Rich Man and Lazarus
Jesus tells a story of a rich man and Lazarus the beggar at his gate. “There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate lay a beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores. The beggar longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“Time passed and the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. 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. Now he is comfortable here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you, there is a great chasm. 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 family, 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.’”