Luke 16:19-26

(Luke 16:19-26)

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:  And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: 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. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst 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 cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

 

“There is one rich man.” The rich are Pharisees and scribes. A rich man is a man who is rich because he has a lot of money, but he himself is rich toward the kingdom of God. There is nothing to ask of God. They think they can achieve righteousness by keeping the law, so they are not interested in the kingdom of God. The Pharisees try to exalt their righteousness before the people. 『Purple clothes and fine linen clothes』 Purple clothes represent clothes worn by kings and nobles, but purple color is used in making priestly clothes.

Exodus 28: 2-8절『And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work. It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together. And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 』

The thread that goes into the priest's clothing is the gold blue purple red thread. The meaning of the purple clothes worn by the rich means that they can achieve righteousness by themselves. In Judges 8:26『And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks. 』 We can see that the kings are dressed in purple. In 2 Chronicles 3:14, "And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon. 』In 2 Chronicles 5:12

 『Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) 』

“They enjoy themselves luxuriously every day.” While living their lives every day, the word “luxury” means “clean” other than “luxurious”. The Pharisees claim to be clean to sin because they obey the law. That is why they have no fear of God. Jesus is speaking in parables to the Pharisees and the scribes.

Regarding Abraham's faith, Hebrews 11:17-19 says ``By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. 』It is faith in the promise of God.

Jesus spoke various parables to the Pharisees and the scribes. You are those who have fallen into your own righteousness. Lazarus means those who have received the grace of God. They are sinners like tax collectors. They have realized what sin is and what it means to repent. Sin is that leaving God is sin, repentance turns around, realizing that leaving God is wrong, and crying out to God to return is repentance. So, because sinners like tax collectors repented of their sins, Jesus ate with them. When Jesus ate with them, he saved them.