The Rich Man and Lazarus
September 26, 2022
Commentary
This is a parable of a rich man who feasted in luxury and a poor man (Lazarus) who was a beggar that was covered with ulcerated sores; and so helpless that he could not even ward off the street dogs which pestered him (vv. 19-22). (This Lazarus should not be confused with the Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead). What was the sin of this rich man? He had not ordered Lazarus to be removed from his gate. He had made no objections to his receiving the bread that was flung away from his table. He did not kick him in the passing. He was not deliberately cruel to him. The sin of the rich man was that he never noticed Lazarus, that he accepted him as part of the landscape and simply thought it perfectly natural and inevitable that Lazarus should lie in pain and hunger while he wallowed in luxury. It was not what he did that got him into hell; it was what he did not do that got him there. His was the punishment of the man who never noticed.
The rich man did not go to hell because of his wealth, but because he refused to feed Lazarus, or to care for him. The sin of this rich man was that he could look on the world’s suffering and need and feel no pain of grief and pity pierce his heart; he looked at a fellow-man, hungry and in pain, and did nothing about it. It seems hard that his request that his brothers should be warned was refused (vv.23-31). But it is the plain fact that if men possess the truth of God’s Word, and if, wherever they look, there is sorrow to be comforted, needs to be supplied, pain to be relieved, and it moves them to no feeling and to no action, nothing will change them. It is a terrible warning that the sin of the rich man was not that he did wrong things, but that he did nothing.
Application
This definitely describes the punishment of a man who never noticed the needs of others around him. Lord help me to notice the physical and spiritual needs of those who cross my path and do what I can to share the love of Christ with them.
Luke 16:19– 31 (NET)
19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 But at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus whose body was covered with sores, 21 who longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “Now the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And in Hades, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. 24 So he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in this fire.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. 26 Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27 So the rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, father—send Lazarus to my father’s house 28 (for I have five brothers) to warn them so that they don’t come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to them.’ 30 Then the rich man said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 He replied to him, ‘If they do not respond to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”