In our previous post we took a look at the rich man now let us consider the poor man. There is nothing said about his being a particularly good man a righteous man (there are plenty of poor people who are just as bad if not worse than a lot of rich people), nor is it stated that he prayed a great deal–not a suggestion about his ever praying; in fact nothing is said about his having been a believer at all.

Is it not written that without FAITH it is impossible to please God? That “by grace you are saved through FAITH…” (Eph 2:8).

Merely being good will not save us, “a man is not justified by the works of the law (the deeds of the flesh) but by faith in Jesus Christ…for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. “ (Gal 2:16) We are saved through faith in our redeemers “perfect works” in our behalf.

There is absolutely no mention of Lazarus having this saving faith, no nothing at all; it simply states that He was,

 1) A poor man

 2) He lay at the rich man’s gate

 3) He was full of sores

 4) The dogs came along and licked his sores

 5) He ate of the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table

 6) He was carried by the messengers to Abraham’s bosom.

Is there anything especially good about this?

Was there any reason why he should go to heaven simply because he lay at the gate and was sick and had no money?

Now we begin to see the absurdity in taking a literal approach to this parable.

It would not only imply that faith is not a prerequisite to salvation, to entry into the heavenly kingdom, but that only by being a poor beggar can one enter. That the only individuals to go to Abraham’s bosom would be those who had lain at some rich man’s gate.

Are these the terms upon which you hope to go to heaven; that you do not wear any clean, fine linen and never wear purple, and that you never have plenty to eat?

Do you think your chance to get to heaven is merely if you lie at some rich man’s gate and eat crumbs, and have sores, and have dogs come and lick them? Is that your chance of going to heaven? If so, you will never get to heaven.

But wait there’s more, it states that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom.

According to the literal interpretation Abraham is in heaven, and when the beggar died angels came and carried him to Abraham’s bosom. Is this what you expect is going to happen in your case? Do you expect to be clasps to Abraham’s bosom?

Do the scriptures say that when you die angels come and carry you to heaven, to Abraham’s bosom, I don’t think so?

If the place of favor is Abraham’s bosom; and if the whole statement is literal as you purpose, then the bosom must be literal too, and if so then it would preclude the possibility of anyone else ever being blessed with a similar reward at death, for the reason that there would not be room for more than one sick beggar in Abraham’s bosom. On the other hand, if Abraham’s bosom is understood to be symbolic of heaven, and the beggar representative of those who are qualified for heaven, then the only hope for any of us is in becoming poor beggars full of sores before we die — yes, and having dogs lick our sores.

This is nonsense. In other words, dear friends, it is not a literal statement at all, but is a parable. It is a hyperbolical parable; it is an exaggerated statement in parable form.

In our next post we will consider what the Lord was actually saying in these first four verses of our parable.