Luke 16:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’

NIV: And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

NASB: And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so that those who want to go over from here to you will not be able, nor will any people cross over from there to us.’

CSB: Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither can those from there cross over to us.’

NLT: And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

KJV: And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

NKJV: And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

This passage contains the famous story of the rich man and Lazarus. The wealthy man's home, clothes, and food were comfortable and luxurious. Lazarus was a beggar, probably crippled, who was placed outside the rich man's gate. Instead of fine robes, Lazarus was covered in open sores. Rather than fine meals, he was starved enough to wish for crumbs (Luke 16:19–21). Lazarus died and was taken by angels to paradise. Abraham greeted him warmly. The rich man died and found himself in fiery torment. The rich man looked up and asked Abraham to send Lazarus with a drop of water for his burning tongue. Abraham is explaining why this isn't possible (Luke 16:22–24).

The rich man was told that he had all the good things he was going to get in his mortal life. It is time for Lazarus to experience the good (Luke 16:25). Now, Abraham mentions that it's not possible for Lazarus to go to Hades. A great chasm separates them.

This isn't written like a typical parable: a story set on earth with a subtly hidden spiritual application. Neither does it have to be a literal narrative of history. Even so, Jesus seems to describe the afterlife in metaphorical terms meant to emphasize the change in circumstances faced by the rich man and Lazarus. Some details of the story are explicitly supported in other Scriptures, others are not. Do angels take God-followers to paradise? Does Abraham greet them when they arrive? Can those in Hades see into paradise? Only the last seems to be corroborated (Luke 13:28).

This description, however, is consistent with those aspects of theology which matter. Once someone has died and arrived in paradise, there is nothing anyone can do to send them to Hades. Once someone has died and gone to torment, there is nothing anyone can do to get them to paradise. There is no chance for salvation after death. Nor is salvation universal: not everyone goes to heaven. The fact that the rich man asks for only a drop of water and not restoration shows that he knows this.

Luke 16:19–31 contains the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus, a poor beggar, dies and goes to "Abraham's bosom" while a rich man dies and goes to torment. The rich man begs Abraham first for some relief and then to warn his brothers; Abraham insists they have been warned enough. There are several applications: our feelings about money often reveal our devotion to God; once someone dies, their fate is sealed; and if the Pharisees cannot see Jesus in the Mosaic law and the Prophets, they'll never see the truth of who He is in miracles—even someone returning from the dead.

Teaching His disciples and confronting the Pharisees, Jesus offers several lessons about wealth and devotion to God. The first is a parable about a dishonest manager. This illustrates the value of being careful and clever with earthly resources. Jesus then uses remarks about the Law and marriage to introduce the story of the rich man and Lazarus. This not only highlights the dangers of greed, but it also debunks the common claim that a non-believer would submit to God if only they saw "a little more evidence" or a miracle.

The prior chapter included Jesus' teachings centered on lost things: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. Luke 16 includes several of Jesus' lessons about living in the kingdom of God compared to the world system, beginning and ending with parables (Luke 16:1—17:10). Chapter 16 includes the parable of the dishonest manager, Jesus' teaching on how money reveals faith, and the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Luke 17:1–10 teaches about whether Christ-followers bear responsibility for others' sin, lessons about faith, and the parable of the unworthy servants.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.