We have seen that in this parable the rich man is a representation of the nation of Israel, who are in the grave among the nations and are suffering a great deal there. But Lazarus, who represents “a foolish and despised people” (Rom. 10:19), shares in the promises made to Abraham.
24 And he cried, and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the end of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
father Abraham
The rich man addresses Abraham as: father Abraham, as the Jewish people often call him (John 8:53). In the following verse, the rich man is described as ‘child of Abraham’.
That the Lord is mocking the Jewish leaders by telling this story is also evident from certain details. For what would be the use of cooling the tongue of someone who is suffering in the flames by dipping a fingertip in water and touching his tongue?
25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you received your good things in your life, and likewise Lazarus your evil things. And now this man is comforted here, and you are in torment.
26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who would cross over from here to you will not be able, and they will not be able to cross from there to us.
a gap
Could this be the reality ‘in heaven’? That is an absurd thought!
The gap speaks of the fate of the rich man and Lazarus, which cannot be bridged by people. That is up to God and He opens eyes and hearts. Israel is now temporarily in disbelief and suffers there, scattered among the nations. God hides His face from them (Deut.32:20-22).
27 But he said: Then I pray you, father, that you send him to my father’s house,
28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place in torment.
Jewish people
The five brothers of the rich man are also a representation of the Jewish people, because Judah had five brothers (Gen.35:23). ‘My father’s house’ that the rich man speaks of is therefore the house of Jacob (=Israel, Gen.35:10).
29 But Abraham said to him, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.
main point
This is the core of the argument and here we find the key to understanding this parable. The Lord points out to the Pharisees and scribes by means of this parable that they did not listen to Moses and the prophets. Because they did not do this, they had a view of the condition of the dead that is not in accordance with what Moses and the prophets say about it.
Is that different now? In Christianity too, people do not acknowledge what the Scripture says about death and therefore they do not recognize this parable as a fictional story invented by the Lord, but they think that this is teaching about the situation in which the dead find themselves.
30 But he said, No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will think.
31 But he said to him, If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone rises from the dead.
not even if someone rises from the dead
The rich man says that if someone were to rise from the dead, it would make them think. But we know someone who was raised from the dead, a certain Lazarus! And the reaction of the leaders to that, is not that they think about it, but that they took counsel to kill Lazarus, because by that many would believe in Jesus (John 12:10-11).
And later they were not convinced by the resurrection of the True Lazarus, the Lord Jesus Christ himself.