I do not see Jesus condemning the Rich Man, nor does He praise Lazarus.
This satire hit the mark precisely, because the Pharisees seethed with rage against Jesus.
Consider the context, the setting and the audience and you might agree with me.
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I am not disagreeing with you, I was simply adding to what was said. I do however believe that the main point of the story was the gulf between them and that though a man came back from the dead those in the rich mans condition would not listen in life. I really believe that Jesus used the name “Lazarus” in the story because he knew he would be raising Lazarus from the dead soon. A man did come back from the dead but many still did not listen, how sad.
Today many still believe that if you are well off you are favored by God, the Jews in particular widely believe this and teach it.
Thanks. I really do like this story a lot.
Unfortunately many people use this as a pillar to support their belief foundation about death, what happens at death, and the afterlife. They think Jesus parted the veil to show what conditions were like in Hades. Nothing could be further from the truth. He was exposing their teachings, holding them up to ridicule (satire).
There was a great gulf between the rich and the poor and no one could cross over from either side. It has nothing to do with two compartments in Hades, or Abraham’s bosom.
I still want to know why Abraham was on the good side. He should have been on the bad side since he was very rich during his lifetime. Remember, the Pharisees in order to placate the people so they wouldn’t cause trouble, taught that conditions would be reversed in the afterlife. Therefore, they were to be content, enduring the hardships of daily life under Roman occupation, until the great by and by.