Finally, the geography of the afterlife is rather strange as well. In fact, everyone seems to be fully conscious and awake already. For example, according to Daniel 12, at the time of the end, “many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Yet, in Jesus’ parable, no one appears to be sleeping as they await the promise of a future resurrection. There are other difficulties with this story as well. If this is the case, however, how is it that the same Abraham can say to the rich man in this parable that, since he had received so many good things during his lifetime in contrast to Lazarus, that it is only fair for everything to be reversed in the afterlife? If Genesis 13:2 describes Abraham as “a very rich and wealthy man” during his lifetime, shouldn’t he also be forced to suffer with the rich man of Jesus’ parable? No wonder he was formally received by kings whenever he entered a new country. Indeed, as you make your way in to Genesis 14, you also discover that Abraham is not only wealthy, but he also happens to be the leader of a small army of 318 trained men. Verse 2 tells us that he was “very rich in livestock, silver, and gold” and that his possessions were so great, that “he wasn’t able to stay together with his cousin Lot as they entered the promised land because the land could not support both of them with all their flocks, herds and tents” (Gen 13:6). The odd thing about this way of framing the story, however, is that, in Genesis 13, Abraham is described as a wealthy man. For example, in verse 25, Abraham says to the rich man, “Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.” The poor man’s name is Lazarus and, as you make your way into the story, it almost appears as if the rich man ends up suffering in the afterlife because of his great wealth and that the poor man is comforted at Abraham’s side because of his poverty. In Luke 16, Jesus tells a fascinating story about two contrasting characters: one who lives in luxury, and the other who lives in extreme poverty and, unlike all the other parables Jesus tells, in this particular narrative, one of the characters is actually given a name.

Bible story lazarus and the rich man