What does Luke 16:25 mean?
Jesus is telling a story about a rich man who died and went into eternal torment, and a beggar, Lazarus, who died and was greeted in paradise by Abraham. In life, the rich man wore fine, expensive clothing; Lazarus was covered in open sores. The rich man dined lavishly every day; Lazarus craved the crumbs that fell from his table (Luke 16:19–22).Now, the rich man is surrounded by flames. He can look up and see Abraham and Lazarus. He asks Abraham to send Lazarus down with just a bit of water to relieve his painful tongue (Luke 16:23–24). This is the start of Abraham's response.
First, Abraham points out that the reversal of fortunes experienced by the rich man and Lazarus is a kind of justice. Why didn't the rich man worry about Lazarus' suffering on earth? He couldn't walk to his own gate to give a starving man food, but he wants that same poor man to cross the boundaries of the afterlife just to ease his own suffering. Whether the man wants it or not, Abraham says it is not possible for Lazarus to go to Hades. The two are completely and permanently separated (Luke 16:26).
The theme of this chapter is that what people do with their money reflects their relationship with God. Those who trust God with their well-being (Luke 12:22–31) and obey Him by loving others with their resources demonstrate they are true believers. Those who jealously hold on to their money or spend it on a luxurious lifestyle are likely not (Luke 16:13). In this story, Jesus is trying to get the Pharisees to see that they have placed money above God (Luke 16:14). If they're not careful, the afterlife will reverse their situation with those they harass and rob (Mark 7:1–13; Luke 11:46).
Jesus is not saying that if someone has a hard life on earth, they will be rewarded with a place in heaven. Salvation is always by the grace of God through faith in His promises; the good work of gracious giving is a result of salvation (Ephesians 2:8–10). We cannot earn salvation, either by being good or by having a terrible life. The Lazarus of this story isn't in heaven because he had a bad life, nor is the rich man in hell because he had money. The rich man was damned because he longed only for earthly treasures. That's what he received. He did not store up treasures in heaven (Luke 12:21).
This passage doesn't support the concept of karma: a spiritual balance between good and evil which a person must pay off after death. Abraham's words only point out the drastic change in circumstances for both men. Jesus is warning the Pharisees to see that the rich man represents them.
