Luke 16:19-23 (NIV) “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.”
This well-known parable is also directed against the Pharisees, lovers of money (verse 14 above), who were critical of Jesus for hanging out with the riffraff instead of with the “good church people.” Jesus now turns His attention to eternal destinies.
In this section, Jesus sets the scene. On the one side, you have the rich man, who is unnamed. He stands for everyone who is self-consumed, and who luxuriates in their possessions instead of being generous with them. He feasts every day, and does not share anything with the poor man lying right at his gate. He is so ensconced in his opulence, that he is blind to the needs around him. Thus, he does not exhibit the love of God in any way.
On the other side, you have the poor man, who, oddly for a parable, is given a name: Lazarus. Lazarus was about as far on the opposite end of the spectrum as anyone could imagine. He is poor and helpless, and is left sitting at the rich man’s gate every day in the hopes of receiving even the leftovers from the rich man’s table. Lazarus is about as repulsive as you can imagine. He is covered with sores, and even has to fight off the dogs who constantly came to lick at him. He is, indeed, a pitiful sight.
Eventually both men die. Death is the great equalizer. It doesn’t’ play favorites, and is not swayed by either pity or bribery. But in the afterlife, we find that the tables have turned. Lazarus, who was absolutely miserable for much of his life, is now in pleasant surroundings, right next to Abraham himself.
At the same time, a long way off from Lazarus, separated from the pleasant place by a great chasm (verse 26 below), and tormented by flames, is the rich man. This is no karmic consequence for carelessness, but is a positive punishment of the man for his lack of love, and for his positive disobedience to God’s command to love his neighbor as himself. By the way, loving one’s neighbor is not merely a New Testament principle, but is firmly established as a command in Leviticus 19:18. Thus the end state of these two men was as starkly different as their starting states, but at completely opposite ends of the spectrum.
Father, this is a good reminder to watch ourselves and not grow self-absorbed or complacent about the needs around us. After all, the instruction to love our neighbors as ourselves is not a suggestion, but a direct command. Help us to follow and serve You in this way as well. Amen.