Passing Lazarus
Imagine This
A billionaire CEO works out of a glass high-rise in the middle of a major city. Just outside the building sits a homeless man named Lazarus, wrapped in an old blanket. Every day he leans against the wall near the entrance holding a cardboard sign asking for help. The CEO passes him every day on the way into meetings, expensive dinners, and private events.
Over time, the homeless man grows weaker. Eventually, he dies alone outside the same building where the CEO walked past him every week.
Not long after, the CEO dies as well.
And suddenly, the situation of the two men is reversed…
Scripture Overview
In Luke 16: 19-31, Jesus tells the story of a rich man who lives in luxury while a poor man named Lazarus suffers outside his gate.
Lazarus is the only person Jesus ever names in a parable. His name means, “God has helped.”
At first, that seems almost ironic. Lazarus appears abandoned, ignored, and forgotten. But the story is building toward a great reversal.
Both men die.
Lazarus is comforted. The rich man enters torment.
The rich man is never accused of violence or cruelty. The tragedy is more subtle than that. He simply spends his life passing Lazarus without truly seeing him.
The issue is not merely wealth. The issue is a heart so consumed with comfort that it becomes blind to suffering.
Abraham tells the rich man that his brothers already have Moses and the Prophets. The problem was never lack of information. The problem was a refusal to respond to the truth already in front of them.
Then Jesus ends with a warning:
“If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”
Talk About It
Why do you think the rich man stopped truly seeing Lazarus?
How can comfort and routine make us blind to the needs around us?
What is the difference between noticing suffering and responding to it?
Why is it possible to have great wealth and still be spiritually poor?
Practice This Week
This week, pay attention to the people you normally pass by without really seeing.
Ask yourself:
Who has become part of the background in my life?
Where have I grown comfortable while ignoring real need?
What would it look like to respond with compassion instead of simply moving on?
Look for one practical way to help someone who is easy to overlook.
Prayer
God, forgive us for the ways comfort and routine can blind us to the people around us. Open our eyes to see those who are hurting, struggling, and easily overlooked.
Teach us not to ignore suffering while focusing only on ourselves. Help us respond with compassion, generosity, and love.
Keep our hearts soft and attentive to the people You place in front of us.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
