* Juchasin, 81. 1 : ' In Talmude Hierosolymitano unusquis- que R. Eleazar scribitur, absque Aleph, R. Lazar.' t E. A. Abbott in Encycl. Bill. art. ' Lazarus,' § 2.
or wickedness perpetrated, but of evil endured and fortune enjoyed.'
(3) Its Jewish imagery, (a) ' The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels.' It was a Jewish idea that the souls of the righteous were carried by angels to paradise (cf. Targ. on Ca 4^ ' Noil possunt ingredi Paradisum nisi justi, quorum animai eo feruntur per angelos.' (h) The Jews called the unseen world Slieol ; and so closely identical was their conception thereof with that of the Greeks, that Slieol is rendered by the LXX Hades.* It was the common abode of all souls, good and bad alike, wiiere they received tiie due reward of their deeds ; and it was an aggravation of the misery of the wicked tiiat they continually beheld the felicity of the righteous, knowing all the while that they were excluded from it. See Light- foot and Wetstein on Lk 16-^ ; cf. Rev 14i». So in the parable ' the rich m<an in Hades lifts up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham from afar, and Lazarus in his bosom.' (c) There were three Jewisii phrases descriptive of the state of the righteous after death : ' in the Garden of Eden ' or ' Paradise ' ; ' under the throne of glory ' (cf. Rev 6» 7"- ^^) ; ' in Abraham's bosom.' The last appears in the parable (vv.^-- 2^). The meaning is tliat Lazarus was a guest at the heavenly feast. Cf. Lk W' and the saying of R. Jacob : ' This world is like a vestibule before the world to come : prepare thyself at the vestibule, tiiat thou mayest be admitted into the festal-chamber.' Lazarus occupied the place of honour, reclining on Abra- ham's breast, even as the beloved disciple at the Last Supper reclined on the Master's (Jn 13'-^).
These objections, however, are by no means insurmountable. The name Lazarus is perhaps introduced significantly, defining the beggar's ciiar<acter. He was one who had found his help in God. It was not because he was poor, but because God had helped him, that the beggar was carried away into Abraham's bosom ; and the ricii man was doomed not simplj'^ because lie had been rich, but because he li.ad made a selfish use of his riches. The parable is an illustration and enforce- ment of the moral which Jesus deduces from the preceding parable of the Shrewd Factor : ' Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness (i.e. earthly riches, unsatisfying and unenduring I), that, when it faileth, they may receive you into the eternal tents' (v.''). Had the rich man befriended the beggar, he would have laid up for himself treasure in heaven. He would liave bound Lazarus to himself, and would have been welcomed by him on the threshold of the unseen world.
As for the Jewish imagery, it constitutes no argument against the authenticity of the parable. Jesus was accustomed to sjjeak the language of His hearers in order to reach their understandings and hearts. He often spoke of the heavenly feast : cf. Mt 8"- ^^ (Lk \Z'^- 2«), Lk IS^^-^^ (Mt 7--- ''^), Mt22i-i'» (Lk 1416-24), Mt25i-i'S Lk 22^8 = Mt 26^9= Mk 1425. And it is noteworthy how, when He employed Jewish imagery, He was wont to in- vest it with new significance. Thus, the Rabbis taught that the abodes of the righteous and the wicked in Hades were nigh to each other ; accord- ing to one, there was only a span between them ; according to another, the boundary was a wall (Midr. Kohel. 103. 2: ' Deus statuit hoc juxta illud (Ec 7^'*), id est, Gehennam et Paradisum. (Quantum distant? Palmo. R. Jochanan dicit : Paries interponitur.') But what says Jesus? ' In all this region betAvixt us and you a great chasm has been fixed, that they that wish to pass over
*Cf. Schultz, OT Theol. ii. p. 321 ff.
t Cf. Ps 233 pnr'Siyp, Tpiiiov; iixaioa-Ovr,^, in contrast to ' de- lusive tracks which lead nowhere' (Cheyne).
LAZARUS
LAZARUS
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from tliis side unto you may not be able, nor those on that side ci'oss over iinto us.' The sentence, He woukl indicate, is hnal, the separation eternal. See Gulf.
2. Lazarus of Bethany, brother of Martha and jNlary. There Avas a close and tender intimacy between Jesus and this household (cf. Jn IP- n-^s). From the Feast of Tabernacles (October) until the Feast of Dedication (December) Jesus so- journed in Jerusalem, making His appeal to her rulers and people. The former proved obdurate, and finally proceeded to violence (Jn 10^^- ^''). It was unsafe for Him to remain among them, and He retired to Bethany beyond Jordan (v.^^, cf. 1-* RV). A crowd followed Him thither, and, un- disturbed by His adversaries, He exercised a ministry which recalled, while it surpassed, the work oi John the Baptist on the same spot three years earlier. All the while He was thinking of Jerusalem. He would fain win her even yet, and He prayed that God would bring about some crisis which might persuade her of His Messiahsiiip or at least leave her without excuse (cf. Jn ll'*'- *'^). He saw not the Avaj-, but He Avas waiting for God to open it up ; and suddenly a message reached Him from the otlier Bethany tiiat Lazarus was sick (Jn IP). He recognized in this turn of events God's answer to His prayer. It afforded Him just such an opportunity as He had craved. ' Tliis sickness,' He said, 'is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the ISon of God (i.e. the Messiah) may be glorihed thereby.' He did not hasten to Bethany and lay His hand upon the sick man, nor did He, abiding where He was, ' send forth His word and heal him,' as He had done to the courtier's son (Jn 4'*''"S^) and the Syrophcenician woman's daughter (Mt 15-1--8 = Mk T--*-^"). He deliberately remained where He was for two days, and tiien set out for Judrea. On His arrival at Bethany, Lazarus was dead and buried, and a large comi)any, including many of the rulers from the adjjicent capital (v.^"), had gathered, in accord- ance with Jewish custom, to testify their esteem for the good Lazarus and condole with his sisters. The situation favoured the Lord's design. He repaired to the sepulchre, which lay at least 2000 cubits outside the town,* and in presence of the assemblage recalled the dead man to life and sum- moned him forth in his cerements.