“They have Moses and the Prophets”: The enduring demand of the Law and Prophets in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

Abstract

The scholarly consensus has long been that Luke’s is the most gentile and, therefore, “universalistic” of the Gospel accounts in terms of its focus. Luke is concerned to show that the message of Jesus is not limited to the Jews, but is a message for all humanity. This scholarly consensus has not, of course, been without its critics, which is evident in the discussion of Luke’s posture towards the Torah. Although this article will not directly enter into the larger debate of Luke’s view of the Torah, it will instead focus on Luke’s parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus as an example of Luke’s concern for the enduring demand of the Law and the Prophets.