One of the reoccurring themes in the Bible is to care for the poor. Over and over again the Bible reminds those of faith that they are to care for the poor. Luke does a tremendous job painting a very vivid picture with this story. Great detail is shared about the man who is rich. We can see a vision form in our minds as we hear about his clothes and the extravagance of his meals. Luke also writes an equally vivid picture of Lazarus. We can begin to see him lying at the rich man’s gate. We can picture the dogs coming up to him. We can see the condition that he is in. Can we also picture his desperation? Lazarus’ only hope for food is to eat what falls from the table of the rich man. This man’s crumbs would be enough to feed Lazarus. But, can we imagine his desperation?

Speaking of images, this is not how I’ve viewed Heaven and Hell, with the ability to see from Hell up into Heaven. In passages like this I begin to wonder what the author was trying to share with their community. What was the situation that brought about this writing and is it intended more for those who identify with Lazarus or those who resemble the rich man. But this interaction causes desperation for the rich man and he doesn’t want his family to end up in the same situation. But the story doesn’t conclude with any resolution. Abraham tells the rich man that if they haven’t listened to pillars of their faith, they wouldn’t listen to someone even if they had risen from the dead.

So, what are we supposed to do with this passage? Are we supposed to connect “if someone rises from the dead” with Jesus? We know of Moses and the prophets but we tend to focus on Jesus more than any other figure in the Bible. Are we supposed to connect with Lazarus and the promise of comfort after we die or are we challenged to see the error of our ways as the rich man does and do what we can do live a better life? (What does “better look like?) The poor are mentioned in the Bible maybe as many as 2000 times. Quite often those who have means or are in power are reminded to remember the poor. Is this still a core part of the Christian faith? If so, how do best we care for those in need?