Lawoflove
Your interpretation of what you believe to be a parable is a very good one. Even though I don't belive that your interpretation is necessary, I still believe one can learn something from it. You write very well, and are abviously a very knowledgeable man of God and as I do the poster Laodicea, I respect you.
What if Lazarus was an actual person? What if Jesus told this story to enlighten us as to what really happens at death? I don't think Jesus would have told this story in this fashion if he was trying to make the point that you think he was making. Why would he risk being labled a fraud by quoting a known dead person....just to teach the pharisees a lesson? I believe this story is a historical fact and not a parable.
OK Lets look at this as a whole and try to understand whats going on here,
go back to the (lost son) Luke15:11 Jesus says "Then he said
A certain man"
But before that it says "then he spoke a parable to them" verse 3
Now look at the (great supper)14:16 "The he said to him
"a certain man"
Now look at the of the (leaven) 13:20 "And again He said"
Now look at (mustard seed) 13:18 "then he said"
Now look at the (barren fig tree) 13:6 "he also spoke this parable"
chapter 12:13-21 (The parable of the rich fool)
chapter 13:6-9 (The parable of the barren fig tree)
chapter 13:18-19 (Parable of the mustard seed)
chapter 13:20-21 (The Parable of the Leaven)
chapter 14:15-24 (The parable of the Great Supper)
chapter 15:1-7 (The parable of the lost sheep)
chapter 15:8-10 (The parable the lost coin)
chapter 15:11-32 (The lost son)
What do most of these Parables have in common? Well lost to say the lest but lets try and see my point about the why a parables starts in this cases.
And now we come to the parable of the Unjust Steward 16:1 Notice he says to them "he also said to His disciples there was a certain rich man"
Luk 16:1
And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
Notice verse 15 now after looking at all those Parables above "And he said to them and a certain man"
Luk 16:15
And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Luk 16:19
There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
But let's don't lose the context in all this. Verse 14 says they are a "lover of money" after hearing all these things told to the disciples. So Jesus makes a contrast between the rich and poor.
In this parable Jesus continues the lesson set forth in the parable of the Dishonest Steward (ch. 16:1–12), that the use made of the opportunities of the present life determines future destiny (see on vs. 1, 4, 9, 11, 12). That parable had been addressed particularly to the disciples (see on v. 1), but in v. 9 Jesus had turned from the disciples to the Pharisees present (see on v. 9). The Pharisees refused to accept Jesus’ teachings on stewardship and sneered at Him (see v. 14). Jesus then pointed out that they might be honored by men, but that God read their hearts like an open book (see on v. 15). They had had sufficient light; they had long enjoyed the instruction of “the law and the prophets,” and since the ministry of John the added light of the gospel had been theirs (see on v. 16). In vs. 17, 18 Jesus affirms that the principles set forth in “the law” are immutable—God has not changed—and gives an example of this sublime truth. The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is then given to show that destiny is decided in this present life by the use made of its privileges and opportunities Quote by: Nichol, Francis D.
As far as this being History about Lazarus, do you mean Jesus' friend Lazarus that came back to the dead?
later Jesus actually did raise Lazarus of Bethany from the dead (see John 11:1–46), there is no connection between the man of the parable and the one who became the object of Jesus’ greatest miracle. The real friend of Jesus was never liken to this man in the story John 11:2 he was the brother of Mary the same Mary that used expensive oil on Jesus' feet when she could of sold it to the poor. Plus Martha is showed to be a good host in her own house. I just don't see how this Lazarus, friend of Jesus was in anyway poor as the man in this parable in Luke 16
