This is the only parable in which Jesus gives a character a proper name. The poor man is called Lazarus — from the Hebrew Eleazar, meaning “God is my helper.” The rich man has no name. He is simply “a certain rich man.” In the world’s eyes, the rich man was the significant one, the one worth naming. In God’s, the beggar was.
That reversal is the engine of the entire story.
The Story (Luke 16:19-31)
In This Life
“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.” (Luke 16:19-21, KJV)
The contrast is drawn with photographic precision. The rich man:
- Clothed in purple — the most expensive dye in the ancient world, reserved for royalty
- Fine linen — Egyptian linen undergarments, the luxury brand of his day
- Feasted sumptuously every day — not once in a while, every single day
Lazarus:
- Laid at the gate — he could not walk there himself; someone deposited him daily
- Full of sores — open wounds; medical care was nonexistent for him
- Desiring crumbs — not hoping for a full meal, just what falls from the table
- Dogs licking his sores — in Jewish culture, dogs were unclean. This is the lowest possible description of a human condition
The gate is the crucial detail. Lazarus was not invisible. He was at the gate — the entrance to the rich man’s estate. Every time the man left for his banquets, every time guests arrived, Lazarus was there. The rich man’s sin was not ignorance. It was seeing and not seeing — eyes open, heart closed.
After Death
“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried.” (Luke 16:22)
“Was carried by the angels” — Lazarus, who could not carry himself, is escorted by angels into the highest honor of the Jewish afterlife, Abraham’s bosom (the place of the righteous dead). The rich man “was buried” — presumably with ceremony and expense, the last worldly tribute to his status. Nothing about angels.
“And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” (Luke 16:23)
The reversal is now complete. The rich man in torment, looking across a great gulf at Lazarus in comfort.
The Three Requests
The rich man makes three requests, each refused. This structure is deliberate:
Request 1 — Personal relief
“Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” (Luke 16:24)
He still sees Lazarus as someone who should serve him. “Send Lazarus” — the beggar remains, even now, someone he expects to run his errands. And Abraham’s reply is profound:
“Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” (Luke 16:25)
“Remember.” The word mnēsthēti — memory is part of the torment. He can remember his feasts. He can see Lazarus. He cannot cross.
“And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.” (Luke 16:26)
A great gulf fixed. The language of permanent, unbridgeable separation. Death is the point of no return in this parable. What is chosen in this life is confirmed by death.
Request 2 — Warning his brothers
“Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” (Luke 16:27-28)
This is the most human moment in the parable — genuine concern for his family. Abraham’s answer is stunning:
“They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” (Luke 16:29)
The rich man protests: surely a resurrection appearance would be more convincing:
“Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.” (Luke 16:30)
Request 3 — and Abraham’s final word
“And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” (Luke 16:31)
This line carries enormous weight, spoken by Jesus before his own resurrection. The answer to “why don’t people believe— is not insufficient evidence. It is an unwillingness to receive what God has already given. Scripture is sufficient. The resurrection of Jesus — which would soon happen — would not convince those who refused to hear Moses and the prophets.
What This Parable Teaches
1. Wealth is morally neutral but ethically demanding
The rich man is not condemned for being rich. He is condemned for feasting daily while Lazarus starved at his gate. Jesus elsewhere endorses the use of wealth for mercy (Luke 16:9). The sin here is not possession but indifference.
2. The afterlife reverses earthly injustices
This is the most robust statement Jesus makes about eternal justice. Those who suffer unjustly in this life will be comforted. Those who live only for earthly comfort while ignoring the suffering of others will face consequences. This is not mechanical karma — it is the justice of a God who sees what the world ignores.
3. Death is final
The great gulf is “fixed.” There is no second chance theology in this parable, no purgatorial crossing, no deathbed negotiation. The choices of this life are sealed at death. This is not meant to produce despair — it is meant to produce urgency.
4. Scripture is enough
“They have Moses and the prophets.” We do not need supernatural signs to know how to live and what God requires. The Word of God is sufficient to inform our conscience, convict our indifference, and call us to mercy.
5. The gate is the test
Wherever God places a Lazarus at your gate — a neighbor in crisis, a coworker who is struggling, a community of people your world ignores — your response is the test. Not in the abstract. At the gate.
Related Study: The Parable of Children in the Marketplace
Is This a Parable or a Historical Account?
Some readers note that this story differs from typical parables: it uses a proper name (Lazarus), and the afterlife dialogue has narrative specificity unusual for parables. A minority of interpreters read it as a historical account of two real individuals.
The majority view treats it as a parable — Jesus using vivid, culturally familiar imagery (including the common Jewish folk concept of Abraham’s bosom) to make a theological point. The story’s power lies in its theological logic, not its status as a literal report.
Explore: The Parable of the Dragnet
How to Apply This Today
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Name the Lazarus at your gate. Not a vague commitment to “help the poor” — but the specific person in your specific life who is suffering and whom you see regularly. What are you doing?
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Let the memory of eternity shape your present. The rich man’s torment includes memory — he remembers his good things. What will you remember? Start living now in ways you will not regret remembering.
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Don’t wait for a miracle to motivate you. Abraham says “they have Moses and the prophets.” You have the Scriptures, the community of faith, the indwelling Holy Spirit. You have what you need to know what God requires. Do it.
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Take the gulf seriously. Universalism is a comforting theology. This parable is not universalist. Death is the point of no return. This life is the opportunity. Today is the day.
“Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” (Luke 16:25, KJV)