The parable of the rich man and Lazarus, found in Luke 16:19-31, is Jesus’ warning about the danger of ignoring people in need.
Isn’t it easy to ignore things once they become normal? The dent in the garage wall, the tear in your car’s upholstery, or the person you pass every morning on your way to work.
Jesus once told a story about the danger of ignoring something familiar. Or, in this case, someone. Along the way, Jesus insists that what you treasure most will shape everything about your life and everything that comes after it.
Whether you’re wrestling with what money means in your faith or wondering what Jesus actually taught about the afterlife, this guide will walk through the parable piece by piece.
New to parables? Jesus often taught through simple stories that revealed deeper truths about God and His kingdom. If you’re just getting started, check out our guide to the Parables of Jesus before diving in.
Where Does the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man Appear in Scripture?
The parable of Lazarus and the rich man is found in Luke 16:19-31.
It’s within a cluster of parables in Luke 15-16 that deal with what God values. The lost sheep, the lost coin, the prodigal son, and the unjust steward all come right before this story. Each one challenges assumptions about who’s “in” and who’s “out” with God.
The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man Summary
Here’s what happens:
- A wealthy man lives in luxury every day.
- A beggar named Lazarus lies outside his gate, covered with sores and hoping for scraps from the rich man’s table.
- Both men die. Lazarus is carried to “Abraham’s side,” while the rich man finds himself in torment.
- The rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus with water to cool his tongue, but Abraham explains that a great chasm separates them.
- Hoping to spare his family the same fate, the rich man asks Abraham to warn his five brothers.
- Abraham replies that they already have “Moses and the Prophets.” If they won’t listen to God’s Word, they won’t be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.
Who’s Who in the Parable?
Every parable contains people, objects, or settings that carry spiritual meaning. Before we explore what this story means, we need to understand who and what each element represents.
- The rich man: Someone who enjoys God’s blessings but has become blind to the suffering right outside his gate.
- Lazarus: A poor beggar whose name means “God is my help,” representing those the world overlooks but God does not.
- Abraham: The father of Israel, representing God’s promise, comfort, and welcome for the faithful.
- The great chasm: A picture of the finality of our choices after death.
- Moses and the Prophets: A way of referring to the Old Testament Scriptures, which already reveal God’s heart and call people to repentance.
Explore famous stories about Abraham and Moses.
Why Does Jesus Name Lazarus?
Most people miss this detail: Lazarus is the only named person in all of Jesus’ parables. That’s a fun bit of Bible trivia I hope you’ll share, but there’s also a point to it.
The people we learn to overlook are never overlooked by God.
Speaking of Lazarus by name captures the heart of the parable: The people we learn to overlook are never overlooked by God.
Because isn’t it fitting that the only named character represents the people we tend to ignore? Like other drivers on the road, baristas, unhoused people, and people who live on our street or in our apartment building. They’re all around us. We don’t know their names, but God does, and He cares for everyone.
So Jesus likely named Lazarus to remind us that God cares for the people we’re prone to ignore.
Is the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man About Hell?
Not really. Nothing in this parable suggests Jesus is trying to give a Google Maps picture of heaven and hell. Instead, He’s telling a fictional story to make a point about how we use our resources.
So if someone asked me to name a Bible story about hell, this probably wouldn’t make the list. That’s because this is a money-and-resources story, not an afterlife story.
Remember, this is a parable. And parables create fictional situations to make a point. So yes, an “afterlife” is mentioned. But we’re wise to be cautious and remember not to treat parts of the story as literal and others figurative.
Why Is the Rich Man in Torment?
Jesus reverses their situations to force His audience to see Lazarus differently.
The author, Luke, seems to love reversals in parable stories. His Gospel highlights the prodigal son who got a feast when he deserved judgment and the good Samaritan who was the hero while the religious leaders walked past.
In this parable, Lazarus lived in torment. He was hungry, sick, and hoping for scraps. The rich man had thousands of chances to help but didn’t. After death, the roles were reversed. Lazarus lived well, while the rich man lived in torment. He found himself begging the same way Lazarus used to.
Jesus turned the picture around and asked His listeners, in effect, “What if you were the one desperate for mercy?” It’s too late for the fictional rich man to change, which is fine, because he’s not real. But there is time for Jesus’ very real listeners to change, and ease the “torment” of the people around them today.
Why Does Abraham Mention ‘Moses and the Prophets’?
The rich man had one last request. If it’s too late for him, maybe Lazarus can go warn his five brothers before they make the same mistake. Abraham refused because they already had what they needed.
When Abraham said, “They have Moses and the Prophets,” he was referring to the Old Testament Scriptures.
Long before Jesus told this parable, God had repeatedly called His people to care for the poor, pursue justice, welcome outsiders, and love their neighbors. So the brothers in the story were fully aware, just disobedient. The parable reminds us compassion toward the marginalized isn’t optional for those who claim to follow God.
What Does the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man Mean for Us Today?
Most of us don’t have someone literally lying outside our front door. But we all have a gate. We’re all around people who are easy to ignore, but who matter to God. Maybe they need financial help, or maybe they need someone to notice them.
That’s the question this parable leaves you with: Who’s at my gate? And will you help them before it’s too late?
3 Lessons From the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man
1. God cares about the people we overlook.
Lazarus spends his life outside the rich man’s gate, ignored by everyone. Yet he’s the only person in the parable given a name. The world overlooked him, but God didn’t.
2. Our response to God’s blessings reveals our hearts.
The rich man’s wealth wasn’t his problem. His willingness to enjoy God’s gifts while ignoring the person in front of him was. What we do with what God gives us says a great deal about what we value.
3. It’s possible to know the truth without living it.
The rich man wanted a miracle to convince his brothers. Abraham said they already had God’s Word. Jesus’ point is uncomfortable: The biggest obstacle usually isn’t a lack of information. It’s whether we’re willing to respond to what God has already said.
Next Steps
- Reflect: What does your spending and your time reveal about what you truly treasure? If someone looked at your calendar and bank account, what would they say you worship?
- Pray: Ask God to open your eyes to the “Lazarus” people in your life—the ones you’ve been walking past. Ask for the courage to stop.
- Try: Find one practical way to help someone in need this week, expecting nothing in return. Buy a meal. Have a conversation. Show up for someone no one else is showing up for.
Read the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man for Yourself
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:19-31 NIV
Want to keep exploring? This parable is part of The Parables of Jesus—a full library of parable explainers organized in one place.