What is our responsibility to the poor, those who, for whatever reason, truly cannot help themselves? That was Lazarus’ situation, as Jesus described it in Luke chapter 16. Verse 20 says he “was laid” at the rich man’s house, which implies that he couldn’t walk there himself. And whatever disease he had was clear for all to see, as he had sores all over his body. Surely, if there was anyone who was in obvious need of help, it was Lazarus.

But at the same time, he wasn’t one of those people demanding assistance or asserting that he somehow deserved it. No, all he wanted was to eat what fell from the rich man’s table – or as we might say, table scraps. He wasn’t asking for much: he just wanted to have what was usually given to the dogs. And since he was right outside the rich man’s gate, it would literally have been no trouble for the rich man to have wrapped up some leftovers and given them to him.

So, why was the rich man’s spirit in torment? Not because he had a lot of good things in life, but because he refused to share them with those who were truly needy. In short, he had not done what the Law of Moses and the Prophets had told him to do: “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land (Deuteronomy 15:11).’”

And what about us Christians? We confess that we were the most helpless, the neediest of all: dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). And we know that Jesus loved us enough to die for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8), undeserving rebels against His righteous rule. So shouldn’t we, like Jesus, take pity on the helpless?

In Luke 16:31, Abraham told the rich man that even sending someone back from the dead wouldn’t convince callous people like him to do what the Bible requires. We know Jesus has come back from the dead, meeting our greatest need: eternal life. So, shouldn’t we do all we can to help others, not just speaking of God’s love for them, but showing it to them the way Jesus showed it to us?

Luke 16:19-31 (NASB)

19 “Now there was a certain rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day.
20 “And a certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores,
21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.
22 “Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.
23 “And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 “And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.’
25 “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.
26 ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, in order that those who wish to come over from here to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’
27 “And he said, ‘Then I beg you, Father, that you send him to my father’s house–
28 for I have five brothers– that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’
29 “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’
30 “But he said, ‘No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’
31 “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.'”