Rich man and Lazarus
Dives and Lazarus or Lazarus and Dives is a parable[1] attributed to Jesus that is reported only in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 16:19–16:31). It is also known as "The Rich Man and the Beggar Lazarus." The wealthy man is traditionally called "Dives", after the Latin word for "rich man" (though in the Biblical text he is only referred to as the rich man).[2] The story has been a favorite for artists and theologians, as it is the most vivid account of an afterlife to be found in the New Testament. Chaucer's Summoner observes that "Dives and Lazarus lived differently, and their rewards were different."[3]
The story
The story is as follows:
Lazarus and Dives, illumination from the Codex Aureus of Echternach
Top panel: Lazarus at the rich man's door
Middle panel: Lazarus' soul is carried to Paradise by two angels; Lazarus in Abraham's bosom
Bottom panel: Dives' soul is carried off by two devils to Hell; Dives is tortured in Hell
There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's Side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hell,[4] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'
But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
'No, Father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'— NIV
Early Christianity
Hippolytus of Rome (ca. AD 200) describes Hades with similar details: the bosom of Abraham for the souls of the righteous, fiery torment for the souls of wicked, and a chasm between them[5]. He equates the fires of Hades with the lake of fire described in the book of Revelation, but specifies that no one will actually be cast into the fire until the end times.
Medieval tradition
The story was frequently told in an elaborated form in the Medieval period, and Lazarus was venerated as a patron saint of lepers by the Roman Catholic Church.[6] In the twelfth century, crusaders in the Latin Kingdom founded the Order of Saint Lazarus.
Chaucer's Summoner observes that "Dives and Lazarus lived differently, and their rewards were different."[7]
In song
Richard Crashaw wrote a metaphysical stanza for his Steps to the Temple in 1646 entitled, "Upon Lazarus His Tears":
- "Rich Lazarus! richer in those gems, thy tears,
- Than Dives in the robes he wears:
- He scorns them now, but oh they'll suit full well
- With the purple he must wear in hell."
The story appeared as an English folk song (oldest written documentation from 1557[8]), with the depiction of the afterlife altered to fit Christian tradition. The song was also published as the Child ballad Dives and Lazarus in the 19th century.[9] North American slaves sang a spiritual about Lazarus and Dives.[10] In 1939, Vaughan Williams composed an orchestral piece based on this story.
Interpretations
The parable illustrates a theme common to several of Jesus's parables: the treatment of the least of society is the true measure of piety. The rich man's claims to external virtue and legal satisfaction could not compensate for his neglect of the poor man. Jesus taught, repeatedly, that the Kingdom of God is within the soul and not in the law, in contrast to the Pharisean understanding of the Messiah.
What makes this parable even more poignant is that the author of the Gospel is apparently also the author of the Acts of the Apostles, which relates the events after the Resurrection (or at very least, is aware of the resurrection). The readers are aware that not only do they have the words of Moses and the Prophets but that someone returned from death, too. Further, for early Christians, the parable answers the question of why, after the resurrection, Jesus did not preach and give new warnings to the living.
The parable is unique in that, unlike others where Jesus referred to the characters as "a certain man", "a sower", etc., one of the characters was referred to by name. There is a minority view which holds that, because of this, the story isn't a parable, but a reference to a real beggar named Lazarus and a real wealthy individual.
Afterlife doctrine
Christians debate what the story says about the afterlife. Most Christians believe in particular judgment and see the story as consistent with it. Eastern Orthodox Christians see the story as consistent with their belief in Hades, where the righteous and unrighteous alike await the resurrection of the dead. (The word translated as Hell in the story is Hades.) Western Christians usually interpret Lazarus as being in Heaven or Limbo and the rich man in Hell.
Instead of particular judgment, some Christians believe in soul sleep and general judgment only. Proponents of general judgment, for example Seventh-day Adventists and Christian Universalists, argue that this is a parable referring to Jewish and Gentile views of the Messiah. Other advocates of general judgment simply say that it is a parable that is devoted to morality, not the afterlife.
In the secular view, the story represents the 1st-century Jewish belief in Sheol ("Hades" in Greek, as in this passage). Sheol was said to be where all (or almost all) the dead went. In Sheol, some would rest in peace and others would suffer while waiting for Judgment Day. in this story, Lazarus and the rich man both go to Sheol, where the dead are divided according to their virtue. Lazarus goes to the place of comfort with Abraham while Dives is tortured in fire.
In popular culture
Dives is also called Diversus in some versions, such as that performed by Steeleye Span on their album "They Called Her Babylon".
The Christian metal band Whitecross performed a song called "No Second Chances" telling the story of Lazarus the beggar.
Views of historicity
There are a wide arrays of views on the historicity and origin of the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus.[11] The story is unique to Luke and does not appear to come from the putative Q document, and therefore there have been questions about sources.
As a literal, historical event
Some Christians view the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man as an actual event which was related by Jesus to his followers.[12] According to this view, this story is not a parable but literal biography. Supporters of this view point to the amount of detail in the story. For example, in no other parable does Jesus give a character's name.
As a parable created by Jesus
Most Christians consider that this is a parable created by Jesus and told to his followers.[13] Proponents of this view argue that the story of Lazarus and the rich man has much in common with other stories which are agreed upon parables, both in language and content (e.g. the reversal of fortunes, the use of antithesis, and concern for the poor).
As a mixture of Jesus and early Christian material
A third view says that the bulk of the parable was told by Jesus but was supplemented with later additions of material composed by others after Jesus's crucifixion. In this view, the early part of the story (Luke 16:19-26) is a parable told by Jesus, while the concluding verses (27-31) represent material added to the story by early Christians. In these verses, the rich man requests Lazarus be raised from the dead so as to serve as warning to the rich man's living brothers. For proponents of interpolation, this is an allegorical reference to the rejection of early Christianity by mainstream Judaism.[citation needed]
As originated by Luke
A fourth view holds that the story was not told by Jesus. Proponents of this view suggest that it is significant that only the Gospel of Luke mentions Jesus telling the story (see Synoptic Gospels). The story fits well with Luke's emphasis on care for the poor and therefore they suggest that it may be an authorial insertion.[citation needed]
See also
External links
References
- ^ Whether this account is a parable or biography is a matter of contention among Christians.
- ^ "Luke, chapter 16 verse 19". The Bible - Latin Vulgate. Vatican. Retrieved 2006-06-30. - "homo quidam erat dives et induebatur purpura et bysso et epulabatur cotidie splendide"
- ^ The Summoners's Prologue and Tale , line 1877 - "Lazar and Dives lyveden diversly, And divers gerdon hadden they therby."
- ^ Greek: Hades
- ^ Against Plato, On the Cause of the Universe
- ^ Lazarus on the Catholic Community Forum.
- ^ The Summoners's Prologue and Tale , line 1877 - "Lazar and Dives lyveden diversly, And divers gerdon hadden they therby."
- ^ Francis James Child, The English and Scottish popular Ballads, Part IV, 1886; referring to (inter alia) Arber, Registers of the Company of Stationers
- ^ anonymous; from Child ballad 56 A, from Sylvester: a Garland of Christmas Carols, from an old Birmingham broadside. "Dives and Lazarus". The Oxford Book of Ballads, 1910. Bartleby.com. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Poor man Lazarus". Repertoire. crescendoalpesto.ch. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
- ^ Multiple sources summarized at Jesus Database
- ^ e.g. Webpage which argues that Lazarus and the rich man is literally true.
- ^ eg The IVP Bible Background Commentary, Tom Wright's Luke for Everyone and Joachim Jeremias's The Parables of Jesus all refers to it as a "Parable"