For December 15
The rich man and Lazarus is a story Jesus told about a wealthy man who ignored a poor beggar at his gate. After death, Lazarus is comforted and the rich man is in torment, with a great chasm between them (Luke 16:26). Jesus warns that this life decides our eternity and that God’s word is enough to call us to repent.
Key Takeaways
- This Lazarus is a poor beggar in a story, not Lazarus of Bethany, whom Jesus raised in John 11.
- The rich man wasn’t condemned for being rich but for a life that ignored God and his needy neighbor.
- Death fixes our destiny; there is no crossing the great chasm afterward.
- Scripture is sufficient: Abraham says the brothers already have Moses’ writings and the Prophets, and should listen to them (Luke 16:29).
- Even a resurrection won’t convince a heart that refuses God’s word, and Jesus himself would soon rise.
Not the Same Lazarus
Two different men named Lazarus appear in the Gospels, and they’re easy to mix up.
- Lazarus in Luke 16 is a beggar in a story Jesus told. He dies and is carried to Abraham’s side. He’s the only character in any of Jesus’ parables given a personal name.
- Lazarus of Bethany in John 11 was a real friend of Jesus, the brother of Mary and Martha. He died, and Jesus raised him after four days in the tomb. Read that account in our study Lazarus Raised From the Dead.
There’s a striking connection. In Luke 16, Abraham says that even if someone rose from the dead, hardened people wouldn’t believe. In John 11, Jesus did raise a man named Lazarus, and some leaders responded by plotting to kill both Jesus and Lazarus (John 12:10). Abraham’s words came true.
The Setting: Lovers of Money
Luke 16 is about money. Jesus has just told the parable of the dishonest manager and said no one can serve both God and money (Luke 16:13). Luke adds that the Pharisees, who loved money, heard this and sneered at him (16:14). Jesus answers with this story. It’s aimed at people who assumed wealth was a sign of God’s approval and poverty a sign of his displeasure.
Reading the Story
Two lives (verses 19-21)
Jesus describes a rich man who dressed in royal purple and expensive linen and lived in luxury every day (Luke 16:19). Purple was the color of royalty, and fine linen was a costly Egyptian fabric. He lived like a king every day.
A beggar called Lazarus, his body full of sores, had been laid at the rich man’s gate (16:20). He longed for scraps dropped from his rich neighbor’s table, and dogs licked his sores. The rich man passed him every time he went in or out. He knew his name, as verse 24 shows, but never helped.
Two deaths (verses 22-23)
When the poor man died, angels carried him to Abraham’s side. Later the rich man died too, and was buried (Luke 16:22). Lazarus probably had no funeral; the rich man likely had a grand one. But in the next life everything is reversed. Lazarus is at Abraham’s side, a picture of honor and comfort. The rich man is in Hades, in torment.
The first request: relief (verses 24-26)
The rich man begs Abraham for mercy and asks him to send Lazarus with a fingertip of water to cool his tongue, because he is suffering in the flames (Luke 16:24). Even now he treats Lazarus like a servant to be sent.
Abraham answers that the rich man had his good things in life while Lazarus had bad, and now Lazarus is comforted while the rich man suffers (16:25). And besides, “between us and you a great chasm has been fixed” (Luke 16:26, ESV). No one can cross.
The second request: a warning (verses 27-31)
The rich man then asks that Lazarus be sent to warn his five brothers. Abraham replies that they already have Moses’ writings and the Prophets to listen to (Luke 16:29). The man insists that if someone came back from the dead, they would repent. Abraham’s final answer closes the story: if they won’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, not even a resurrection will persuade them (16:31).
What the Story Means
How we treat the poor reveals the heart
The rich man’s sin wasn’t owning things. Abraham was wealthy too. His sin was a life turned in on itself, blind to the suffering man at his gate. The Old Testament law and prophets repeatedly commanded care for the poor (Deuteronomy 15:11). Ignoring Lazarus showed that he had ignored God. Faith that is real shows itself in love (James 2:15-17).
Eternity is real and final
Jesus speaks plainly about life after death. The story isn’t meant to give a detailed map of the afterlife, but it does teach clear truths: there is conscious existence after death, there is a real separation between the saved and the lost, and that separation is fixed. This life is the time to respond to God. Each person dies once, and then faces judgment (Hebrews 9:27).
God’s word is enough
The rich man thought his brothers needed something more dramatic than Scripture. Abraham disagreed. The problem was never lack of evidence but unwillingness to listen. God has spoken clearly in his word, and today we have the full witness of the Old and New Testaments.
A risen man has come back
Abraham’s last line points beyond the story to Jesus himself. Jesus did come back to life. The question the parable leaves us with is whether we will listen to Moses, the prophets, and the risen Christ.
Is It a Parable or a Real Event?
Christians have discussed this for centuries. Luke doesn’t call it a parable, and it’s the only story of Jesus with a named character, which leads some to think it describes real people. Others note that it opens like other parables in Luke (it begins with a rich man, compare 16:1) and uses familiar Jewish imagery such as Abraham’s side. Either way, Jesus is teaching real truths about money, mercy, death, judgment, and the sufficiency of Scripture.
Applying the Story
- Look at your gate. Who is near you in need whom you’ve learned not to see?
- Hold money loosely. Ask whether your spending shows love for God and neighbor.
- Take eternity seriously. Don’t assume there will be time later.
- Listen to God’s word now. Don’t wait for a sign; open the Bible.
- Trust the risen Christ. Jesus truly rose from death, and he offers mercy to all who turn to him.
Compare this story with the Good Samaritan, where a neighbor does see and help, and the Prodigal Son, where the father runs to welcome a repentant son. More of Jesus’ stories are in our Parables of Jesus guide.
Questions for Reflection
- Why do you think Jesus gave the poor man a name but not the rich man?
- What made the rich man’s life so dangerous, even though he wasn’t openly wicked?
- What does Abraham’s answer teach about the power of Scripture?
- Who is the Lazarus at your gate?
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the rich man and Lazarus mean?
It warns that how we live now, especially toward God and the needy, reveals our hearts and that our eternal destiny is fixed at death. It also teaches that God’s word is enough to lead us to repentance (Luke 16:29-31).
Is the rich man and Lazarus a parable or a true story?
Luke doesn’t label it, and Christians differ. It opens like other parables and uses symbolic language, yet Lazarus is named. Either way, Jesus uses it to teach true things about wealth, mercy, judgment, and Scripture.
Is this Lazarus the same as the Lazarus Jesus raised?
No. The Lazarus of Luke 16 is a poor beggar in Jesus’ story. Lazarus of Bethany (John 11) was Jesus’ friend, the brother of Mary and Martha, whom Jesus raised from the dead.
Was the rich man condemned for being rich?
No. Wealth itself isn’t condemned; Abraham was rich. The rich man’s life showed he loved money rather than God and ignored the needy man at his gate. No one can serve both God and money (Luke 16:13).
What does “Abraham’s side” mean?
It’s a Jewish picture of comfort and honor for God’s people after death, like a guest reclining next to the host at a feast. Lazarus, rejected on earth, is welcomed beside the father of the faithful.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus, open my eyes to the needs at my gate. Free me from loving money. Help me listen to your word while there is still time, and trust you, the one who rose from the dead. Thank you for your mercy to all who come to you. Amen.
Related: our devotional: I Am the Resurrection and the Life
Related: read: Parable of the Rich Fool Meaning
Related: read: Devotional on Loving Your Neighbor
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.