Luke 16:19-31

Yet another challenging parable. We’re introduced to a nameless rich man and to Lazarus, the poor man who suffers from hunger and disease outside the rich man’s gates. Both men die – the first “Aha!” in this parable. Death, as the saying goes, is the great equalizer. All that money, all those fine possessions couldn’t keep the wealthy man alive.

The parable then tells us that the rich man is tormented in Hades while Lazarus seems to be lounging somewhere nearby with Abraham, the patriarch from Genesis (Luke 16:23). Let’s stop right here: This parable can be frightening because it seems to deal with our eternal destiny, and in a way that challenges what we trust about God’s grace and forgiveness. As David Lose writes, “Jesus didn’t tell parables to offer a complete definition or even picture of salvation.” Luke and Acts, written by the same author, deal again and again with the proper use of wealth, and it is wealth, not the afterlife or eternal punishment, that is Jesus’ concern here. There is very little mention of any afterlife, whether Hades, Sheol, or hell, in the New Testament other than in the parables, which were intended as metaphors; they were exaggerated and even hyperbolic stories told to make a point. As here, most often that point was to offer a glimpse into the kingdom and heart of God.

What do we see of God’s heart in this parable? As Abraham reminds the rich man, what God wants is obvious to anyone familiar with the Law of Moses and the prophets. Torah commands care for the poor, love for neighbor and stranger, and the provision of food and shelter for the needy. The prophets warn of consequences for our failure to do these things. Bottom line: We are to care for the needy because God cares for the needy. All are God’s beloved children regardless of human condition. The fact that Abraham calls the wealthy man “Child” hints that even the rich man of the parable is not utterly rejected (Luke 16:25). All, even the rich man, are precious to God.

The problem in the parable isn’t simply wealth. It is wealth combined with ignoring the fact that others are suffering because of their lack of resources. We’ve all heard of extremely rich people who achieved wonderful things with their wealth: fed the hungry, fought for justice, increased access to healthcare, built libraries, saved forests, funded the arts and sciences, endowed educational institutions, etc. But that is not the rich man of this parable. He appears to live for his own pleasure, for his fine clothes and sumptuous feasts (Luke 16:19). He doesn’t seem to know that Lazarus exists; in any event, he doesn’t care.

God cares. God notices and cares about the suffering of God’s creatures and insists that we notice and care as well, and caring means doing something to help alleviate the suffering. But just in case God’s insistence doesn’t move us to action, then let’s talk about the fact that poverty hurts everyone. Poverty, economic instability, and economic inequality are destabilizing forces in any society, and according to a recent UN report, they are wreaking havoc around the globe right now.

Why is this the rich man’s problem? First of all, he benefits from a stable society like everyone else. He benefits if the population is well-fed, well-educated, and adequately housed, because that creates a more stable, more productive society. But in addition, a recent Pew Research Center report found that a median of 60% of people worldwide believe that the wealthy have too much political influence, and that this influence contributes a great deal toward economic inequality. Poverty isn’t just about the lack of money. It’s about the structural barriers that make escaping financial hardship nearly impossible, and it’s about the lack of power to change those barriers. When the people in power don’t care for the poor, then efforts to remove barriers to opportunity – through public education, public transit, child care, accessible healthcare, affordable housing, etc. – are not given priority. Social problems such as homelessness, incarceration and crime, mental and physical health issues, unemployment, inadequate education, and even racial and gender inequality can be alleviated by addressing poverty and its many complicated tentacles – if we care. The rich man in the parable chose not to care; he ignored the impacts of poverty on the people who lived outside his gated community.

So, we could care for the poor because it’s good for everyone, including the rich. Or, we could just care for the poor because God wants us to, because Jesus told us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Caring for the poor might take the form of working in jobs that improve conditions for the poor, voluntary contributions of time and money to causes that address human need, paying taxes, and political action to change the societal barriers that keep people poor. The other day I saw a man in a t-shirt that said, “Hunger is on the ballot.” It is. Always. These actions may sound sound simple but nothing about poverty is simple. What is simple is that our faith calls us to care enough to do something about it.

© Joanne Whitt 2025 all rights reserved.

Resources:
David Lose, https://www.davidlose.net/2013/11/luke-16-19-31/
David Lose, https://www.davidlose.net/2019/09/pentecost-19-c-eternal-life-now/
Richard Wike, Moira Fagan, Christine Huang, Laura Clancy and Jordan Lippert,
“Economic Inequality Seen as Major Challenge Around the World,” January 9, 2025
https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/01/09/economic-inequality-seen-as-major-challenge-around-the-world/
“New UN Report Warns of Global Social Crisis Driven by Insecurity, Inequality and Distrust,” April 24, 2025 press release, https://unu.edu/press-release/new-un-report-warns-global-social-crisis-driven-insecurity-inequality-and-distrust
T. M. Scanlon, “The 4 Biggest Reasons Why Inequality Is Bad for Society,”
https://ideas.ted.com/the-4-biggest-reasons-why-inequality-is-bad-for-society/
Emmaline Soken-Huberty, https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/ways-poverty-affects-society/