Do You See People’s Needs?

KEY VERSE: “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” —Luke 16:31

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Luke 16:19-31

THIS IS ONE parable which Jesus did not explain, so we should not be dogmatic about its meaning, although certain statements in the parable itself serve as dues as to what it teaches.

The Scriptures are explicit that the only ones up to Jesus’ First Advent ‘taught by Moses and the prophets’ were those of the nation of Israel. “You [Israel] only have I known of all the families of the earth,” God said. (Amos 3:2) In this same verse, the Lord explained that because of this he would punish them for all their iniquities.

The ‘rich man’ fared sumptuously every day, we are told. The nation of Israel did have their table laden with the good (symbolic) food furnished by the Law and the prophets. Paul wrote that they had great advantage in every way over the Gentiles, because to them were given the oracles of God.—Rom. 3:2; Heb. 5:12

The purple robe of the rich man represented the royal hopes of the nation; his fine white linen depicted the standing of righteousness the nation enjoyed as a result of the typical sacrifices offered year-by-year for them. While this righteousness was merely typical of the righteousness to be enjoyed by spiritual Israel, those eventually called out through the blood of Christ, nevertheless, it gave them, as a nation, a standing with God not held by other nations.

But the nation of Israel ‘died’ and lost all the rich blessings provided by the Lord. However, individuals comprising the nation continued to live. Because of their loss of God’s exclusive favor as a royal nation, each generation throughout the centuries has suffered, being members of a ‘dead’ nation.

The poor man also ‘died’ to the condition of alienation from God which was held prior to the First Advent of Christ. Beginning shortly after Pentecost, God ‘visited the Gentiles’—by the proclamation of the Gospel to them they were given an opportunity to enter into his favor. This change of position is represented by the beggar being carried into Abraham’s bosom. The believers among them were given the opportunity to embrace the faith of Abraham, that through his seed all the families of the earth were to be blessed.—Gal. 3:8,16,27-29

The exclusive right of becoming the promised seed of Abraham came to an end for Israel as a nation when they were cast off from favor, although individuals from that nation continued to be accepted. The call was then extended to Gentiles, many of whom were already in an attitude of heart to readily accept the Gospel message. The need for preaching the open door of opportunity to Gentiles was deeply felt by Paul and other apostles, and teachers of the Early Church, and, indeed, mighty efforts were made throughout the Gentile world of their day to extend the call to all who had an ear to hear. They were the ‘angels’, or messengers, of the parable who brought the poor man to Abraham’s bosom. The parable strongly implies that an understanding of the Scriptures prepared by Moses and all the prophets, and the New Testament testimony based on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, is the way in this Gospel Age to special covenant favor with God.

The need for proclaiming this “acceptable time” is still apparent, and it is our privilege to promulgate the truth of the Gospel as far and as wide as possible—not with the expectation of worldwide conversion, but as agencies of the Lord for finding those who are being called to the special favor of becoming part of the Abrahamic seed.

When this aspect of God’s plan is complete, the ‘torment’ of the rich man and his brothers will come to an end, as all of the world are called into the true kingdom.

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