The Rich Man and Lazarus! Through this parable the Lord vividly depicts for us the great realities of life, the purpose of life, and what lies beyond. He teaches us not to agonize over the sorrows and the trials of this present life, the setbacks, and the unhappiness we necessarily experience. He also guards us from the pitfalls of wealth, pleasures, and attachment to the material world. The parable also makes plain the condition of souls in the life beyond: a happy existence in heaven for the pious and righteous; a wretched condition of sorrow and suffering away from God for sinners.
The parable was occasioned by the attitude and comments of the Pharisees. The Lord had just told them the parable of the Dishonest Steward (Lk. 16:1-15). He had concluded the parable by telling them: “You cannot serve God and Mammon” – wealth, that is (Lk. 16:13). Instead of realizing their attachment to riches and their disdain for the poor, “the Pharisees,” says the scripture, “who were lovers of money (φιλάργυροι), heard all this, and made fun of Him” (Lk. 16:14). Thus the Lord told them this parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus to reveal to them, graphically, what their condition would be after death, unless they changed their ways.
Unlike other parables, the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus uses no allegory, no hidden meanings and esoteric messages. It is factual, direct, to the point. Then, as now, there are the “haves” and the “have-nots” in the world: The lovers of the flesh, the materialists; and the “poor devils”, the destitute, the afflicted, and marginalized. They are both part of our everyday experience. Now the Lord, through this parable, offers us a view of our reality from the prism of eternity. He provides for us a divine explanation of our everyday reality according to the eternal truths of the Christian faith. Thus we why this parable is so valuable.
What, then, are its valuable lessons? In the first place it teaches us that the rich people must not be attached to their material wealth and pride themselves in their riches, not to place their hope in them, because riches can easily deceive us and influence us adversely, leading us to their abuse and to sinful pleasures. Riches erase from our minds the words “spiritual health” and substitute them with the words “material wealth.” They also harden our hearts, erasing from them compassion for the poor and the suffering, thus attracting God’s condemnation.
This lesson is a difficult one for us to learn, because our society admires the successful and the powerful of this world, and despises the poor and the needy. Before lending a helping hand to the disadvantaged, we will castigate them for not working harder, for not having “made it” in life as we have, as deserving of their misery, especially in this land of plenty. We perceive any help we would give to the poor as an endorsement of their status, as becoming “enablers” of their misery, as modern psycho-parlance would put it.
The parable also has a teaching for the poor of this world. And this teaching is that they must not grumble and complain about their plight. They must not blame God and His divine Providence for their misfortune. They must not turn into judges of God when they observe how the rich, though heartless and unmoved, seem to have it all, while the poor man, who lives an honest and God-fearing life, suffers. They must bear their trials and tribulations with complete trust in God who is wise, just and good, and accept their fate patiently and with forbearance, thus earning the reward from the righteous Judge.
The parable also shows us clearly what the goal of this present life is, and that there is life after death. Today many—not only among those “in the world,” the atheists and the pseudo-scientists, but even among the Christians—live in such a way as if there is no tomorrow, no life after death, no judgment, as if everything ends in this life, as if when a person is buried it all ends there, believing that there is no eternal soul. Therefore they follow the old saying, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (1 Cor. 15:32). How mistaken they are. Before it is too late they must come to their senses, because there is no repentance once this life ends.
The parable teaches us another fundamental truth: The manner in which one lives in this present life determines one’s eternal future. If a Christian places his hope in Christ, if he obeys His commandments, if he lives with justice, patience, hope, faith, love, he will enjoy the good things the Lord has prepared for those who love Him; but if he has lived away from God, in a life of sin, wickedness, selfishness, and left this life in a state of non-repentance, then he cannot hope in God’s mercy after death.
We may now turn this sermon toward answering a couple of questions. One such question is: What did poor Lazarus do to deserve an eternal life of bliss? On the surface, not much, but plenty within. Divine justice was satisfied by the mute, silent acceptance of his poverty, by the patient tolerance of his suffering, by his quiet perseverance. He lived in hope, faith and trust in the life to come. How do we know this? If he had not, he would be protesting the great injustice he suffered, he would be cursing the rich man, throwing the bones he was eating there with the dogs at his face, he would go mad, he would commit suicide, he would steal and rob and kill. He does none of these. Instead, he bears his suffering with admirable patience, without even a bitter word from his lips. To maintain this kind of spiritual strength and purity, this silent martyrdom, requires great heroism.
Another thought is this: The parable does not dwell on his faith, his creed, his rule of prayer, his dogma. Not that these things do not matter, but because they are supposed to lead us to give glory to God “on account of everything”, both good and bad. So if one lives the crucified life, if one lives an existence pleasing to God, if one resembles the Lord who “was oppressed, and was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth” (Is. 53:7), if by God’s grace one finds this shortcut to the bosom of Abraham, do we expect God to demand of us rules of fasting, and ask what “typikon” (rules) one followed? No, my friends. The Lord said very tersely, “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven” (Lk. 6:20).
Are all the rich condemned? Is it a crime to be rich? Does the Lord detest possessions, money? The Church had to answer these questions very early on in its life. And the answer was, no! After all, Abraham was a very rich man, and so was Job! Neither wealth nor money are “dirty” or sinful in themselves – but they are dangerous! Wealth is an enormous magnet, which attracts the heart of man toward the vanity of this world, toward pleasure, dissipation, immorality, perversion, selfishness, pride, callousness, stinginess; it draws him away from God, from the obedience of His commandments and the remembrance of His name.
This is what the Lord commanded the Israelites, and what He continues to command us today: “Take care that you do not forget the LORD your God… When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the LORD your God… Do not say to yourself, ‘My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.’ But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to obtain wealth…’” (Deut. 8:11-14, 17-18)
In summary, the purpose of a parable is to show us what the goal of life is and to awaken us from the deep sleep of sin and death, from the life of comforts, “good times” and enjoyment we find ourselves in, and also from our indifference to the plight of the poor, the needy, and those who are less fortunate around us. This parable of the Lord should bring us to the sober realization of what is important in life, what is lasting, what is of true value, and if we need to (and we all need to) adjust our course.
The Pharisees of the Lord’s day did not take advantage of the Lord’s teachings and miracles. They continued to live a selfish life, oblivious to the plight of the poor. They did not learn to give generously, to have compassion for the needy, and imitate the good Lord who sends His rain on the just and the unjust (Mt. 5:45). They did not correct their indifference, carelessness, greediness, injustice and indulging in this life for a life of philanthropy, charity, justice, continence, patience, sharing and love. Have we?
Fr. E.H. 2011, 2013, edited 2024 by AH.
