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APRIL 22
or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the
other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of
money, also heard all these things, and they 16:31 neither will they be persuaded. This
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derided Him. And He said to them, “You are speaks powerfully of the singular sufficiency
those who justify yourselves before men, but of Scripture to overcome unbelief.The gospel
God knows your hearts. For what is highly itself is the power of God unto salvation (Rom.
esteemed among men is an abomination in the 1:16). Since unbelief is at heart a moral rather
sight of God. than an intellectual problem, no amount of
16 “The law and the prophets were until John. evidences will ever turn unbelief to faith. But
Since that time the kingdom of God has been the revealed Word of God has inherent power
preached, and everyone is pressing into it. to do so (see John 6:63; Heb. 4:12; James 1:18;
17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass 1 Pet. 1:23).
away than for one tittle of the law to fail.
18 “Whoever divorces his wife and marries
another commits adultery; and whoever mar- 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in
ries her who is divorced from her husband your lifetime you received your good things,
commits adultery. and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is
19 “There was a certain rich man who was comforted and you are tormented. And
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clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sump- besides all this, between us and you there is a
tuously every day. But there was a certain beg- great gulf fixed, so that those who want to
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gar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at pass from here to you cannot, nor can those
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his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs from there pass to us.’
which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover 27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father,
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the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that you would send him to my father’s house,
that the beggar died, and was carried by the 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to
angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also them, lest they also come to this place of tor-
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died and was buried. And being in torments in ment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Mo-
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Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham ses and the prophets; let them hear them.’
afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one
24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Mo-
may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool ses and the prophets, neither will they be per-
my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ suaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”
DAY 22:Why would the parable of the rich man scandalize the Pharisees?
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31) was employed in the same fashion
as all Christ’s parables,to teach a lesson,in this case for the benefit of the Pharisees.The mention of
table scraps, sores, and dogs all made this poor man appear odious in the eyes of the Pharisees (v.
21).They were inclined to see all such things as proof of divine disfavor.
The idea was that Lazarus was given a place of high honor, reclining next to Abraham at the
heavenly banquet,“Abraham’s bosom” (v. 22). This same expression (found only here in Scripture)
was used in the Talmud as a figure for heaven.Yet the rich man was “in Hades”(v.23).The suggestion
that a rich man would be excluded from heaven would have scandalized the Pharisees. Especially
galling was the idea that a beggar who ate scraps from his table was granted the place of honor
next to Abraham.
“Hades”was the Greek term for the abode of the dead.In the Greek Old Testament,it was used to
translate the Hebrew Sheol, which referred to the realm of the dead in general,without necessarily dis-
tinguishing between righteous or unrighteous souls. However, in New Testament usage, “Hades”
always refers to the place of the wicked prior to final judgment in hell.The imagery Jesus used fit
the erroneous common rabbinical idea that Sheol had two parts,one for the souls of the righteous
and the other for the souls of the wicked—separated by an impassable gulf. But there is no reason
to suppose, as some do, that “Abraham’s bosom” spoke of a temporary prison for the souls of Old
Testament saints, who were brought to heaven only after He had actually atoned for their sins.
Scripture consistently teaches that the spirits of the righteous dead go immediately into the presence
of God (see 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23). And the presence of Moses and Elijah on the Mount of
Transfiguration (9:30) belies the notion that they were confined in a compartment of Sheol until
Christ finished His work.

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