Luke 16:19-31
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
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.’”
I sometimes miss things that I walk past...I just seem to not see them...I wonder if the rich man did this to Lazarus on occasion or on many occasions...Maybe the rich man had seen Lazarus that after awhile he just did not notice him...Maybe he had things on his mind that he wanted to do each day and overlooked Lazarus...
Jesus does not give us a background of the rich man's background with Lazarus and only says that there was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linens and lived in luxury each and every day...At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores...Lazarus longed to eat from what fell from the rich man’s table...Even the dogs came and licked poor Lazarus' sores...The rich man failed to help Lazarus out in his misery as the rich man lived and dined in luxury...The rich man failed to be merciful to Lazarus...
When the time came for the beggar to die, the rich man also died and was buried...Lazarus was carried by angels to Abraham’s side...The rich man was taken to Hades, where he was in torment...He looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side...So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’...But Abraham told the rich man that he had good things on earth, while Lazarus had only bad things...But now that had changed...Lazarus lived in great luxury, while the rich man had agony and torment...
There is this great gulf between those with the angels and Abraham and those who are in the agony of fire...Once we die, a great gulf is there, this huge chasm exists so that those who want to go from here to the fire cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to where the angels are...