IF I WERE A RICH MAN
John Stone
The
tale of the beggar and rich man told in Luke (16:22-29) is a just a bedtime
story ― another Christian fairytale. It is a tale about conversations among
dead people. Conveniently for the Christian bible there were no eye witnesses
who came back from the dead to tell this tale. So what is the moral of this
story?
First,
let us consider how Luke learned this story; from where did he get the “quotes”
which he relates as FACT straight from the mouth of Jesus? I only echo the
Christian claim that the New Testament is a product of the holy ghost’s
inspirational guidance of unknown gospel authors, written “who−knows–when.”
However, we do know that Luke did not hear this story from Jesus, since he
never met Jesus; never talked with him. Just about all that Luke wrote came
from Paul, who also never met Jesus. Luke, like Paul, wrote whatever he wished;
knowing, that at his time, no one could challenge him for the source, authority
or validity.
So
here is the story of the beggar and rich man:
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, (Greek Hades) where he was in torment, he
looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he
called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip
of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in
this fire.’
But Abraham
replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a
great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you
cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my
father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will
not also come to this place of torment.’
Abraham
replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’“ (Luke 16:22-29 New International Version NIV)
An
interesting note is found in the NIV
Study Bible where theologians imply that this story is not a parable.
“This is not the Lazarus Jesus raised from
the dead (as only told in John 11:43-44)”…”IF this is a parable, it is the ONLY one in which Jesus gave a name to one of the
characters.”
Therefore,
one must conclude that Luke (16:22-29) thinks he is describing real events since
Jesus, via Luke (whom he never met), gives us the beggar’s name ―
Lazarus.
Continuing the story, one realizes that Luke clearly
conveys the standard Christian threat of Hell-fire and Damnation ― Fire
and Brimstone. These are the weapons clergy use to keep their blind-faith
subjects in line and the donations flowing. In other words, FEAR TACTICS!
After
all is said and done, what is the moral of this story? Rich is bad! Poor is
good? Yep!
What
was the rich man’s problem which cast him into the Christian hell? According to
Jesus via Luke, it was only because he “received good things” in “his
lifetime.” Good things equals “rich?” It must be so, because Luke gives
no other pertinent information about him.
And
the hero in the story, what qualified him for a heavenly condo ― only
because he was a beggar? Yep!
Jesus,
via Luke, gives the beggar a name while the unfortunate rich man remains
unknown! So, we learn that being rich does not justify a name; remember the
Christian lesson here; “Rich” is bad ― “Poor” is good. Again, Luke (who
never met Jesus) is claiming that Jesus told this tale; that rich is bad and
poor is good! That is Jesus’ inescapable message here in these scriptures
(Luke 16:22-29).
Ah,
but the Christian Bible has already tried this tactic twice before ― Rich
is bad! Poor is good!
“Again I tell you, it is easier for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than
for a rich man to enter the
And then, as if the message is not clear enough, Luke tell us
again ― two chapters later:
“Indeed, it is easier for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
So,
what have the faithful bible believers learned from Jesus’ (Luke’s) story? What
is the moral that Matthew, Mark and Luke have all conveyed from their holy
ghost inspiration of Jesus’ teachings? Rich is bad! Poor is good! Right? Yep!
But is this true? Is “rich=
bad ― Poor=good” what god, the "Invisible
Man in the Sky" thinks? NO, not according to the Hebrew bible's god
(Hashem, Adonai etc), El, Elohim, YHWH et al) !
Well then, what has god revealed in the Old Testament or Hebrew bible?
Let’s read and learn.
Religiholics assumes that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will
all be in a heavenly kingdom ― condo in the sky. Were they
poor?
Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver
and gold. (Genesis
13:2 KJ)
Abram wasn’t just wealthy he was “very wealthy.”
Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year
reaped a hundredfold, because the L-RD blessed him. The man became rich, and
his wealth continued to grow until he became very
wealthy. He had so many
flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. (Genesis 26:12-14)
Concerning Jacob we learn:
Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has
taken everything our father owned and has gained all
this wealth from what belonged to
our father.” (Genesis 31:1)
Surely all the
wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God
has told you.” (Genesis 31:16)
You may say to yourself, “My power and the
strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”
But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who
gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his
covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. (Deuteronomy 8:17-18)
Did the Jewish "Invisible Man in the Sky" forget what
(s)he/it had disclosed in Old Testament/Hebrew bible? Torah Was Jewish
"Invisible Man in the Sky" so double minded that (s)he/it would give
people the ability to produce wealth and then say, because of it, that
they cannot have a condo in the sky.
Maybe now this story in Luke will help you see that the so-called holy
ghost inspired Christian bible is only fiction.
"Animals do not have gods, they are smarter
than that." -Ronnie Snow
DISCLAIMER:
Citation of Hebrew scripture and
sources in articles or analyses is not in any way an acceptance, approval or
validation of the Jewish religion, its works or scriptures. The Hebrew bible, like the Christian New Testament and Muslim
Qur’an, is fictitious. From a 6-day
creation of the universe; a cunning, walking, talking snake; big fish tales;
world flood and an "Invisible Man in the Sky" ― it is all
fiction, a bold sham perpetrated on mankind.
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