Luke 16:19-31

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I take part in a bible study at work (surprisingly!) during lunch and we were talking about the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man today. Can anyone explain why the Rich Man is denied intercession for his brothers who are still living? Is he banned from heaven compared to Lazarus?

Thanks!
 
I don’t take this passage to mean that the rich man is “banned” from Heaven; rather it is much more difficult for him to give up the world and worldly things in order to follow the Lord to Heaven, because of his *attachment *to those worldly things.
 
I look at it in terms of the rich man having to pay for his selfish treatment of Lazarus who is poor. He has discovered that his material things on earth are meaningless after his physical death and that he will have to pay for the mistreatment of the poor.

Maggie
 
Maggie
I appreciate and understand your point. Is this a state of purgatory for him? I notice a condoscending attitude towards Lazarus as he speaks to Abraham. For this, I figure the Rich man will have to “pay the last penny” before getting out, similar to what is described in Matthew 5:26.
 
Is the rich man in hell?

Is it possible that those in hell are trying to save us from the same fate?

Somehow the thought of those burning in eternal hell-fire feeling compassion for those left behind is incompatible.

Peace in Christ…Salmon
 
Kevin Williams:
I take part in a bible study at work (surprisingly!) during lunch and we were talking about the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man today. Can anyone explain why the Rich Man is denied intercession for his brothers who are still living? Is he banned from heaven compared to Lazarus?

Thanks!
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The point of this is to show that the hard hearts will be convinced by nothing. It also shows that the law and the prophets have prepared the way for Christ; those do not who believe Moses and the Prophets will not be convinced by one “rising from the dead.”

It points to those who will reject Jesus even after the Resurrection.

Interestingly, the “great chasm” placed between Dives and Lazarus is often cited by Protestants as evidence that those in Heaven and “Hades” (which they interpret as Hell, not Purgatory, of course) cannot communicate with one another – despite the fact that here Dives and Abraham are having a friendly little chit-chat, and despite the fact that Abraham says there is no travel between the places, not that there is no communication.
 
mercygate said:
[snip]
The point of this is to show that the hard hearts will be convinced by nothing. It also shows that the law and the prophets have prepared the way for Christ; those do not who believe Moses and the Prophets will not be convinced by one “rising from the dead.”

It points to those who will reject Jesus even after the Resurrection.
Click to expand...

Lovely! Yes. It’s about spiritual blindness; closed minds;
the ‘I don’t think so’ mentality. No amount of evidence
could convince the brothers, so why bother sending someone
to them?

Ultimately, I guess, it becomes about the need for faith.
Some have it; others don’t and never will, no matter what
they are shown or told.

Their position will be: “I don’t believe this because I don’t
understand it.” The point here, of course, is that what such
people overlook is that human beings don’t really understand
anything. I can lift my arm, but there is no-one on earth
who could explain how I am able to do such a thing.

EVERYTHING is miraculous. So in fact it makes far more
sense to say: “I believe this because I don’t understand it.”
But for this to happen, faith is required. And faith is
what the brothers don’t have.
 
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