Luke 16:27 Commentary and Bible Study

Another thought comes to the rich man. ‘I have brothers who like me do not believe in God; I know that perfectly well. They too have never taken these things seriously. They do not worship, or study the Scripture to find out more about God and how to find him, or if they do it means nothing to them. Their minds are taken up entirely with earthly things, just as mine was. They are going to come to this place like me. I know how hard their hearts are. They have heard this message, and dismissed it as something of no interest to them. While I was alive I did the same. What can be done to put faith into their hearts, to cause them to take this seriously? Perhaps a shock will do it. Perhaps a supernatural appearance will do it. Let Lazarus go to them and tell them I am here, and my life of unbelief has come to this terrible conclusion.’ The rich man is in hell, and he seems to be saying something sympathetic for others, for his brothers. ‘I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: ²⁸ For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ What moves him to say this? Various suggestions have been made. Some feel that it is impossible that a man in hell has real compassion towards his brothers, and that it is fear of them being with him that troubles him. Perhaps he remembers how he encouraged their godlessness and unbelief when he was alive, and wants to try to avert the harm his influence had on them. If they too arrive in this terrible place, he will spend eternity with them and never be away from their accusing presence. He doesn't want them to make matters worse in this place because that's the trouble with hell. It's a place of where even the shreds of human decency have been removed. On earth we have some reason to try to maintain some remnant of human social cohesion, however insincere. But in hell, that is gone, and raw animosity will be evident. It is a place of hostility and hopelessness, remorse, bitterness, and punishment forever. In the world we have seen human beings at their very, very worst, but that is going to be their best, when they come to this terrible place away from the presence of God.The rich man knows he cannot leave this place to go back into the world and warn his brothers. He does not know, but he thinks perhaps Lazarus could go. He believes he can improve on God’s method, and design something that will wake his brothers out of their unbelief. He does not know the true nature of their unbelief, or his own. In saying this, he is almost blaming God for not making it clear enough to him what was coming next if he did not repent. He thinks he would have responded better to the gospel if he had been given a clear warning.