~ The Parable of the Ten Virgins ~
"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' " 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'
"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."
Matt. 25:1-13
What's That All About?
This parable is often incorrectly described as having to do with the church, especially by those who insist on clinging to the post-tribulation rapture viewpoint.
Let's apply some standard rules of interpretation to see what it really means.
As for the timing of the event, there's little to debate since it's clearly disclosed. The opening phrase "At that time" refers to several earlier references in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25) all pointing to Matthew 24:29 which says, "Immediately after the distress (tribulation) of those days..."
This verse of course refers to the Great Tribulation, a 3 1/2 year long sequence of judgments begun by the appearance of the "abomination that causes desolation, standing in the Holy Place," commonly thought to be the anti-christ standing in the newly rebuilt Jewish Temple in Israel proclaiming himself to be god as prophesied by Paul in 2 Thes. 2:4.
So the timing of the parable is just after the end of the Great Tribulation, when what's left of the world awaits the appearance of Messiah, the King. But notice, they've been waiting a long time, implying that the story actually began much earlier, and is now concluding.
The parable centers around 10 virgins, or bridesmaids depending on which translation you prefer, awaiting the appearance of a bridegroom. The Greek word is parthenos, which always describes someone who has never had sexual intercourse. The use of the word bridesmaid comes from an attempt by translators to adhere to the context of the story. But in any case, here's where some knowledge of 1st century Jewish wedding traditions comes in handy.
Can I Marry Her?
In those days when a man took a fancy to a young woman, he approached her father to ask for her hand in marriage. A brief negotiation followed where the price he was required to pay as compensation for the family's loss of their daughter was determined. It was called the bride price. If acceptable, and if the daughter agreed to become the man's wife, they were officially betrothed and he went away to build a home for them next to his father's house. This could take some time, and the couple rarely met again until the father of the groom pronounced the newly built home fit for habitation. Only then was the date set, and the man given permission by his father to go collect his bride for the wedding.
During this time the young woman was to watch and wait. She and her bridesmaids were to maintain a constant state of preparedness, since the wedding date would not be known to her until the bridegroom actually appeared. For his part, the groom would usually try to show up unexpectedly to surprise her, carrying her off suddenly "like a thief in the night" when no one would see them. When the bridesmaids discovered the bride had been "snatched away" there would be a great torch-lit procession, announcing to the whole town that the wedding banquet was about to begin. This was typically a seven day celebration during which the bride and groom were hidden away in their private rooms while the whole town made merry. The father of the groom picked up the tab for the festivities.
I Can See Clearly Now
Against the backdrop of this tradition, the meaning becomes clear when we insert the actual characters that those in the parable represent. To do this, we'll rely on the principle , from which we learn that symbolism in scripture tends to be consistent.
For example, whenever yeast is used symbolically it always refers to sin, while symbolic use of the word rock always refers to the Lord, etc. All through the scriptures, whenever the term bridegroom is used symbolically, it always refers to the Lord. And no one argues that the Bride of Christ is uniquely descriptive of the church.
Obviously, the bridesmaids are not the Bride so they can't represent the church. In fact, the Bride is never mentioned anywhere in the parable. She was obviously spirited away earlier while the bridesmaids slept. The bridesmaids represent people on Earth during the Great Tribulation after the church has gone.
Got Oil?
Now it's time for the wedding banquet but some bridesmaids lack sufficient oil to light the way. Asking to borrow some from their friends they're refused, since there might not be enough to go around, and sent off to buy some for themselves. By the time they return, the banquet has already begun, the door is closed and they're refused admission, the bridegroom claiming that he doesn't even know them.
Checking on the symbolic use of oil, we find it refers to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a gift uniquely given to believers at the moment of salvation (Ephe. 1:13). You can't get it for others nor can they give any of theirs to you. Each of us has to receive it by ourselves and for ourselves.
The bridesmaids with oil represent those who will have given their hearts to the Lord during the tribulation period after the Church has gone, while those without it symbolize others who haven't, and only those who have will be invited in.
What's That Supposed To Mean?
So what does the parable mean? First of all, I'm convinced it is not trying to hint at the timing of the Rapture. I believe it's sole purpose is to serve as one of the clearest warnings the Lord ever gave to those He would find still on Earth when He returns, and that's to make sure they're ready to receive Him while there's time.
When the Lord comes back at the End of the Age, He'll find both believers and unbelievers present on Earth.
Having previously spirited His bride (the church) away, He'll now decide who should be allowed to participate in the blessings of His Kingdom using the presence of the Holy Spirit in each one's life as the determining factor. Those in whom the Spirit resides when He returns are invited in but those without it will be excluded.
Because just as importantly, the parable teaches that His return signals the deadline after which even the request to be saved and receive the Holy Spirit will be denied. (The foolish virgins, as the story calls them, were on their way to get oil when the bridegroom arrived.) The door will be closed, and the Lord will deny ever knowing those who've asked too late.
By not deciding for Him, they will have decided against Him and once His return proves them wrong, there'll be no opportunity to change their minds.
For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith (Ephe 2:8) and faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see (Hebr. 11:1).
~ The Parable of the Shrewd Manager ~
Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.'
"The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg-- I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.' "So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'
"Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,' he replied.
"The manager told him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.'
"Then he asked the second, 'And how much do you owe?'
"A thousand bushels of wheat,' he replied.
"He told him, 'Take your bill and make it eight hundred.'
"The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?
"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight."
Luke 16:1-15
A Little Background, Please....
A manager is being fired by his master. Told to bring the books into balance before turning them over for a final accounting, he faces a serious situation. He's too old for manual labor and too proud for welfare, so he asks his master's debtors to come in and review their accounts with him. In private meetings he has the debtors write down their accounts to a more favorable amount. In so doing he earns points with both the debtors and his master.
How could this be?
It was against Mosaic Law for Israelites to charge one another interest on credit extended (Deut. 23:19), but many merchants got around this restriction by overcharging for goods and services, taking excess profits in lieu of interest. (You can see a current example in the auto business. That 0% financing you got is really a loan whose interest is paid by the manufacturer out of excess profits added to the price of vehicles specifically for the purpose of funding such incentives.)
The manager had apparently dealt unfairly with the master's debtors, tacking on excess profits in lieu of interest. From the story, there's no indication the master either instigated or condoned any over charging. Its discovery may even be one of the reasons for the manager's sudden loss of position. Perhaps he was using these add-ons to compensate for the losses of which he was being accused.
Pretty Shrewd, Isn't He?.....
Since the master commended the manager's shrewdness in writing down the accounts, it's hard to imagine he was being cheated in these dealings even though the Lord calls the manager dishonest. More likely, in settling with the debtors the manager was deducting the excess profits he himself had tacked onto their accounts, earning the gratitude of the debtors and the admiration of the master.
If so, his efforts resemble those of today's Orthodox Jews during the 10 Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, frantically going around to right all the wrongs they've committed against others in the preceding 12 months. They're working to retain their place in the Book of Life before it's closed for another year, simultaneously reconciling themselves to their friends and neighbors while getting back into God's Good Graces.
Christians don't need to work to get back into God's Good Graces. Our names cannot be blotted out of the Lamb's Book of Life. But our willingness to ask forgiveness of someone we've wronged is more than an attempt at reconciliation. It's an indication of the contrition in our hearts, a measure of our repentance for the sins we've committed.
Remember the Context....
Don't forget, this parable was given right on the heels of the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Prodigal Lost Son. (COMING NEXT)
In each one the point is the rejoicing that occurs when a sinner repents and asks forgiveness. It pleases the Lord and earns us the Master's commendation.
And the Lord's commentary following this parable sheds even more light. Non-believers are more shrewd in dealing with each other than believers are, He said. They know how to use their position and authority to gain influence so they'll have something to fall back on if they get into a jam. If they do this to help themselves in a worldly context, how much more should we work to gain influence in an eternal one?
Don't misunderstand me. I'm not talking about trying to influence the Lord concerning our salvation. That's a gift, free for the asking, and we've already received it. But just as the shrewd manager worked to gain favor with his master's debtors so they would be more likely to help him out later, there are things we can do to gain influence with other believers, who may then intercede for us in difficult times. Asking their forgiveness is one.
Of course the Lord Jesus is our ultimate intercessor, (Romans 8:34) but it's comforting to know that friends could plead our case.
Let's Talk Money....
And speaking of pleading our case, He also recommends that we use whatever worldly wealth we're given to gain favorable attention there by how we use it here. As one friend of mine has said, "You can't take it with you, but you can send it up ahead."
He was talking about using our wealth in a way that impresses the Lord. Wealth is a gift from God, we're told (Deut. 8:18). Lots of people are smart, well educated and work hard, but the Lord blesses relatively few with wealth. If you're one of them, are you properly thankful? Are you using your wealth to earn honorable mention in the one place where it really counts, Heaven? Are you sharing your wealth with those less fortunate?
Remember, He says, if you can't be trusted with a little (earthly riches) how will you ever be trusted with a lot (eternal riches)? You can't serve two masters, after all. The money will take you in one direction, but God may have another direction in mind.
Which will you follow?
The fact that He was looking right at the Pharisees when He said that shows they hadn't gotten it right where money's concerned.
Money- Money- Money!
God and man are at odds over a lot of things, especially in matters of drive and direction. Man seeks power and position, God desires submission. Man demands his rights and freedoms, God asks him to accept responsibility for his behavior. Man's chief aim is self gain, God wants him to consider the needs of others. Man seeks immediate fulfillment, God is more interested in lasting achievement. Man covets the praise of men where God wants man to desire His approval. Man wants to be served, God wants him to serve others. Man strives to push ahead, God counsels patience. Man wants to lead other men, God wants man to follow Him. Man thrives on competition, God seeks cooperation. Man is after self glorification, God created man to glorify Him. The list goes on.
Perhaps the most dramatic way in which our motives differ from God's is in the area of money. Man's purpose in acquiring money is four-fold; to provide security, establish independence, create power and influence, and most of all to guarantee freedom.
God's four-fold purpose is for provision (to sustain man), direction (to nudge him along the path God has ordained for him), to promote the fellowship of believers (keeping man focused on Him), and to illustrate His power (showing man He's dependable).
It is God who grants man the ability to acquire wealth (Deut. 8:18). He does it to fulfill His purpose, but man with his free agency nearly always uses the wealth he's given to fulfill his own purpose instead, and when he does he discovers he never has enough.
What Religion Are You?.....
It's been said that we become like the God we worship. Actions taken solely in the pursuit of money usually create habits of greed, stinginess, and situational ethics and morality. For example, I've watched businessmen who routinely make millions in a year decline employee requests for raises of 25 cents an hour because "times are tough." 25 cents an hour amounts to $500 in a year, 1/2 of which the employer gets back in the form of reduced taxes.
Is It Worth It?.....
How long do you suppose it will take for a disgruntled employee to cost his boss $500 in reduced productivity or waste or even theft? How much more motivated would an employee be if he or she knew that the likelihood of gaining even a small reward for going the extra mile was great? Would a company full of energized, motivated employees help change tough times into good times? Even generate enough extra income to more than cover their raises? A greedy, stingy boss creates lazy, resentful employees and the tough times get worse.
I've also watched men who already have all the money they can ever use steal nickels and dimes from their customers, their vendors, their employees, and their government, all in the name of profit, just because they can. The cumulative effect of this "nickel and diming" nets them hundreds of thousands but because each individual theft is so small they don't count it as sin. "And besides," they say, "Everybody does it. Its business."
The Joy Of Giving.....
Man's greed is the main reason God instituted the principle of tithing. In the first place, having given man the ability to earn wealth, God reserves for Himself the first fruits, 1/10th of the return. But tithing is the antidote for greed as well. Giving away the Lord's portion of our wealth brings feelings of generosity. "You'll be made rich in every way so you can be generous on every occasion," He told us. (2 Cor. 9:11)
Tithing is also a test of faith. It's the only area in Scripture where God says, "Test Me," encouraging us to make Him prove Himself to us.
And finally tithing is the solution for all our financial problems. "Give me my due," He says, "And see if I don't pour out so much blessing that you will not have room for it." Malachi 3:10
Faith Builders.....
So much of what God taught us through His people was designed to increase our faith. "Let your land lie fallow one year in seven," He said, "And I will make the land yield enough in the sixth year to carry you through the next three." (Lev.25:1-7, 20-22) "In the seventh year, forgive all debts and release all indentured servants." (Deut 15:1-2, 12-15) "Once every fifty years, release all the slaves you've acquired and return all the land you've gained control over to its original owner." (Lev.25:1-13)
Following these faith building principles would have had the additional benefit of eliminating the motivation for most wars in the world, and preventing the oppressive poverty so many endure, by making futile all attempts at empire building.
Through all his instructions to us He says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." (Prov. 3:5-6).
Remember His advice in the Parable of the Shrewd Manager. "Use the wealth and position you've been given to gain favorable attention in Heaven. If you can't be trusted with worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" (Luke 16: 9-11)
Who're You Calling Rich?....
Many of you reading this are wealthy by world standards. If you're an average person living in the USA you're wealthy beyond the wildest dreams of the average non-American.
So don't think the Lord's only talking to Bill Gates, Baron von Rothschild or the Sultan of Brunei about these things. He's talking to you and me as well. Use whatever wealth and position He's given you to earn honorable mention at the seat of His Throne. It will bring you eternal riches.
But you don't even have to wait that long.
Man says, "I'm giving all I can afford." God says, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)
He will never be in your debt, so you can't out give Him.
Repeat After Me, "With the measure I use, it will be measured to me."
Enough Is Enough.....
Now with all the poverty in the world, how can you ever say you've done enough? Well, the Lord has an answer for this, too.
"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him."
1 John 3:17-22
If we obey His commands and do what pleases Him with the money He's given us, one of our rewards, in addition to more money, is a sense of peace about our giving. Because most of the world has rejected God's ways there will always be more need than we can meet, and unless we're clearly called to do so even giving away everything we have will not begin to alleviate it. But if we're paying our tithing and sharing our windfall blessings with Him, we're doing all that's expected, and the peace we feel in our hearts will tell us so.
Abundance Or Scarcity?.....
God is a great believer in the abundance mentality, that there's more than enough to go around. (Don't forget, He controls the riches of the Universe.)
In contrast, many humans subscribe to the scarcity mentality, that in order for one person to get a bigger share, another has to accept a smaller one.
Obviously, our mentality affects our giving. Man says, "I only have so much, and if I give too much of it away, I won't have enough left for myself." God says, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap," and, "You will be made rich in every way so you can be generous on every occasion."
Now let's not confuse this with the "give to get" heresy, where we're admonished to give in order to receive. "If you need a thousand dollars," the TV evangelist says, "Send me a hundred, and the Lord will bless your gift tenfold."
That's the opposite of God's way because it makes greed the motive for giving.
No, the Lord loves a Cheerful Giver, someone who gives because he already has received, and who knows there's plenty more where that came from. The cheerful giver's motive is one of gratitude, not greed. He remembers the promise from Philippians 4:19, "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
Paul was reminding the men of Philippi that God would bless them because of their past generosity toward him. Their "attitude of gratitude" was opening the purse-strings of Heaven as the One Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills repaid their generosity with some of His own.
Why would He do less for us?
~ More Parables ~
~ The Parable of the Lost Sheep ~
Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
~ The Parable of the Lost Coin ~
"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
~ The Parable of the Lost Son ~
Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' "'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
Luke 15:3-32
What's Going On Here?
The Pharisees and Teachers of the Law were muttering among themselves, criticizing the Lord for fraternizing with sinners. They believed that even acknowledging a sinner's presence was wrong, and sharing a meal with a one was a sign of acceptance to be avoided at all costs. Guilt by association, they called it. It's an attitude that's still around. Go bankrupt, get a divorce, or even lose your job and you'll soon find out who your friends are. If you're lucky, one or two will come around. The rest will avoid you like the plague, as if your condition is contagious and they might catch it.
The so-called righteous people of the day placed little or no value on the lives of sinners, believing their behavior had rendered them undeserving of any effort toward reconciliation. So Jesus told them three parables to explain God's view that sinners were actually of more urgent importance to Him than the righteous.
On one occasion He told them that He had come to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), and on another that it was the sick that needed a doctor, not the healthy. "I have not come to call the righteous," He said, " but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:31-32) Now He said, "If you had 100 sheep and one got lost you'd leave the 99 and search for the lost one wouldn't you? And wouldn't you be glad when you found it?"
"And suppose you had 10 coins and lost one? Wouldn't you focus all your efforts on finding it? And when you did wouldn't you celebrate?"
If they felt that way about material possessions that could easily be replaced, how much more important should a human soul be?
To our God each and every life is of infinite value; irreplaceable. He doesn't desire that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) That's why there's more rejoicing in Heaven over redeeming one lost soul than over 99 who never got lost. And that's why every time a sinner repents and receives the Lord the angels in Heaven sing for joy.
By the way, the Bible only mentions five events that cause the angels to sing. One was when God said, "Let there be light," and the Earth came to life. Another was when the Lord Jesus was born, and then there's the arrival of the Church in Heaven, and finally the Lord's defeat of His enemies at the end of the age. That's just four other times in all the history of man. But they get plenty of practice, because the fifth one repeats itself every time one of us comes to the Lord. In His view saving a single life ranks right up there with creating and saving the world.
Here's The Point:
But it's the third parable that must have cut them to the quick, because it highlights the resentment the obedient son felt over the return of the disobedient one.
"The older brother became angry and refused to go in (to the celebration). So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
My guess is that this parable exposed their true motives for ostracizing the sinners among them. They worked hard to keep the Law and took pride in doing a good job. Those who didn't were being disobedient and deserved to be punished. By shunning them the Pharisees were actually helping the Lord mete out the punishment. This made them feel all the better about themselves. Nothing like being on the Lord's side to make one feel righteous.
Then comes this itinerant preacher giving these sinners all kinds of attention and actually making them feel good about themselves, giving them hope, and taking away their motivation to clean up their act. It wasn't fair. The Pharisees worked so hard at being good and these sinners get all the attention. On top of that, the Pharisees labored to earn their ticket to eternity. If the sinners got a free pass, like Jesus seemed to be implying, what kind of example would that set? They were plainly jealous.
And so the Lord softened the blow with the last point in the parable. He had the joyful father say, "My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."
Rewarding sinners doesn't penalize the righteous. The Lord doesn't subscribe to the scarcity mentality that there's only so much to go around and giving to one means taking from another. For everyone who asks will receive, all who seek will find, and to all who knock the door will be opened (Matt 7:7-8).
And Finally ...
It's easy to spot the Pharisees' error. They thought salvation was something they could earn, and by attempting to do so they developed a self-righteous attitude that actually placed them further in their debt of sin. The only difference between the Pharisees and the sinners, is that the sinners knew they needed a Savior. But the Lord's compassion for them, as expressed by the father in the parable to the older son, must have worked. On the Day of Pentecost, the new born church picked up over 3000 members, many of them Pharisees and Teachers of the Law.
The Pharisees were a group from Biblical times, but they're not all dead yet. There's still plenty of that self-righteous "holier than thou" attitude around, and most of us harbor some of it. So next time you feel a little jealous when some undeserving sinner repents and is saved, remember ... this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And in Heaven the angels rejoice.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hall-e-lu-jah...... !
~ The Rich Man & Lazarus ~
The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus is found only in the gospel according to Luke (16:19-31) and is the clearest picture anywhere in Scripture of the afterlife.
Actually the concept of life after death originates in Judaism. Job was the earliest to mention it (Job 19:25-27), but David, Isaiah, Daniel and others also wrote about the life that comes after death as a reward for righteousness. Daniel was the first to clarify that the unrighteous will also rise from the grave, and it's from his explanation (Dan 12:2) that we've come to understand that everyone ever born lives forever. (Bodies are killed or wear out and expire but spirits, the repositories of life, are eternal.)
An angel explained to Daniel that while all rise from the grave, for some the 2nd life brings everlasting reward and for others everlasting shame and contempt. And in Revelation 20 we're told that for the unsaved, their return from the grave is for the purpose of judgment for their behavior while living. John wrote there about the 2nd death, actually a conscious state of eternal and solitary separation from God accompanied by never ending torment, as the outcome of this judgment. Christians think of this as "hell" but as we'll learn from the Rich Man and Lazarus it's really much worse.
What's The Story?
Here's a summary of the story. A rich man lived in the lap of luxury, while a beggar (Lazarus) languished outside his gate hoping for table scraps. In due time they both died. Angels carried Lazarus to "Abraham's side (bosom)" a popular Jewish term in that day for the abode of the dead, also called Paradise. Jesus promised one of the men being crucified with Him that they would meet there before the end of the day. The Hebrew name for this place is Sheol, while the Greeks called it Hades from which the English word Hell is derived. The rich man also went there upon dying, but while Lazarus was being comforted, the rich man was in constant torment. Asking Abraham for relief, he was informed that while they were within sight and speaking distance of each other, they were actually in two different areas and there was no way to cross from one to the other. (Luke 16:19-26)
The rich man then asked Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his brothers, still alive, to change their opinion about the need for a savior (Read Repent and be Saved) so as to avoid coming there, but Abraham refused, saying, "They have Moses and the Prophets (the Bible), let them listen to them." "No", said the rich man, "But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent." Abraham responded, "If they will not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." (Luke 16:27-31)
What's The Point?
And there's the whole point of the story. Three points actually:
The only place to secure your eternal destiny is here on earth before you die. The rich man never asked for a 2nd chance for himself, only that his brothers be warned while they were still living so they could avoid sharing his fate. Having experienced the alternative, there's no way he would have turned down an opportunity to join Abraham and Lazarus if one existed for him. Abraham made it clear that it was impossible to cross from either area to the other. The Bible contains all the facts you need to make an informed decision about eternity and is the Lord's chosen method for bringing His children to Salvation.
Grace Through Faith
Before the cross, those who had died in faith of a coming Savior as the Scriptures taught them went to a temporary place of comfort to rest until in the fullness of time their Redeemer's shed blood finally erased the penalty for their sins. This is the place called Abraham's bosom in the passage.
When Jesus came to Sheol after His death on the cross, he commended them for their faith (1 Ptr. 4:6) and took them to Heaven (Matt 27:52-53). His crucifixion had removed the final obstacle to their entry into God's presence. All who have died in faith since the cross go straight into the Lord's presence (2 Cor 5:7-8) where they await reunion with their resurrection bodies (1 Thes. 4:16). They are the only group of believers more anxious for the Rapture of the Church than we are (Romans 8:18-23).
The unsaved dead will continue to languish with the rich man until the end of the Millennium when they too are raised, judged, and then banished to a place of eternal torment, but this time in utter separation and darkness (Revelation 20:15).
Many in the liberal church, in cults, the New Age and in the Eastern religions speak of another chance to reconcile with God following physical death. Some even promote reincarnation into a series of lives through which people work their way toward perfection, eventually earning their place with God or even becoming a god. The Bible speaks of no such things, teaching instead that "man is destined to die once and after that to face judgment" (Hebr. 9:27). The Lord's own words in the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus confirm this.
Trick Or Treat?
What a great trick of our enemy, persuading supposedly learned theologians to teach their biblically ignorant followers to ignore the clear admonitions of Scripture and seek an alternate way, only to discover after it's too late that they were misled. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it. (Matt 7:13-14). In the context of these 2 verses all are seeking the path to salvation, but only a few find it. Most choose the complex over the simple, the wide over the small, the broad over the narrow.
Here's the simple, small and narrow truth.
God, Who created us, requires us to live by His law. Sin is the violation of God's law and the penalty is death. Because you sin you can't avoid the penalty, but because He loves you so much Jesus offered to die in your place. God agreed to this and has issued you a full pardon. You need only ask to be forgiven of all your sins, past present and future and receive your pardon. When you do your eternal destiny changes from torment to paradise, from separation to union, from death to life.
Period. End of story.
