There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate. (Luke 16:19-20)

A Certain Rich Man And A Certain Beggar

There are many inequalities in life that separate men by social class, education, wealth, and prosperity. It is the shared nature of the human story to find some men living in an abundance of luxury and those who dwell in abject poverty. Jesus said the poor will always be among the people of the world. The Son of God did not come to remove the barriers of wealth so that everyone would have an equal share of the world’s good. God has always included in His commandments for those who have to care for those who have not. The story of Ruth illustrates the Law of Moses when the reapers were to leave the corners of the field for people in need. Those whom God blessed were to extend benevolence to those who struggled.

In the story of Lazarus and the rich man, the focus is on the problem of the disparity of the men who have an abundance of wealth failing to care for those less fortunate. The rich man was a very rich man. Jesus said he was clothed in purple and fine linen. Purple was a costly commodity because of the rarity of harvesting the dye necessary for the garments. Clothing with purple dye was chiefly worn by princes, nobles, and those who were very wealthy. The fine linen was a soft, white garment made in Egypt from flax grown on the banks of the Nile. It was a much-sought article of luxury and was so expensive that it could be worn only by princes, priests, or those who were very rich.

The rich man dressed in purple and fine linen every day. He did not have a few garments worn on special occasions. His riches were so great he wore the most expensive clothing every day. He fared sumptuously every day. The rich man’s life was void of any cares of life as he enjoyed the best life had to offer. Nothing was lacking in his life as he enjoyed the finest foods, homes, goods, pleasures, and enjoyments of the flesh. For the rich man and his five brothers, life was an incredible feast of living with the best. There is no suggestion that the family’s riches were gained by illegal or immoral means. They were some of the wealthiest people in the world, and everyone knew it. One man especially knew how rich man was. His name was Lazarus.

For those who cared for Lazarus, they knew if there was to be any blessing for the lame man, he would find them at the gate of the wealthiest man in the area. Each day, Lazarus was laid at the rich man’s gate, hoping for the crumbs that fell from the man’s table. Lazarus was in the greatest misery of the human story. His body was covered with sores. He was unable to carry himself about, depending on others. The hunger that filled his stomach with wrenching pain was daily. There was little in life that was a blessing for Lazarus. The wild dogs that roamed the streets licked his wounds. Creatures without souls had sympathy for a man created in the image of God.

One thing that was a blessing for Lazarus was his faith in God. Jesus says that both men died, and angels carried Lazarus to the bosom of Abraham. Regardless of the terrible condition Lazarus found himself in, he was a righteous man worthy of eternal life. His faith in God, like the man Job, preserved his spirit to love God and serve Him. Death was a blessing for Lazarus. In contrast to the rich man who enjoyed life and then faced the horrors of death, Lazarus was comforted from all his pain. The rich man woke up in eternity screaming for water. Lazarus woke up in the arms of Abraham.

The contrast in life remains as a contrast in death. A certain rich man was no longer rich, and a certain beggar was no longer begging. Death was the common fate of both men. Only one had prepared for death. All the riches of purple and fine linen and houses and wealth were left for others to divide among themselves. The rich man died with empty hands. Lazarus died with an empty stomach, but his body was resurrected to an eternal body of joy filled with the glory of God. The lesson of a certain rich man and a certain beggar is that you are one of those men. You will die facing the horror of torment, or you will die and see the face of Abraham. You choose what kind of certain man you will be.