FIVE BROTHERS

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                            FIVE BROTHERS    

          Jesus told a parable to His disciples one day,  about a rich  man,
and a beggar named Lazarus.  

          There  have  been  multitudes of explanations of the parable,  and
      even a few feuds about whether it was, in fact,  a parable,  or a real
happening.  Let  me  inform  the  reader  that about two-thirds of the times
that Luke said "A certain Man",  you will find  the  exact  same story  in
 another  Gospel,  but  it  is called a parable in the other Gospel.
 Unfortunately, THIS ONE is NOT recorded anywhere else, so the battle lines
remain.  

          Our judgement is that it WAS  a  parable,  and  that  it  was  NOT
dealing  with the awfulness of hell,  but was pointing up another situation
that those folks were familiar with, namely: 

            THE SINS OF THE PRIESTHOOD AND THE END OF CEREMONIAL LAW 

          The Levitical priests were "clothed in Purple".  They also  "fared
sumptously every day".  Read in Leviticus how much revenue the priests
received  from  the  Altar.  Figure out how the tithing system worked, and
see that the High Priest received 16 times the  amount  which  Joe Blow was
paying tithes on.  Rich man, faring sumptously every day.  

          That  is  not  to  say  that the tithing system was wrong,  for it
CERTAINLY WAS NOT.  However, the nature of man being such as it is, it
afforded wonderful opportunity for exploitation and sin.  And to  make
matters  worse,  there was NO ONE who could "blow the whistle" on such
activity.  The law of tithing, in one sense,  assures us that God is a good
 Paymaster  to those who have forsaken other callings in order to be free to
do His bidding, and WILL do it.  

          One prime requisite of a Priest is that he be  merciful,  and,  of
course,  the  Levitical  Priesthood  forsook that trait in short order after
the death of Moses.  They soon became despotic and abusive.  The sons of Eli
were good examples of Clerical Misconduct.  Eli was a fat, man (he had fared
sumptously).  

          In hell, the fat, rich man woke up to reality, and started calling
for  mercy, of which  he  had shown  none, in his lifetime.  He was rebuffed
by the Father of the Faithful, who assured him there could be NO CONCORD
BETWEEN LAW AND FAITH.  

          ABRAHAM WALKED WITH GOD BY FAITH, and pleased Him.  He lived apart
 from the Law of Ordinances.  It was not "showy" in any  sense of  the  word.
 He walked alone, just as you and I have to walk alone with God.  The Law of
Moses, with the Priesthood, could never find a place in the  "Bosom of
Abraham".  There was no DELIVERANCE in the Law.      The Law was cruel and
unmerciful.  It HAD TO BE DONE AWAY WITH.

          The rich man said he had five brethren.  HERE IS THE KEY to
understanding the parable.  The names of the brethren were: Reuben, Simeon,
Judah,  Gad and Asher.  The name of the rich man was Levi,  instead of Dives.
 Levi was the priest of Israel, and one of the six sons of Leah and her
handmaid.  Leah was not favored,  but Rachel was the one Jacob loved.  

          We walk with God by Faith, or not at all.  If we try to mix Mosaic
Law  with  Faith,  we commit spiritual adultery.  Our allegience is to Jesus
Christ ALONE.  HE, ALONE, CAN SAVE US.  HE, ALONE, IS OUR HOPE.  "MOSES, MY
SERVANT, IS DEAD."               

                                    --Marion Fretwell