There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. 20 And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. 22 When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he cried 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 suffering torment in these flames.’ 25 Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. 26 Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ 27 He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ 30 He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’”
Luke 16:19-31 sets two lives side by side and shows their different ends. A rich man lived each day in luxury, wearing “purple and fine linen,” a sign of high status and costly comfort in the ancient world. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus. He was covered with sores and longed for scraps from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs that licked his sores underline his misery and isolation (vv. 19-21).
Both men died. Lazarus was carried by angels to the “bosom of Abraham,” an expression that means close fellowship and rest among the righteous who lived in faithful trust in God. The rich man found himself in the “netherworld,” the realm of the dead (Hades), depicted as a place of real torment and separation from God’s comfort. Seeing Lazarus with Abraham, the rich man begged for a drop of water to cool his tongue. Abraham replied that the rich man had received good things in life while Lazarus received bad; now the order is reversed. Between them stands a “great chasm,” a fixed separation that cannot be crossed (vv. 22-26).
The rich man then pleaded that Lazarus be sent to warn his five brothers. Abraham answered that they already have “Moses and the prophets,” that is, the Scriptures of Israel. If they will not listen to God’s Word, they will not be persuaded even by someone who rises from the dead (vv. 27-31). Jesus thus teaches that God has already given sufficient light for living rightly, and that our response to His Word shapes our eternal future.
This story shows God’s justice and mercy without suggesting retribution. God’s justice is not payback but giving a person what he has freely chosen. Lazarus, who trusted God amid suffering, now rests in eternal comfort; the rich man, who habitually refused mercy, now experiences the eternal separation he himself lived by in life. In His mercy, God had already given clear direction and light—“Moses and the prophets”—calling all to repent, to act justly, and to show kindness to the poor. The outcome is not an arbitrary punishment but the unveiling of the consequences of a life lived in obedience to God’s commands—or in disregard of His teaching.
“Bosom of Abraham,” “netherworld,” and the “great chasm” are images that teach clear truths in simple terms. The “bosom of Abraham” conveys closeness to the faithful patriarch and rest with the righteous. The “netherworld” (Hades) is the realm of the dead; in this parable, it is shown as a place of torment for those who rejected God’s ways. The “great chasm” signifies the finality of the choice for or against God that a person makes in this life. The time for mercy is now, when repentance and love can still be chosen.
“Moses and the prophets” summarizes the Scriptures that command love of God and neighbor, generosity, and justice. Jesus’ final word—that many will not believe even if someone rises from the dead—points to the hardness of an unrepentant heart and hints at His own Resurrection. The grace to hear and to act is offered. God calls each of us to a life shaped by His Word, by compassion, and by trust in Him.
For us today, the lesson is concrete. God’s Word is clear. We are to see the “Lazarus” at our door—those near us who are poor, sick, ignored, or burdened—and to act with steady generosity. We are to use what we have as stewards, not owners. Choices form habits; habits form character; and character meets God. This means the person we have freely become stands in God’s light with nothing hidden, at death and judgment. In Christ, we receive strength to live this way, and by living so we prepare for eternal communion with Him.
Lord Jesus, open my eyes to the people at my doorstep. Give me a generous heart, steady in mercy and truth. Help me to listen to Your Word and to act upon it, so that my choices today may lead to eternal life with You. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- The Navarre Bible: Luke, Faculty of the University of Navarre (2008), notes on Lk 16:19-31.
- The Paulist Biblical Commentary, ed. José Enrique Aguilar Chiu et al. (2018), commentary on Luke 16.
- Raymond E. Brown et al., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (1990), “Luke,” on Lk 16:19-31.
- St. John Chrysostom (c. 349–407), On Wealth and Poverty (homilies on Lazarus), for pastoral emphasis on almsgiving and responsibility for the poor.
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