Luke 16:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,

NIV: At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores

NASB: And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores,

CSB: But a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, was lying at his gate.

NLT: At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores.

KJV: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

NKJV: But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,

Jesus introduces the second character of His story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man, we know, dresses in fine, expensive fabrics and feasts every day (Luke 16:19). Lazarus is a beggar, starving and suffering from disease (Luke 16:21). He may be lame, as other people seem to have placed him before the wealthy man's gate in hopes he will have pity on Lazarus and at least feed him.

This Lazarus is not Lazarus of Bethany, Mary and Martha's brother, whom Jesus will raise from the dead (John 11:1–44). "Lazarus" is a variation of "Eleazar," and means "God helps." The rich man is unnamed, possibly to better allow the Pharisees to recognize themselves.

The story is not strictly a parable—an earthly story with a spiritual meaning—but there's little reason to believe it's a record of a literal event, either. Jesus knows the Pharisees have a hard time understanding His parables (Luke 8:9–10); perhaps He is more straightforward for their benefit.

A gate would be the entrance through a wall to the courtyard of a home. The word used, however, refers to a city gate or one used for temples and mansions. We don't know what kind of sores Lazarus has, but if the dogs lick them (Luke 16:21) they were probably open, which made him unclean (Leviticus 15:2–12). The rich man is inside the gate, feasting and wearing fine clothes; Lazarus lies outside, starving and suffering.

Luke 16:19–31 contains the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus, a poor beggar, dies and goes to "Abraham's bosom" while a rich man dies and goes to torment. The rich man begs Abraham first for some relief and then to warn his brothers; Abraham insists they have been warned enough. There are several applications: our feelings about money often reveal our devotion to God; once someone dies, their fate is sealed; and if the Pharisees cannot see Jesus in the Mosaic law and the Prophets, they'll never see the truth of who He is in miracles—even someone returning from the dead.

Teaching His disciples and confronting the Pharisees, Jesus offers several lessons about wealth and devotion to God. The first is a parable about a dishonest manager. This illustrates the value of being careful and clever with earthly resources. Jesus then uses remarks about the Law and marriage to introduce the story of the rich man and Lazarus. This not only highlights the dangers of greed, but it also debunks the common claim that a non-believer would submit to God if only they saw "a little more evidence" or a miracle.

The prior chapter included Jesus' teachings centered on lost things: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. Luke 16 includes several of Jesus' lessons about living in the kingdom of God compared to the world system, beginning and ending with parables (Luke 16:1—17:10). Chapter 16 includes the parable of the dishonest manager, Jesus' teaching on how money reveals faith, and the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Luke 17:1–10 teaches about whether Christ-followers bear responsibility for others' sin, lessons about faith, and the parable of the unworthy servants.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.