The parable of the rich man and Lazarus

Our gospel reading today is a favorite Bible story of mine. It is the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, a very wonderful and realistic story and Bible proof that there indeed exists that place called Gehenna or Hell, which modern man especially the atheists do not believe exists. You can find it in your Bibles in Luke 16:19-31.

“[Jesus said to the Pharisees,] 19”There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. 20 and lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.

Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. 22 When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

24 And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.” 25 Abraham replied, “My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.

26 Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ 27 He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’

29 But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them. 30 But he said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.”

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This is a very easy story to decipher. What is crystal clear in this story is that the rich man knew that the poor Lazarus was just at his door…and he even knew that his name was Lazarus. He must have seen the dogs lick his wounds, and probably saw Lazarus hungry even for the scraps of food that fell on his table. But the rich man didn’t care to show Lazarus even a small act of kindness in sharing food to the poor Lazarus. I suspect that the rich man even gave food to the dogs…but not to Lazarus.

So as the story goes, both the rich man and Lazarus died and the rich man was obviously suffering torments in hell. Yet he saw father Abraham was beside Lazarus. And in an act of arrogance, he demanded Abraham to send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool his tormented tongue. But Abraham told him, “My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.”

This story doesn’t condemn rich people to a life in hell. It condemns uncaring rich people who go about their daily lives oblivious to the needs of the poor people within their community. God doesn’t condemn people with material things…after all those material things are considered blessings from the Lord. But God blesses some people to richness with the hope that they would share their wealth to others. It is the greedy ones that go to hell!

Remember the Gospel reading last Sept.1st on the Conduct of Discipleship? Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “When you hold a lunch or dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, In case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

In another story about a rich man…when the rich young man asked our Lord Jesus Christ how to attain eternal life, our Lord Jesus told him to follow the Ten Commandments. The rich man replied that he was a devout Jew and followed the tenets of the Torah, to which our Lord replied, “Therefore sell your belongings and give them to the poor and follow me.” But the rich young man left our Lord dejected for he had so many possessions.

In short, the rich young man was so attached to his material things, he could not part with it and give it to the poor. If only he chose to be with our Lord Jesus Christ…he would have given all what he had to the poor…but God would have blessed him with more material wealth…and more importantly, he would have saved his own soul to eternal life.

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