The Other Lazarus (Luke 16)

When you hear the name Lazarus, who do you think of? If you are like most people with Bible knowledge, you think of the man in John 11, the friend of Jesus who was raised from the dead. But there is another Lazarus in Scripture. This man was a beggar. He spent much of his life in misery and pain. Yet, despite the hardships of his life, Lazarus was a man of faith. And when he passed from this life, his faith was rewarded with eternal bliss.

Is the story of Lazarus real or is it a parable created by Jesus? Is there really a place called Abraham's bosom? If so, what is the relationship between that place and heaven? Can the damned and the blessed really talk in eternity? The story of Lazarus and the rich man at whose gate Lazarus lives creates as many questions as it answers. But for all of the uncertainty of the story, we should not miss the main point. The main point of the story is that the Scriptures are the most powerful testimony to Jesus that exist.

I have heard Christians say that they wished that we still lived in the age of miracles. They say, "If the sick were healed and the dead were raised, then we would have people believe." But Lazarus' story belies that. The rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead so that his brothers will not have to come to hell. The rich man is sure that a resurrection will convince his brothers to listen to God. But Abraham says the rich man's premise is wrong. Alluding to the future resurrection of Jesus from the dead, Abraham says that even if someone is raised from the dead the faithless will not believe. He also says that Moses and the prophets were a powerful enough witness. In other words, if they don't believe the Bible, they won't believe the miracle.

As Christians, we should never undersell the power of the Scriptures. We may not have the miracles of the early Church. We have something better: the completed Word of God. As Christians, we have to have confidence in God's Word. The best witnessing tool that we have is to put the Bible in the hands of people.