Many know the story of Lazarus and the rich man but few understand it.
It is often confused for a parable, but it is not. It is also often confused for a story about heaven and hell, but it is not.
A subtle, attentive read shows that Jesus is giving you a miraculous narrative that peels back the mystery of the afterlife—and this allows you to uncover a moral lesson hidden to most.
You have a Lazarus in your life.
You have something lying by your gates reminding you of God.
The question is whether you have the heart to see it.
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The Rich Man and Lazarus
Jesus’ story is a powerful one for those will give it a slow and careful read.
19 “There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Laz′arus, full of sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Laz′arus in his bosom. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Laz′arus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Laz′arus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.’”
Like many Bible stories, you can become deaf to the lessons available to you given that these stories become hackneyed and familiar—but a few basic questions can start to unlock the beauty of this simple story (Lk 16:19-31).
Is this Story a Parable…?
First, is this story even a parable? Though it comes at the end of a long list of parables given by Jesus, the story gives the reader a subtle hint that something unique is afoot—you receive a name. The parables do not give names. You do not hear about “the farmer named Bob who sowed good seed” or the “good Samaritan named Tim” who helped his neighbor. Here, however, the main character is given a name: Lazarus.
What does this tell you?
It is most likely not a parable but a true story—a narrative that Jesus only knows from being God. He knows the story of these two souls going into the afterlife, and he tells it not only for our moral good but as a testimony to His divinity.
Second, you cannot reduce the moral problem here to rich and poor, but rather the relation between them is important—Lazarus laid at the rich man’s gate, he was within his ambit of care and knowledge, like the good Samaritan coming upon the victim of the robbery. Jesus juxtaposes this when he compares the rich man feasting “sumptuously” and Lazarus wanting only the scraps. Out of his abundance, the rich man could have easily cared for Lazarus—but he did not.
The parallels between Lazarus and the rich man are clear—but where are they?
Are they in Heaven and Hell?
Where are the rich man and Lazarus? Many would tell you they are in heaven and hell, but Christians are cautious about this answer. Why? Because the rich man and Lazarus can see each other—they are in the same place, but a paradise on one side and a place of torment on the other with a chasm in between.
Where are they?
Well, you have to recall that for Christians, Jesus’ death and resurrection opened salvation to mankind—it allowed for man to participate in grace, the divine life of God, and be happy with Him in heaven.
So, you could ask where did all the righteous or virtuous go before Jesus opened heaven for mankind?
They all went to hell—but to a special place in hell without torment. In the Old Testament it is called Sheol, the place of the dead, the underworld. (Genesis 37:35; Num 16:30, 33; Job 7:9; Ps 6:5; Ps 88:3-5). Notably, both the good and the bad went to Sheol, the netherworld. The story of Lazarus by Jesus, however, makes it more clear that Sheol has a place for the good souls, a place without torment, and a place for the bad souls, a place of fire and torment. In the Septuagint (250 BC), the Greek Old Testament, “Sheol” is translated as “Hades.” It is hell, as heaven is not yet opened by Jesus’ salvific work.
The place of the righteous in hell is called “Abraham’s Bosom,” which is drawn from Lazarus reclining on Abraham and later Christian thinkers called it “Limbo,” a paradise on the edge of hell.
How is this paradise different from heaven?
The main distinction is that the paradise within hell is bereft of the presence of God and man’s participation in the divine life, the Beatific Vision. Abraham’s Bosom would have been more like Eden, an earthly paradise according to man’s nature, but one missing the supernatural gift of God’s grace and participating in his divine life.
Jesus not only tells us about this place but He also goes there.
Jesus Descended into Hell
It is a central statement of Christian faith to believe that Jesus descended into hell. The Apostles’ Creed states: “He descended into hell.” St. Peter tells you that Christ descended into hell and preached the Gospel to souls imprisoned there (I Peter 3:19–20). So what does this mean?
It means that after Christ’s mission of salvation on the Cross, He descended into hell to the righteous souls there and preached the Gospel to them. He then took those souls up with him into heaven. Christians see Christ entering hell as a conqueror, the victorious one who will break the chains of death. Those in Abraham’s Bosom are his first fruits, the first souls raised with Christ to the glory of heaven—now that it has been opened to them by God’s grace.
It is a tremendous insight into the afterlife prior to Christ’s saving work—but it also has a tremendous moral component for your own soul here and now.
The Tragic Irony of the Rich Man’s Relatives
Notice that the rich man asks Lazarus for a drop of water, which is an ironic role reversal. As Lazarus begged the rich man for food, so now does the rich man beg Lazarus for water. It is too late for the rich man, but he thinks of his relatives—which leads to the greatest lesson of the tale.
First, note that the relatives are like you—they are alive. And the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn them. Abraham says “they have Moses and the prophets” to warn them, but the rich man pushes back and states:
“Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.”
And Abraham’s response is the entire moral lesson distilled:
“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.’”
The idea of Lazarus’ potential resurrection is a prefigurement of Jesus’ actual resurrection—but the heart-breaking truth of this passage is that not even Jesus’ resurrection can soften those hearts hardened to the truths of God. The rich man, and presumably his relatives, have satiated their desires on worldly things and hardened their hearts toward God.
They will ignore Jesus’ resurrection as they ignored Moses and ignored Lazarus begging at the gates.
Do not Wait
The story of Lazarus and the rich man is one of tremendous depth—but one of its main moral teachings is do not wait. Do not wait to amend your life. Christians will point to the fact that you have a Lazarus in your life—you have something that is sitting there, a reminder, for you to be good and focus on heavenly, eternal things.
What is your Lazarus?
How can you help your relatives see their Lazarus?
Dcn. Harrison Garlick is a deacon, husband, father, Chancellor, and attorney. He lives in rural Oklahoma with his wife and five children. He is also the host of Ascend: The Great Books Podcast. Follow him on X at Dcn. Garlick or Ascend.
I never had noticed that sentence, the comparison between Moses and the prophets and Lazarus, how neither would be helpful. One always learns something new, or finds something new. Now I understand this much better. Thank you.