Writing in the Evangelical Times, Peter J. Williams uses the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) to demonstrate just how skilful a story-teller Jesus was.

1. Use of words

We can readily visualise each person’s situation and daily movements:

‘At his gate’ – conjures up the image of the rich man’s large and enclosed house.  He would have to pass Lazarus every time he approached or left his home.  Yet he would ignore him.

‘Was laid’ – indicates that Lazarus had limited mobility and had to rely on others to get around.

‘The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried’ – Clearly, Lazarus died first (poor people usually live shorter lives).  We know that the rich man was buried; it is not stated that Lazarus was buried.  The rich man gets better treatment in earthly terms, but not in heavenly terms; he preferred earthly to heavenly reward, but came to regret it.

2. Use of names

In a significant reversal of expectation, the rich man (who would have been known to many) goes unnamed; whereas the poor man (neglected by many) is named (‘Lazarus’ means ‘God helps’).

In his cry to ‘Father Abraham’, Lazarus reveals that he knows Lazarus’ name.  This accentuates his guilty neglect.

In referring to ‘Father Abraham’, Lazarus wants to stress his kinship with the great patriarch.  But if he had taken the Torah seriously, and really accepted Abraham as his father, he would have known that he had many more than five brothers, for a true Jew would have kinship with all his fellow-Israelites (including Lazarus).

3. Old Testament connections

We read that the Rich Man feasted daily in purple and fine linen.  This description occurs only once elsewhere in the Bible.  In Esther Ahasuerus invited everyone to his seven-day feast – in marked contrast to the meanness of the rich man in Jesus’ story.

Lazarus was ‘covered with sores’.  The only other man in the Bible so described is Job, who, although rich, did not ignore the needs of the poor (Job 31:17-21).  This again underlines the rich man’s guilt.

Then we read that ‘in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side’ (Luke 16:2).  Here is an echo of Genesis 22:4 ‘On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar’.  Note the common features: ‘lifted up his eyes’; ‘far’, ‘afar’; ‘see’; Abraham, like Job, was rich, and yet entertained strangers.  Once again, the inhospitality of the rich man is highlighted by this allusion.

Of course, Jesus did not tell stories merely to entertain.  Rather, they are simple stories which, through features such as those just noted, work at a profound moral and spiritual level.