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He would rather reign in torment than be a servant in God's kingdom. In this story, Jesus makes clear that the man is locked up in his place of torment. In a short time, Jesus will do just that, but still, that won't be enough for some to change their ways. Even if someone were to be raised from the dead and provide a warning, the living would still not be convinced to change their ways ( Luke 16:31). Jesus ends his story with a rather sad statement, but one that will prove true. Instead, he demanded that Lazarus come and serve him again. Even when there seemed to be an opportunity to repent and change his ways, he didn’t. The rich man locked himself away he chose to go there. He found himself in a place of torment because of the way he treated others, specifically Lazarus.īut God isn’t the one locking the rich man away. In Jesus’ story, the rich man wasn’t thrown into hell because he didn’t believe. Rather a teaching on the consequences of our actions towards others. But this parable isn’t primarily a teaching about hell. Many people reading this story of the rich man and Lazarus assume the picture Jesus is painting is hell. In other words, he still thinks he's more important and he wants to be the top dog. The rich man wants Lazarus to once again be in a place of servitude for him. That might seem like a rather strange request, but his intent is crystal clear. Rather he asks for Lazarus to be sent to Hades so that he can dip the end of his finger in water and cool his tongue. The rich man asks for mercy, but not mercy to be saved from his current circumstances. And we might feel bad for him… but we just need to read to the end of the verse to see he hasn’t changed a bit. Luke 16:24 tells us that he calls out for mercy. While in torment there seems to be a moment of regret, a time where the rich man seeks forgiveness. Rather torment, and we will see, that is a self-inflicted and not one brought on by an outside force. The rich man is now in torment, important to note he is not being tortured, as many picture, in hell. Ironically, he's still called the rich man, though he now has nothing. Lazarus is now living in luxury and the rich man is living in torment. And the rich man goes to Hades ( Luke 16:23).Įven in the afterlife, they still live in contrast to each other. This is where Jesus’ story gets interesting. The rich man is buried, undoubtedly anointed with oil, wrapped, and carefully placed in a tomb. Even in their death, there is considerable contrast. Jesus’story starts with these two men whose lives couldn’t be more different. Jesus personalizes his concern for the poor man with a name ( Luke 16:20-21). The only thing that Lazarus had that the rich man didn’t was a name. This detail is significant as it would have made him unclean, unable to worship properly. Jesus even adds a detail that showed just how low this guy was, that dogs licked or snipped at his wounds. The only thing that adorned him was sores, and all he had to eat were scraps that fell from the rich man's table. This man lived his life adorned in the finest clothes, including purple, which only the wealthiest could afford, and feasting daily. He makes it clear that this man is living a lavish lifestyle at the expense of others. Rather, he let him be a representative for all who live life in such a manner as he did. Jesus doesn’t even bother to give the rich man a name in his story. This story is all about the contrast between the two characters in this story, the rich man and Lazarus. Bible Meaning of Lazarus and the Rich Man So, let's dive into the rich man and Lazarus and look at what it has for us today. The rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 is a fascinating story told by Jesus that packs a punch! But it can be a confusing and difficult parable to understand.