The Rich Man

Scriptural Text: Luke 16:19-31

(19-21) Here there was a certain rich man who wore the best of clothes and ate well every day. And there was Lazarus, a beggar, who was laid at the rich man’s gate. Laying on the ground, dirty, and full of sores which dogs were licking. Lazarus wanted just the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. He probably saw the rich man eating through an open window or an outside area, and the rich man probably saw Lazarus from those same venues.

Lazarus didn’t want much. He wasn’t desiring a leg of lamb or a slab of ribs. He just wanted the crumbs. He just wanted what he knew the rich man wasn’t going to want for himself. He just wanted the little that he thought he might be able to get with no difficulty. However, Lazarus got more attention from the dogs than from the rich man.

(22) It came to pass Lazarus died and was carried by the angels into Paradise. The rich man also died and was carried by pallbearers to a burial site. Just a reminder here to everyone reading this that one day we are going to die unless we are alive and remain when Christ returns. (Hebrews 9:27, And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment)

So, it doesn’t matter what our status or position is in life, we have an appointment that we are going to keep. There will be no cancelling this appointment.

There will be no telling the death angel that “My people will get together with your people and we’ll schedule a different date.”

(23) And in hell, he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his care. So, there in hell the rich man can see and feel because he was in torments. He was suffering.

It is a fact that multitudes of people put off salvation because they don’t want to suffer. They feel that they would have to suffer if they had to turn away from guilty pleasures, sinful habits, tolerable addictions, and their own selfish ways. Yes, salvation is a suffering way, but the suffering is to acquire gain, not loss for loss’s sake, and with the suffering God provides grace to endure it which is why he said, “Come unto me all ye that labor and I will give you rest.” He wants us to lose the things, to get rest from, that which would hinder our walk with him on the highway to heaven.

(24) The rich man is crying out to Abraham for mercy. He’s crying to receive what he did not give to Lazarus. He’s asking for him to send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool his tongue. That doesn’t seem like much, just a dip of his finger in water. He’s not asking for a water hose, or a bucket of water, or even a glass of water. He just wanted the little that he thought he might be able to get with no difficulty just like Lazarus thought he could get crumbs with no difficulty.

The bible says in Gal 6:7, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” We must be careful how we treat people. We must be careful what we say about people. Good or bad, there’s a price that must be paid for how we treat people. The rich man is still paying that price today.

(25) This scripture reflects that the tables have turned. We see that the rich man, in hell, still possesses his memory. There will be no pleasant memories in hell, only memories of things that caused a person to be there. Memories of being under conviction and saying No to God. Memories of saying, “I’ll do it later when it’s more convenient.” Even though II Cor 6:2, tells us “…behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation.” Memories of making money instead of making time for God.  

(26) Hell is not a time share or an Airbnb, a person isn’t there for a certain period and then leaves. You cannot leave! There is a great gulf fixed. There is no way out. You’ve probably heard where there have been prison breaks every now and then. Hell is one prison where no one ever has, and no one ever will escape.

(27-28) Now the rich man wants to get a prayer up. Now he wants to be compassionate, in this case, towards his five brothers. He doesn’t want his brothers joining him there. Hell dispels the old notion that misery loves company. The only one who delights in souls going to hell is Satan himself.

Being children of God, we implore men and women to avoid that place. (2 Peter 3:9), The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.)

(29-31) Why would they not hear them? I Cor 1:18 says, For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

In conclusion, let’s see what Job had to say in Job 27:19-22:

(19) The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not. (20) Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night. (21) The east wind carrieth him, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place. (22) For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand.

This refers to the rich man, any man, rich in prosperity, and in his own way. Too rich to acknowledge God as the provider of his good fortune and too rich in his own way to follow God. He attributes his skills and possessions to his own making. One day he will lie down and die. He will open his eyes, but he will no longer be on earth. He will suddenly be taken away and no longer be in the place of prominence he once was in. He will then deal with the full wrath of God; he will deal with hell. He would flee if he could but that will be impossible.

Just a few more scriptures, Hebrews 10:28-31:

(28) He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: (29) Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (30) For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, the Lord shall judge his people. (31) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

The bible lets us know in the 6^th chapter of Hebrews that by two immutable things, it is impossible for God to lie, yet people believe God will never punish anyone or send anyone to hell. They go by their own flawed belief and not by the written, infallible word of God.

Reader, hell is a place that you want to avoid at all costs. I have a question for you. Whatever it is that is keeping you from turning your life over to God, if it were in the basement of a building totally engulfed in flames, would you go in after it or let it go? If not, then why would you be willing to go in an unquenchable and never-ending flame for that same whatever? You won’t have it any longer to enjoy or possess. Let it go and let God. Let God give you peace and direction. Let God give you joy unspeakable. Let God give you life in a far more abundant way.

Written under the inspiration of God by Vernon L. Coleman on

November 22, 2022.