Comfort in Christ: I aint ‘fraid of no Ghosts. The Ghost of Jacob Marley vs. the Truth of Luke 16:19-31
Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” paints a vivid picture of Jacob Marley’s ghost returning from the dead to warn Ebenezer Scrooge of his selfish ways, hoping to spare him a grim afterlife. Marley’s clanking chains and desperate plea grip our imaginations, but how does this fictional tale stack up against the truth of God’s Word in Luke 16:19-31, the story of Lazarus and the rich man? The Bible offers a different, more comforting reality for believers: Neither the faithful nor the lost return as ghosts.
In “A Christmas Carol”, Marley’s ghost is a restless spirit, burdened by chains forged from his greed and indifference in life. He returns to haunt Scrooge, warning him to change his ways to avoid eternal torment. The story suggests the dead can cross back to the living (or never cross over to the realm of the dead), intervening to deliver messages of repentance or hope. This makes for a compelling plot, stirring Scrooge to transform, but it leans on a cultural idea of ghosts lingering to settle unfinished business. Marley’s return implies the afterlife allows such spectral visits, with the dead actively influencing the living. This concept has enriched Hollywood with movies like “Ghost” and “The sixth sense.”
Contrast this with Luke 16:19-31, where Jesus tells of Lazarus, a poor man, and a rich man who die. Lazarus rests in peace at Abraham’s side, while the rich man suffers in torment. The rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his brothers, hoping to save them from his fate. Abraham says, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (Luke 16:29). When the rich man insists a return from the dead would convince them, Abraham replies, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:31). Unlike Marley, Lazarus doesn’t haunt the earth (nor does the rich man); he’s at rest, and the rich man’s plea for a ghostly messenger is denied. God’s Word, not supernatural visits, is sufficient for guidance. Ironically, a man named Lazarus did come back from the dead, “But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus” (John 12:10-11). So also did ANOTHER come back from the dead and it’s HIS WORD that either warns or haunts us today. “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). The message today is the same; if we hear not Christ, neither will we be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Marley’s story fuels the idea that the dead roam to fix past wrongs, reflecting a human longing for second chances or closure. But this clashes with Scripture’s truth: the faithful, like Lazarus, are immediately in comfort, not wandering as spirits. Hebrews 9:27 states, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment,” with no provision for ghostly returns. For believers, this is a warm comfort; the faithful in Christ aren’t trapped or restless but safe with God.
Dickens’ tale captivates, but it’s fiction. Luke 16:19-31 grounds us in truth: God’s Word guides the living, and the faithful find eternal rest, not a ghostly mission.
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Sources:
- Holy Bible KJV.
- Dickens, Charles. “A Christmas Carol” (1843).
Final Thought: Marley’s ghost makes a great story, but God’s Word assures us there are no ghosts haunting the earth. I aint ‘fraid of no Ghosts.
Borger church of Christ @ Franklin & Juniper 