In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The setting of the Lazarus and rich man parable When all is said and done, this rich man is nameless, and it’s Lazarus whose name is remembered. Jesus wants to give us a solid understanding of the great reversal. But in the afterlife, the first has become last. To the rich man, Lazarus is just another face in the crowd, an invisible poor person that disappears into the background of his comfortable, lavish life. It has only been God who has supported and cared for him. First of all, He calls the man Lazarus-the Greek version of the Hebrew name Eleazar-a name which means “God supports” or “God helps.” Throughout this beggar’s life, he has received no care or support from anyone else. It’s likely that Jesus named the beggar to make a specific point. Because of this, there’s a tendency to attach greater significance and meaning to this parable than to others. Interpreters have often gotten caught up in the fact that this is the only parable where Jesus names any of the central characters. Jesus begins by introducing us to two characters: an extremely wealthy man and a beggar named Lazarus. Even the dogs came and licked his sores” (Luke 16:19-21). At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. It’s this tense exchange that sets the stage for Jesus’ story about Lazarus and the rich man. When He gets to the last parable which touches on how we use our money and resources, Luke tells us that the “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus” (Luke 16:14).
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