V. 19
'There once was a rich man, who dressed in purple and the finest linen, and feasted in great magnificence every day.

This story was told by Jesus in response to the scoffing of the Pharisees who had been listening to some of his teaching about the use of money and wealth.  Luke tells us in V 14 that the Pharisees loved money.  They possibly enjoyed the same kind of life-style that Jesus described for this rich man.  So, they'd have had no doubt that the story was addressing them.

He also addresses us who, compared with many in the world, are living a wealthy life-style.

V 20, 21
at his gate, covered with sores, lay a poor man named Lazarus, who would have been glad to satisfy his hunger with the scraps from the rich man's table  Even the dogs used to come and lick his sores.

While the rich man feasted, there was a beggar who had been dumped on his doorstep.   It seems that the rich man ignored the misery of Lazarus, the beggar.  If he noticed him at all, he probably averted his face in disgust as the Pharisees probably did, believing that the state of the beggar was due to some sin committed.

Lazarus is hungry, longing for the scraps from the rich man's table.  At a banquet, people would wipe grease from their hands onto a piece of bread and then throw the bread on the floor.  To long for such soiled bread is the height of misery -- the depth of degradation.  We are reminded of the prodigal son, who longed to eat the slop that he was feeding the pigs.  (Donovan, Sermonwriter) (story of the Prodigal , or Lost, Son:  Luke 15: 11 - 31)

The rich man certainly did nothing to provide food or to get any medical attention for him.  The only 'medical' attention Lazarus got was from the street dogs who came to lick his sores, as dogs will.  So Lazarus had no human friends to help him; the 'unclean' street dogs were his only friends.

The name Jesus gave to the beggar - Lazarus - means 'he whom God helps'.  This name alone would have been a shock to the Pharisees who would have thought that the poverty of Lazarus was a sign that God had abandoned him.

V 22, 23.
One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham.  The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up; and there, far away, was Abraham with Lazarus close beside him.

Shock!!!  The disgusting, poor beggar was the one to go to heaven to be with Abraham, the father of the nation. And the rich, supposedly righteous man went to Hades!  This is the opposite of what would be commonly expected and was a direct insult to the Pharisees.

As he did so often, Jesus turned people's beliefs upside down.

Quest Study Bible note, p 1449.  Although Jesus hinted at some fascinating details of life after death, that was not his reason for telling this story.  His point was that, contrary to popular opinion, money is not evidence of favour with God, nor does poverty indicate God's displeasure.

Donovan. The rich man "saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side."  In his life, the rich man gave no evidence that he had ever seen Lazarus.  Even now, he sees Lazarus only as a subordinate figure, glimpsed only by his peripheral vision.

V 24.
"Abraham, my father," he called out, "take pity on me!  Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water, to cool my tongue, for I am in agony in this fire."

The rich man still thinks he's entitled to service.  The penny hasn't dropped!  Is Jesus pointing out to the Pharisees that the penny hasn't dropped with them either - that they should know better than to value material things and earthly position so highly?  

It is also evident that the rich man, although relegated to the place of punishment (for what, he's wondering!), still considers himself a favoured son of Abraham.  Abraham is 'my father' to him. (not Lazararus's father).

When I was a child I grew up as a favoured only child of fairly well-off parents in a small country town.  There were some families in poverty in that town who lived in what I and my friends considered  filthy hovels. The children  - and there were many of them - were thin and dressed in poor clothing, much of which had been passed on by families like ours.(as charity)  I and my friends thought that the children of these families were 'beneath' us and we did not associate with them.  One of the girls joined the Girl Guides, and on her first night with the group, I found myself placed next to her in a circle when we all had to hold hands with the person next to us.  I was faced with a dilemma. I thought she was dirty and smelly and I didn't want to take her hand. But pride made me stay next to her and take her hand.  I now shudder to think what was probably the expression on my face as I did so, and what was the message she got from my very tentative touch.  I remember the incident with shame.

Even being in Hades did not change the rich man's ideas.

Donovan: The rich man is accustomed to dealing with influential people, so he addresses his comments to "Father Abraham," the ranking person, rather than to Lazarus, the person from whom he hopes to receive relief.  His words, "Father Abraham," remind us that, earlier in this Gospel, John the Baptist warned, "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham" (NIV. Luke 3:8).
              The rich man sees Lazarus only as a potential errand-boy.  He asks Abraham to send Lazarus with a drop of water.  In verse 27, he will ask Abraham to send him to warn his brothers.  Even in his diminished circumstances, the rich man will not recognize the Lazarus' value as a human being.
              Irony:  Lazarus had once coveted the scraps from the rich man's table. Now the rich man covets a drop of water from Lazarus' finger.

V 25.
But Abraham said, "Remember, my child, that all the good things fell to you while you were while you were alive, and all the bad to Lazarus; now he has his consolation here and it is you who are in agony.

The rich man is reminded of what life was like for both he and Lazarus in the past.  He is faced with the idea of justice, which still seems to be a concept that is foreign to him.  I wonder what the Pharisees were thinking at this point.  Were any of them beginning to understand what Jesus was saying? Or were their minds completely closed?

It seems on the surface as if the rich man went to Hades because he was rich and Lazarus was rewarded for his poverty.  But that is not what Jesus was meaning.  It was the rich man's lack of concern for the beggar at his gate which was the punishable offence.  Jesus did not consider wealth in itself to be sinful, but the misuse of wealth.

V 26.
But that is not all:  there is a great chasm fixed between us; no one from our side who wants to reach you can cross it, and none may pass from your side to us."

The positions of the two cannot be reversed.  There is no way the rich man can have any influence over what happens in heaven and nothing Lazarus can do to help the rich man, even if he wanted to.  Their new status is firmly settled.

V 27, 28.
"Then, father," he replied, "will you send him to my father's house, where I have five brothers, to warn them, so that they too may not come to this place of torment?"

The rich man still really doesn't get it!  He still thinks his wealth and power can be used, if not for his own benefit, at least for the benefit of his brothers, who probably were leading a lifestyle similar to his. But he obviously is beginning to realise why he is where he is as he wants his brothers warned.

Doing good works, especially from fear of the consequences, is not what gets us a reward in heaven. So, even if the brothers were told of his fate, that would not guarantee that their attitudes would be changed. Jesus wants us to have a genuine love and concern for those less fortunate than ourselves, not to run about doing good just with the idea that it will gain us access to heaven.  We know that the only way to win eternal life is though faith in Jesus, not by what we do.

Donovan: Again the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus in a servant-role -- this time to warn his brothers.  Having exhausted the possibility of helping himself, he expands his horizons, but only to include his brothers.  There is no concern for neighbors, and certainly none for down-and-out people from the wrong side of the tracks.

V 29.
But Abraham said, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them."

Abraham argues that the brothers already have all the information they need availabel to them through the prophets - as did the rich man.  Jesus infers that the brothers are no more likely to take notice of what the prophets said than did the rich man - and the Pharisees who were hearing him.

What about us?  Are the Bible stories so familiar to us that we listen, but do not really hear what God is saying to us through them?

Donovan: "Moses and the prophets" included numerous provisions for decent treatment of the poor and vulnerable:  

• Jews were not to mistreat aliens, widows, or orphans (Exod 22:21-22, 23:9; Lev 19:33; Deut 24:17-18).  They were to leave gleanings to the poor (Lev 19:9-10; 23:22).  
• They were to bring tithes to support Levites, aliens, the fatherless,
• and widows (Deut 14:28-29; 26:12-15).  
• They were to cancel all debts every seventh year and to be openhanded
• to the needy (Deut 15:1-11).  
• They were to include aliens, the fatherless and widows in their
• celebrations (Deut 16:9-15).  
• They were to observe justice (Isa 5:7-10; Mic 3:1-3).  
• They were not to exploit workers (Isa 58:3).  
• They were to plead the case of the fatherless and to defend the rights
• of the poor (Jer 5:25-29).  
• They were warned about using dishonest scales (Hos 12:7-9) and taking
• advantage of the vulnerable (Amos 2:6-8; Mal 3:5).  

How often do we wish for miracles to bring people to faith?  Miracles are wonderful, but God has made plenty of other evidence available to all of us.  Miracles might 'entertain'  non believers, but once the show was over, how long would they remember?

Jesus had healed people, cast out demons and raised people from the dead, but the Pharisees were not impressed with his miracles.  As he told this story, Jesus was aware that he was going to die and rise from the dead and that even that would not convince those whose minds were closed