“A Great Gulf Fixed”
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death he is represented as being carried by the angels into Abraham’s
bosom.
Lazarus represents the suffering poor who believe in Christ. When
the trumpet sounds and all that are in the graves hear Christ’s voice
and come forth, they will receive their reward; for their faith in God
was not a mere theory, but a reality.
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“The rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his
eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in
his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on
me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water,
and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”
In this parable Christ was meeting the people on their own ground.
The doctrine of a conscious state of existence between death and
the resurrection was held by many of those who were listening to
Christ’s words. The Saviour knew of their ideas, and He framed His
parable so as to inculcate important truths through these preconceived
opinions. He held up before His hearers a mirror wherein they might
see themselves in their true relation to God. He used the prevailing
opinion to convey the idea He wished to make prominent to all—that
no man is valued for his possessions; for all he has belongs to him
only as lent by the Lord. A misuse of these gifts will place him below
the poorest and most afflicted man who loves God and trusts in Him.
Christ desires His hearers to understand that it is impossible for
men to secure the salvation of the soul after death. “Son,” Abraham
is represented as answering, “remember that thou in thy lifetime re-
ceivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he
is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us
and you there is a great gulf fixed; so that they which would pass from
hence to you can not; neither can they pass to us, that would come
from thence.” Thus Christ represented the hopelessness of looking for
a second probation. This life is the only time given to man in which to
prepare for eternity.
The rich man had not abandoned the idea that he was a child of
Abraham, and in his distress he is represented as calling upon him
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for aid. “Father Abraham,” he prayed, “have mercy on me.” He did
not pray to God, but to Abraham. Thus he showed that he placed
Abraham above God, and that he relied on his relationship to Abraham
for salvation. The thief on the cross offered his prayer to Christ.