The parable of the rich man and Lazarus
Published Sep 25, 2022 12:05 am
REFLECTIONS TODAY
LUKE 16:19-31
Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 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. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 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.’
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. 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.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 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.’ ”
Lessons for the rich
In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, it is the rich man who has the speaking role and is the point of attention. Lazarus merely serves as a point of reference for the rich man to draw a lesson from—for him and for the hearers of the parable. In his message for Lent 2017, Pope Francis reflects on the parable and draws lessons from it:
Lazarus as a gift. Although Lazarus is “practically invisible to the rich man,” he is a concrete person, whom God views as a priceless person. The Pope says that a right relationship with people consists in gratefully recognizing their value. Even the poor person at the door of the rich is not a nuisance, but a summons to conversion and change.
Sin can blind us. In the rich man, we can catch a dramatic glimpse of the corruption of sin, which progresses in three successive stages: love of money, vanity, and pride. The Pope warns that money can come to dominate us, even to the point of a tyrannical idol. Instead of being an instrument at our service for doing good and showing solidarity towards others, money can chain us and the entire world to a selfish logic that leaves no room for love and hinders peace.
Failure to heed God’s word. When the rich man asks to send Lazarus to warn his brothers, Abraham responds, “They have Moses and the prophets... If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.” The Pope comments that ultimately we see that the problem is a failure to heed God’s word. As a result, the rich man no longer loved God and grew to despise his neighbor. When we close our heart to the gift of God’s word, we end up closing our heart to the gift of our brothers and sisters.
LUKE 16:19-31
Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 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. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 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.’
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. 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.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 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.’ ”
Lessons for the rich
In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, it is the rich man who has the speaking role and is the point of attention. Lazarus merely serves as a point of reference for the rich man to draw a lesson from—for him and for the hearers of the parable. In his message for Lent 2017, Pope Francis reflects on the parable and draws lessons from it:
Lazarus as a gift. Although Lazarus is “practically invisible to the rich man,” he is a concrete person, whom God views as a priceless person. The Pope says that a right relationship with people consists in gratefully recognizing their value. Even the poor person at the door of the rich is not a nuisance, but a summons to conversion and change.
Sin can blind us. In the rich man, we can catch a dramatic glimpse of the corruption of sin, which progresses in three successive stages: love of money, vanity, and pride. The Pope warns that money can come to dominate us, even to the point of a tyrannical idol. Instead of being an instrument at our service for doing good and showing solidarity towards others, money can chain us and the entire world to a selfish logic that leaves no room for love and hinders peace.
Failure to heed God’s word. When the rich man asks to send Lazarus to warn his brothers, Abraham responds, “They have Moses and the prophets... If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.” The Pope comments that ultimately we see that the problem is a failure to heed God’s word. As a result, the rich man no longer loved God and grew to despise his neighbor. When we close our heart to the gift of God’s word, we end up closing our heart to the gift of our brothers and sisters.