The Rich Man & Lazarus

“‘Son,’ Abraham said, ‘remember that during your life you received your good things, just as Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here, while you are in agony". Luke 16:25

This parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus can be a jarring and disturbing story. We have the reminder that all of our lives will come to an end and, with that end, we will spend the remainder of eternity in Heaven with God or in Hell separated from him, being in torment.

The real concern is how the rich man ended up in such a state. Does this passage indicate that rich people inhabit Hell and poor people inhabit Heaven? As his customary in these parables, the truth is less blunt than this. There are other elements of the rich man's story, as well as points that Jesus makes to the religious leaders in the surrounding context, that shed light on how the rich man ended up separated from God. Our prayer is that we can soberly look at this passage of Scripture and inwardly into our own lives to evaluate the state of our hearts before God.