![]() The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) is one of the best known in the Bible because it is unique in several ways: It is easy to smile at these mistakes by the people of Jesus’ day, and forget that we are reading the account including the explanation! Without the explanation, we would probably be just as confused as those to whom Jesus first spoke the words. Then he explained to them he was talking figuratively the yeast was the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matt 16:6-7, 11-12). For example, on another occasion he told his disciples to “be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees” and they misunderstood, thinking that he was reproaching them for having forgotten to buy bread. In other words, he was talking figuratively, in a kind of parable.Įven Jesus’ own disciples were often confused by his figurative speech and parables. 1 Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New International Version (NIV). For example, Jesus once said, when visiting the temple in Jerusalem, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days.” Those listening all thought he was speaking literally about the real temple and objected, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” Yet the Gospel writer notes, “But the temple he had spoken of was his body.” (John 2:20). Many times when Jesus spoke in parables, people misunderstood and took him literally. ![]() Steven: “Not Giving Heed to Jewish Fables (2): Abraham and the Underworld,” Tidings, July, 2000, pp. ![]() This series of articles is based on a pamphlet by Bro.
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