There are some interesting things about this parable besides its teaching message. The first is that this parable is the only one where Jesus gives his character a name. The second is the name tradition gives to the rich man. Finally, why the named character is called Lazarus?
Custom has given the name of Dives to the rich man. Dives is the Latin word for rich, but why the name Lazarus? Lazarus is the Greek for the Hebrew name, Eleazar, which means “God is my help.” It may well be that Jesus selected the name to emphasize the truth that even if the poor righteous man has no other helper, God is his help.
The parable in the minutes of detail, emphasizes the luxurious wealth of Dives and the utter poverty of Lazuras. Dives dressed with purple and linen robes, costing perhaps $200 each, a large sum of money in those days. He “feasted sumptuously every day.” He lived the life of a glutton, a gourmet. Note that he lived this way, “every day,” not even on the Sabbath did he abstain from “living high on the hog.”
How does this life style fit in with the Commandments God gave to the people of Israel? The part of the Commandment which we know and most often quote is, “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” but there is a second part. It states, “Six days you shall labor…” This second part is just as much of the commandment as the first, “Six days you shall labor…” The Jews glorified work. For instance, no Rabbi was paid for teaching. He had to have a trade to support himself and family. Our Lord earned his livelihood as a carpenter, a trade which he undoubtedly learned from Joseph, his earthly father. Dives by this description of his everyday life was already identified by Jesus as useless and in violation of the commandment.
Let us now take a look at Lazurus. His body was covered with sores, which was probably ulcers, a common ailment in this part of the world. He was so weak and defenseless that he could not protect himself against the dogs which licked and irritated the sores. The English translations say that he lay at the gate of the rich man, but a commentary says that from the original Greek he was thrown down there. He was probably carried there impatiently by some friends and dumped at the rich man’s gate.
Lazarus lay there waiting for whatever fell from the table to ease his hunger. Probably what fell were pieces of bread that Dives and his guests used to wipe their fingers and threw away. It was the custom in rich households to set loaves of bread on the table for this purpose since people ate with their fingers.
As we have seen the contrast in their lives here on earth, let us see what the contrast is like after death. Lazarus was “carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom,” an expression describing the greatest joy of being in Paradise. It was a common belief among Jews and early Christians that Paradise and hell were within sight of each other, so the bliss of Heaven served to intensify the torment of hell and the sight of hell intensify the bliss of Heaven. There was an old belief that a sinner could, with true repentance, and by keeping all the commandments redeem himself after a year in hell, at which time Abraham would come down and bring him out.
Jesus gives us a taste of his theology of life after death.
First, this parable says that we retain our identity; Dives is still Dives and Lazarus is still Lazarus. This says that our personality survives; you will be you and I will be I and the only thing we take when we leave the earth is our selves.
The second point is that after death, memory remains. The story implies that Dives is able to look back and see the life that he had led. That to me would be the worse kind of punishment to endure, having to live through eternity with the memory of all the hurts caused and shameful things done, all of which God has seen. The hell is the memory of what was lost and what might have been.
The third point is that after death recognition remains. Heaven wouldn’t be heaven if we do not meet again our friends and family who have preceded us.
Jesus makes clear that a man can get what he wants, but must pay the price. Dives chose to set his eyes on worldly things and he got his reward; Lazarus had set his hope and thought on God, and he was rewarded accordingly. How much are we willing to pay to satisfy our wants? Do we want to grow rich at the expense of our soul?
When it is our time to face the Seat of Judgment, how will we be judged? Will we try to plead ignorance for things done that should not have been done and things left undone that should have been done? God has given us His written Word in the scriptures. He has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts. He has given the voice of conscience to speak within us. And He has given the example of good and saintly people to emulate. How can we plead, “I didn’t know?”
One last question remains to be answered from the parable. Why is Dives so condemned without compromise? It doesn’t seem that he was a cruel or really bad person. He didn’t physically abuse Lazarus; he didn’t have his servants remove him from the gate. He seemed willing to have the bread used to wipe the fingers tossed to him. Dives sin was indifference. He treated Lazurus as a part of the scenery that had nothing to do with his sumptuous life style. He could see Lazarus at his gate, starving, with an ulcerated body and not engender any sense of compassion or pity for the man.
Do we find compassion for the homeless and starving in far away exotic places but accept the homeless and hungry at our doorsteps as part and parcel of life at Wilshire and Berendo? Do we feel the sword of pity and love enough to do something about these conditions/ It was not what Dives did that got him into hell; it was what he did not do.
Two weeks ago, we held a dinner-dance to raise funds for scholarships to commemorate the life of Genevieve Dorbor, who served her Lord faithfully here at Immanuel as the Director of the Food Pantry for over a decade. Though she couldn’t solve the overall problem of the homeless, she did what she could…she helped ease the hunger, one person at a time. Hers was a life of loving service worthy for others to emulate. She lived these words from St. Augustine and Edmund Burke
“Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by accidents of time, or circumstance, are brought into closer connection with you.”
-St. Augustine
“No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.”
-Edmund Burke (1729-1797)
