But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that your received your good thing in your life you, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are suffering agony. 26And in all these things, between us and you a great chasm is fixed, so that those who want to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’
Verse 22 jumps ahead in time to after the two characters died. Poor Lazarus died and did not get a funeral or memorial but was carried by angels to Abraham’s side. No one cared or even knew that he died, but God did. Abraham’s side represents fellowship in heaven. The idea of heaven is not extensively mentioned in the Old Testament but rather the concept of going to be with the ancestors. Every Jew knew Abraham to be the father of faith. If anyone would be in heaven, it would be Abraham. The rich man was buried, which would suggest he had some kind of funeral and his body place in a tomb. He was given honor and attention in this world, but the rest of the parable gives a different story. Their eternal outcomes were very different.
The story focuses on the situation of the rich man. Hades is the Greek translation in the Septuagint for Sheol, the place of the dead or where the unrighteous go after death. In Greek mythology, Hades represents the underworld where the dead existed. Greeks and Romans thought of it as the place of reward or punishment. The Jews had a similar idea, though their used of the word in the Septuagint can have various nuances. During the Persian period, the idea of reward or punishment developed more. The Pharisees believed this also about Hades. The idea of an eternal hell was present by the first century. The New Testament has these three uses of Hades: as a place of the dead, a place where all the dead go, and a place of eternal punishment. Hades comes to represent death, which is separation from God’s presence and life giving. In this parable, Hades represents the place punishment of those who were wicked and unrighteous in their life on earth.
The pleasant and luxurious life the rich man had was reverse in Hades where he experienced torment. One of the big questions of this parable is whether the following details are meant to be literal or imaginative. Can the dead in Hades actually see people in paradise and talk to one another? The parable teaches that Hades is a place of pain, sorrow, and regret. The story requires that the rich man see Lazarus and Abraham, but whether this is the reality of hell and heaven is another issue that this parable cannot clearly establish. It is better if we simply read the story to get the key points rather than trying to develop a theology of heaven and hell.
The situation of Lazarus was also reversed. The torment he had while on earth is replaced by the joy of fellowship and blessings. Heaven is not specifically mentioned, but it is clear that that is where Lazarus went. He could not get into the rich man’s gate while on earth but the gates of heaven were opened for him. Those who find satisfaction in things of this world will miss out on the joys of heaven, while those who suffer on earth and are faithful will enter the joys of God’s kingdom. The rich man also knew the name of Lazarus, so that implies that he knew Lazarus on earth, saw him in need, and never did anything about it.
The torment of the rich man is highlighted in verse 24 as he cries out to Abraham for mercy. He asks even for a dip of water from Lazarus’ finger. We learn more about Hades and that is a place of a physical-like torment of being thirsty but nothing to quench it, a place of terrible heat but nothing to cool oneself with. Verse 25 gives the bad news that the rich man was experiencing the type of suffering Lazarus had in his earthly life. The rich man knew Abraham to be his ancestral father, and Abraham responds with child. Yet, this earthly relationship could do nothing to change the rich man’s fate. This reversal in this verse expresses one of the key ideas of the parable. Jesus spoke earlier about this reversal in 6:20 and 13:30. Verse 26 shows the permanence of the situation. The wicked are judged and condemned to be separate from the blessings of God’s kingdom. There is no way for them to cross over the great chasm. The parable thus far has emphasized the seriousness of what we do in this lifetime. Our eternal destiny is determined by the choices we make now. The parable gives a strong warning about the dangers of wealth without compassion.
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