The Rich Man and Lazarus: A Warning

¹⁹ The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.^[a]“There was a rich man who used to dress in purple garments and the finest linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. ²⁰ And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, ²¹ who would have been grateful to be fed with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs would come and lick his sores.

²² “Now the poor man died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In the netherworld,^[b] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham, far off, and Lazarus by his side. ²⁴ And he called 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 in agony in these flames.’

²⁵ “But Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that during your lifetime you received many good things, while Lazarus suffered greatly. Now he is being comforted while you are in agony. ²⁶ Moreover, between us and you a great chasm has been established, so that no one who wishes to do so can pass from our side to yours, nor can anyone pass from your side to ours.’

²⁷ “ ‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘to send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ to warn my five brothers, lest they too end up in this place of torment.’ ²⁹ But Abraham responded, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.’

³⁰ “He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ ³¹ Abraham answered, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”

Be Poor in Order To Be Free

¹³ A Saying about Greed.^[a]Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the family inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ Jesus answered him, “Friend, who appointed me to be a judge and arbitrator in your regard?”

^15 [b]After this, he said to the crowd, “Take care to be on your guard against all kinds of greed. Life does not depend upon an abundance of one’s possessions.”

¹⁶ The Parable of the Rich Fool. Then he told them a parable: “There was a wealthy man whose land yielded an abundant harvest. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have sufficient space to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, where I will store my grain and other produce, ¹⁹ and I shall say to myself, “Now you have an abundance of goods stored up for many years to come. Relax, eat, drink, and be merry.” ’

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. And who then will get to enjoy the fruit of your labors?’ ²¹ That is how it will be for the one who stores up treasure for himself yet fails to become rich in the sight of God.”