.
The story told in Luke 16:9-31 quotes Abraham a number of times. Well, if
Abraham didn't actually say the words that he's quoted as saying; then Luke
would be guilty of reporting fake news, i.e. we would have good reason to
suspect that Luke was a man of questionable integrity who couldn't be
trusted to tell the truth about people; and nobody's reputation, not even a
sacred patriarch's reputation, was safe in his hands.
_
The story told in Luke 16:9-31 quotes Abraham a number of times. Well, if
Abraham didn't actually say the words that he's quoted as saying; then Luke
would be guilty of reporting fake news, i.e. we would have good reason to
suspect that Luke was a man of questionable integrity who couldn't be
trusted to tell the truth about people; and nobody's reputation, not even a
sacred patriarch's reputation, was safe in his hands.
_
It gives us some insight to what takes place after the death of the body. It reveals that there is a real place of punishment in flame and that once there, there is no returning.
It shows us that after the death of the body, the spirit is conscious and aware, with all of its sense. This is why I get so frustrated with those who insist on turning this event into a parable, which gets rid of that information for some other meaning. To be clear, if we were able to go down to Hades, we would see that great chasm and would hear the torment of the wicked. Hades would be just as Jesus described it, with all of the unrighteous conscious, aware and in agony.
That place and the lake of fire is exactly what the Lord is trying to keep human beings out of. It is why he died in our place. It is the reason why He throughout His word is warning us to watch and be ready.