At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores.
Luke 16:20
To quote Dr. Levine (short stories by Jesus author), there is a “strong ick factor” in thinking about this poor man laying at the gate of the rich man letting dogs lick his sores. This man needs a doctor. He needs to be bandaged and cared for in his time of distress. But what does Lazarus want according to this story by Jesus? He is just waiting for table scraps from the rich man’s table. So, to recap, a sick man covered in sores is so hungry he is hoping for the waste from the rich man’s table. There is real need sitting at the gate.
This parable is about physical needs and eternal salvation. Jesus is warning us that loving God and loving our neighbor is more than just hypotheticals. It is about real life associated with real consequences. We know nothing about the righteousness of the rich or poor man. All we know is that Lazarus is greeted by Abraham in the afterlife and the rich man is greeted by torment in the place of the dead. (vss 22,23) People must be taken care of here and for eternity. Telling people to “be of good cheer” without taking the time to help them is not what God asks of His people. The whole story of final judgment with the sheep and goats is about taking care of people. God is asking His people to care for those in need. The parable does not tell us why Lazarus is in need or sick. Did he have an addiction? Was he just lazy? Did skid row bump up next to the rich man’s house? These are not the critical issues. The critical issue is that Lazarus was in need and the rich man did not take care of him.
Did you know that the only named characters in Jesus’ parables are Lazarus and Abraham? In this case, Jesus wants us to know who he is talking about. Lazarus actually means “God helps” in Hebrew. Jesus is saying in this parable that God helps this poor man. Lazarus represents the poor of the world that God helps. God helps these poor through His people. If His people cannot or will not help them, then they are not His people. Abraham is obviously representative of the care that God provides people in the afterlife. You cannot have a better caregiver than Abraham for eternity. Jews trusted Abraham as the father of their nation. God made the ultimate promise to Abraham to bless him with an eternal nation that could not be numbered. Abraham was also known for his hospitality to others.
I am frankly surprised that Jesus did not close this parable with His sage thought that “the last shall be first and the first shall be last.” This parable teaches us that we must respond to the poors’ needs in our world because that is what God’s people do. We cannot be God’s people unless we actually act on our faith and take care of those who need our help.
Scripture: Luke 16:19-31
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