The parable of the rich man and Lazarus
It’s the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time and today’s Sunday gospel is one monumental lesson in life that our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us in the hope that we would all listen to his words. This lesson comes in the form of a parable. It is the Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus and you can read it in your Bibles in Matthew 16: 19-31.
“19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. 20 And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
22 When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.
25 Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad’ but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. 26 Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’
27 He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house. 28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them. 30 He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent. 31 Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rose from the dead.”
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In my book, this is one parable that all Christians should know by heart because it gives us the answers to our most basic human question from time immemorial: Is there life after death? Clearly this parable shows that indeed there is an afterlife. Even father Abraham the father of all nations lives! So the next question is, where should we be going after we die? Are we going to heaven or to hell? This reminds me of my favorite quote that I took from San Agustin: “The God who created you without you…cannot save you without you!” Where you end in eternal life is really up to you as you have been given the freewill by God to make that choice yourself!
Now this parable tells us the story of a rich man and the poor man Lazarus. The rich man apparently died and is sent to the netherworld. But what did the rich man do to merit being tormented in hell? From what we gather in this parable, the rich man lived a luxuriously life, wearing rich purple robes and dining a sumptuous meal every single day. No, the rich man wasn’t even cruel to Lazarus or got rid of him and in fact allowed him to stay by the door and eat the scraps that fall from his table. So we ask, what did the rich man do to earn a life in eternity in hell?
The answer is not what the rich man did but rather what the rich man failed to do. This is what is known as the sin of omission. He was rich and had all the money in the world, but he didn’t care for his fellowman whose sores the dogs even licked. But even while he was being tormented in the netherworld, the rich man showed that he still cared for his five brothers whom he knows also live their lives just like the way he lived his life in total luxury without caring for those who have less in life, just like when he was still on earth. So he asks Abraham to have Lazarus dip his fingers to cool his tongue but Abraham said that even if they wanted to help him, there is a wide chasm that divides their side that no one can either side could cross.
So with pride. The tormented rich man then asks Abraham to sent Lazarus back to his father’s house to warn his brothers to change their ways lest they too end up in this place of torment. But Abraham said, “They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.” What did father Abraham mean by Moses and the prophets? That the lessons in life can be learned if you followed what Moses and the prophets taught which are very well recorded in the Torah or the Old Testament. Today we have our churches.
But there was such a man who was sent by God who sacrificed his life for the sake of the gospel. That’s our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us this very parable that you are reading today so you can say that we are being warned by the Lord that the way to heavenly bliss is to care for the poor and the needy that need us.
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