Lazarus

Jesus told a story about a rich man and a beggar. Every day the rich man dressed in clothes fit for a king and enjoyed a meal that few people could afford, even on feast days.

Outside the rich man's mansion lay a poor man named Lazarus, who was weak from hunger and covered with sores. Every day while the rich man feasted, Lazarus begged for something to eat. He would gladly have settled for the scraps and crombs that fell off the table as the rich man dined. But the rich man refused to let the servants give Lazarus any food. Only the dogs had pity on the beggar and tried to comfort him.

Lazarus died and was carried by angels to a happy place, where he met the Patriarch Abraham. The rich man also died a short time later, but he was dragged to a place of fire and torture. When he looked up, the rich man saw Laarus with Abraham and called out, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his fingers in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames" (Lk 16:24).

Abraham replied that it was impossible to cross the chasm sperating the two places in which people were rewarded or punished for the way they had lived their lives. The rich man then asked if Lazarus could go back to earth and warn his five brothers to obey God so that they wouldn't have to come to this horrible place when they died. But Abraham said that if they didn't believe the sacred words of Moses and the prophets, they wouldn't even believe someone who "rises from the dead" (Lk 16:31).

Jesus knew that some people would believe him and follow him, but others would not, even after he rose from the dead.