Rich Man and Lazarus

Creation date: 16-Nov-2025
 

Last updated: 16-Nov-2025
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 The well-known parable of the rich man and Lazarus in the scriptures is sometime misunderstood because of the circumstances of both men after their deaths:

Parables in the scriptures are always set to have a primary purpose which was:

Some people may incorrectly state that the rewards and penalties of sowing and reaping is not evident in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus because there is:

  1. No earthly apparent consequences in the life of the rich man that are spoken by Jesus Christ.
  2. No earthly rewards given to Lazarus for his suffering while living that are spoken by Jesus Christ.

The clarity given in the scriptural passage in the parable reflects these points:

  1. The rich man had five brothers where the rich man and his five brothers were all living similar lives.
  2. The rich man and his brothers, from Abraham's explanation, indicates the men were not doing as required by Moses and the Prophets instructed in the scriptures for their Salvation.  This means the men were not living as God would have them.  This is understood by the "they will repent" part of verse 30.
  3. We are not given details on the life of Lazarus to end up as a beggar where there can be made many conjectures and theories.  The important part of Lazarus's life is he was living righteously in Faith otherwise he would not have been with Abraham in upper Sheol awaiting Jesus Christ to make payment restitution of sins at the Crucifixion.  Note that often in life there are many people that in order for them to realize and seek Salvation, they had to experience great losses as read in the scripture of "1 Corinthians 5:5".
  4. The rich man recognized that Lazarus was a good man and this indicates that Lazarus, despite his circumstances, was a man of Faith in God.
  5. Notice also the admonition that is a hint of Jesus Christ rising from the dead and people will still not listen as said in verse 31.
Luke 16:2-31 27 He answered, Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment. 29 Abraham replied, They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them. 30 No, father Abraham, he said, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent. 31 He said to him, If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.
1 Corinthians 5:4-7 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened.

What to read next?

The Crucifixion Psalm, Abraham's Location with Isaac,  Risen - 4 Gospels and is there a discrepancy on Easter? and Noah's Ark rests the day before Christ's Resurrection.  What is Salvation?  Is it is possible to lose Salvation?  We have eternal life.  Evolution is not real.  When a Christian suffers is there benefits from it.  Rewards in heaven.  Do we Tithe?  What does the 3rd Commandment tell us?  What is Grace and Mercy?  Is there an Age of Accountability?  Is there a place of unending punishment and exile form God?