It is unsettling how close Jesus’s parable looks to our world today. A massive chasm between the wealthy and the poor.
In the parable, there was a rich man who was ostentatiously wealthy. His clothing exuded wealth. Clothing that was dyed at all was a luxury, and purple dye was particularly sumptuous. And he didn’t just eat well, he feasted daily. This indicates extravagant, even wasteful wealth—hosting banquets every day would not be typical even for the wealthiest families in Jesus’ day.
By contrast, there was a poor man named Lazarus, who lay at his gate. His clothes were not remarkable, only that he was covered in sores, likely making him ritually unclean in addition to the sores being physically painful. He was hungry, desiring even scraps from the rich man’s table. The contrast between the two men is stark.
Jesus hints at a coming reversal right at the beginning—while Lazarus is named, the rich man is not. This is a profound power inversion. Names hold power. And naming Lazarus, is to say that he is valuable and important. The names that are remembered through history and passed down through generations are often the names of the wealthy or the powerful. The names of the poor are much more likely to be forgotten to time. For instance, in cemeteries, the wealthy’s names live on even in death, with large family tombs that are carved in stone and stand for generations. Yet the poor are buried in unmarked graves in potters’ fields, their names recorded perhaps in a paper ledger somewhere or not even at all.
But unlike in the world, in this parable it is Lazarus’s name that is known and the Rich man’s name is not. And Lazarus’ name is significant. The name Lazarus is derived from the Hebrew name Eleazar, a name which means “God is my help.” Even when no one in this life would help him, God would be his help.
Perhaps Jesus did not name the rich man so that the listeners, whom he identifies as “lovers of wealth” might fill in their own names within the story.
After describing their station in this life, Jesus says that both men die. No burial is mentioned for the poor man’s body, but he who was alone in life was carried by the angels to be with Abraham, the highest honor. The rich man died and went to Hades to be tormented. From this place of torment, he could see Abraham and Lazarus far away.
The rich man’s sense of his own superiority is so strong that even in death, where it is clear that he is experiencing punishment from God for how he lived and that Lazarus is the one favored by Abraham, he still treats Lazarus as an errand-boy, asking Abraham to send Lazarus on an errand first for his benefit to fetch him water, and when rebuked by Abraham, he tries AGAIN to send Lazarus on an errand, this time for the benefit of his brothers so they can avoid his fate. The rich man is asking for mercy from the one to whom he showed no mercy. This is the height of hubris holding on to his sense of being better than Lazarus even when Abraham has made it crystal clear that Lazarus is the one being comforted while he is in agony. The fortunes have been reversed.
So what do we do with this evocative yet troubling story?
This is a hard word. In the parable, there is no help for Lazarus in this life.
There are many people whose lives are filled with suffering. Who do good but receive no reward. Who toil and never see the fruit. Who are sick and never receive healing. Who are hungry and are never filled.
While this is undeniably true—it isn’t right. Lazarus should not have been starving while outside the gates of someone who is feasting daily. Lazarus should not have been suffering and alone while people walk by him each day.
God’s reward should not have to wait until the next life. God’s intentions throughout Scripture are clear. As it says in Psalm 146:6-8:
The Lord our God
[…] gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
and food to those who hunger.
7 The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind; *
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
8 The Lord loves the righteous;
the Lord cares for the stranger; *
he sustains the orphan and widow,
And God will make good on his promise in the next life if not in this one, as he did with Lazarus. The low will be lifted up.
But it is clear in Jesus’ parable, that we all are expected to live out God’s will for justice and mercy in this life. God calls those with means to share. To be generous with others.
If we pray in the Lord’s prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” we must be prepared to live it out. So that it isn’t just God who gives justice to those who are oppressed and food to those who hunger, but that we, as the body of Christ, give justice to those who are oppressed and food to those who hunger right now in THIS life.
What can you do?
First there is the personal level. You can feed the poor. Some members of our congregation today [are bringing food to the homeless as we speak] through midnight run. You can also donate, giving time, money, or goods to those in need.
These acts of generosity and connection are critical and meaningful. This is kingdom work.
But it also isn’t enough. For the downtrodden suffer not just from individuals’ cruelty or negligence, but systemic cruelty and neglect. They suffer from war that creates famine and starvation. They suffer from the reduction of SNAP locally and the abrupt cessation of life sustaining food and medical aid globally. This creates not just one suffering Lazarus, but millions of men, women, and children. And it is not that we are unable to feed the hungry, but that we are unwilling. Instead of funding anti-poverty programs, healthcare for the poor, and medical research, we have instead put millions into programs and initiatives that demonize immigrants—raiding workplaces and rounding up working parents, separating them from their children.
In addition to giving to others from our own abundance, we can and must use our voices and our influence to care for the stranger. The Psalmist tells us in verse two “Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, for there is no help in them.”
But We are not left helpless. We already have everything we need. In the parable, the rich man wants his brothers to know to act generously in this life so they do not have his fate. And Abraham says that they already have what they need. “They have Moses and the prophets.” And now, we have that and even more: we have Jesus, the crucified and risen Lord, the Living Word. He opens every gate and seeks out the lost. Let us follow his lead to live with generosity, courage, and conviction now.
To give justice to those who are oppressed, NOW *
To give food to those who hunger NOW.
To set the prisoners free NOW;
To open the eyes of the blind NOW; *
To lift up those who are bowed down NOW;
To care for the stranger NOW; *
To sustain the orphan and widow NOW,
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, let us not sit back while your children suffer. Let us not be silent. It is not right for some to feast and some to starve. Give us power through your spirit to enact justice, mercy, and peace with our words and our actions. Give us courage and clarity to align our lives with your will through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.