Luke 16, 19-31: The Rich Man and Lazarus
This parable is found only in the gospel of Luke. It is consistent with Luke’s very critical position on the love of wealth, and his stance which is very pro-poor.
Observation and Interpretation
We should note the following in this parable:
- First, this is the only parable where Jesus puts the name of a character in the parable: Lazarus. Do we know the name of the prodigal son? Or the Good Samaritan? Or of the dishonest steward? Or of the persistent neighbor? This must mean that this parable is very important for Jesus, and for Luke the gospel writer. It also suggests that the rich man knew Lazarus personally. He did mention Lazarus’ name in his plea after his death: in verse 24, Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip his finger in water so as to cool off my tongue. So, the rich man personally knew him, but ignored him anyway.
- Second, observe the phrase “he dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day.” Each day. Every day, wearing fine clothes and dining sumptuously. EVERY DAY. ARAW-ARAW. Can you imagine that? I think we all treat ourselves to really fine dining once in a while. But this rich man could afford to do so every day.
- Third, the parable tells us in verse 20 that “Lazarus, would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table,” which means that he did not get anything, not even the scraps. This rich man who dined sumptuously everyday did not even give table scraps to Lazarus, and thus he could not be with Abraham, and instead ended up in the netherworld.
The message of the parable is: Just as the rich man ended in the netherworld for not even giving table scrap to Lazarus, then conversely, had he given even scraps, then he could have been saved.
Generalization:
It does not take much, it only takes scraps for us to show concern, and that would be good enough. This parable is the foundational Gospel verse of the on-going program of Archbishop Rosales named “Pondo ng Pinoy.” It aims to raise funds to help those in need by asking everyone to simply donate 25 centavos every day to the Pondo ng Pinoy fund. I shall not discuss the mechanics here, but the point of the Archbishop is this: the small things we give to others, if given consistently, every day, becomes part of our habit, and consequently transforms us. The slogan of Pondo ng Pinoy is thus: Ang magaling, kahit malimit, basta malimit, ay papuntang langit.
I believe this is why Luke emphasized that the rich man dined sumptuously every day. He could have done good little things everyday too, and he would have not only saved himself, but also saved others, starting with Lazarus.
Application:
- What little good things can you commit to do everyday for others?
Personal sharing:
That gospel has affected me some time back that I now buy sampaguita from every streetchild who knocks on my car window. But let me share something personal with you. Being a former corporate executive, I could not help but always think in terms of big plans and big activities. This gospel makes me realize that in doing so, I may have forgotten the little things. In answer to the discussion question, I can commit an extra small dose of patience to those who disagree with me. More concretely, I will pause for at least five seconds before arguing with someone who disagrees with me, hoping that within that time, I may be able to first understand and appreciate the point of the other. End of sharing.
