Rich Man and Lazarus

One story in the Gospels has puzzled scholars for centuries because, unlike other parables, one of the main characters in this story is named. He was Lazarus, a poor man who sat outside the house of a rich man (Luke 16:20). He longed to eat the scraps that fell from the rich man’s festive table; instead, he was becoming the prey—scavenging dogs were licking the sours that covered his body, waiting for him to die to devour him (16:21).

In contrast, the rich man wore expensive clothes of fine linen dyed with purple, perhaps from mollusk (in invertebrate, like a slug) that was more expensive than beetroot dye (Kistemaker, Parables, 195), cheered or partied every day luxuriously (16:19). He had no care for Lazarus, who was right outside his door and longed for scraps that fell off his table.

At death, however, the tables turned. When Lazarus died, angels descended from heaven and took him to Abraham’s bosom (16:22a). No such fanfare awaited the rich man’s death. He was in Hades, thirsty, saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus at Abraham’s bosom (16:23). He shouted and said,

“Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus so that he might dip the pinky finger in water and cool my tough because I am in great pain in this fire.” (16:24)

Abraham replied that he could not do that because while he enjoyed many earthly blessings, he didn’t extend them to Lazarus at his doorstep. They were in different regions separated by a chasm, and Lazarus could not help (16:25–26).

Immediately, the rich man remembered that five brothers lived a similar life on earth without helping the poor at their doorsteps. He wanted Lazarus to warn them so that they would not end up in the place of torment as he has (16:27–28). Abraham told him they had Moses and the prophets, i.e., the Old Testament, and if they obeyed them, they wouldn’t end up where he was (16:29). Again, the rich man said,

“Father Abraham, until someone who has risen from the dead goes to them, they would not repent.” (16:30)

Abraham concluded that if they weren’t willing to listen to Moses and the prophets, their Bible, they wouldn’t be persuaded by one who was raised from the dead (16:31).

We can easily get entangled by questions like “Was this a parable or a true story?” “What do Abraham’s bosom, Hades, a place of torment, mean?” “What’s the chasm between those places?” etc. But those weren’t the purpose of Jesus telling the story.

Here was a child of Abraham (like Zacchaeus)—rich and prosperous in this world—and he should have shared his wealth with the poor at his gate. Instead, he ignored the poor man only until he was in torment. Then he wanted his help.

His brothers were no different. Although they had the law of Moses and the writings of the prophets that constantly reminded them to care for the widows, orphans, and needy within the city walls, they waited for someone to resurrect from the dead and warn them. But if they couldn’t believe their Torah, they wouldn’t believe the resurrected one. Sure enough, even when Jesus resurrected from the dead and his apostles proclaimed his resurrection, some of the Hebrews—rich man’s brothers—rejected him.

When God prospers us, we are to care for the needy at our doorsteps, not be callous and ignore them. The Law of Moses, the prophets, and the resurrected Lord command that we care for the poor, widows, homeless, and refugees.