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Originally Posted by Tithesmeister
Thanks Brother Esaias,
In regard to what Nicodemus said, that it wasn’t normal for Jesus to be specific (naming names) in parables. Do you believe that Jesus was rebuking Caiaphas because of His mistreatment of Lazarus?
I think it is earlier in Matthew that Jesus told his disciples (when He was referring to the leaven of the Pharisees) that He would from now on speak in parables when the Pharisees were listening. A sort of code speak if you will. However, as Nicodemus points out, there is a lot of detail in this parable that is normally not present. Maybe it was personal for Jesus?
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Regarding the use of a personal name in a parable: there is no rule that says one cannot use a personal name in a parable. Also, the fact Lazarus was resurrected shortly afterwards strongly indicates the parable was meant to be a timely even prophetic lesson about the realities surrounding the religious authorities of the day.
But more importantly, nobody who asserts this was a literal history actually believes it:
"...they do not believe in sitting in Abraham's lap literally, or literal flames, literal communication between the tormented and the refreshed, literal physical body parts (eyes, tongue, finger, etc), physical chasms, etc etc etc. So, even though people often claim it is a literal historical account, they turn right around and deny its literalness!"