Nab B.
April 9, 2022
(updated Oct 12, 2025)
Lazarus' Spiritual predators, 'the dogs'
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Most of what many Christians see is a tormenting, fiery hell in this parable, and not much more! Is this why Jesus said it? Is this what he meant? In this article, I will examine the passage closely and uncover a deeper, spiritual meaning—no silly hell fire, I promise.
Cultures often reflected their traits in their make-believe gods. A cruel culture invented cruel gods; an overindulgent culture did the same. How true that “Those who make them [gods] become like them.” (Psalms 115:8)
In Christianity, it's no different! A torturous God is widely believed; one wonders if it is a reflection of a cruel Christian culture at heart. I hope to be wrong!
Before going on, here are three points to help us see the spiritual meaning of Jesus’ parable and to disprove the false doctrine of hellfire:
Death is a condition (a state) and not a place of conscious existence!
The Scriptures speak of aionian (NOT everlasting) punishment; not a continual (endless) punishing!
A literal interpretation is unreasonable as it suggests the rich go to hell while the poor go to heaven (unjust); that a drop of water relieves hell’s agony (impossible)!
(Luke 16:19-31 ESV)
"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried.
"And in hell (Hades) he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
"But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
"Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." (Luke 16:19-31 ESV)
Context will help us know why Jesus gave this parable and who his target was. Just a few verses before the parable, it reads,
"The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God." (Luke 16:14-15 ESV)
Jesus targeted the ecclesiastical religious groups. He spoke in their hearing that they were lovers of money, self-righteous, and haughty; "an abomination" to God!
This is a parable, a story presenting spiritual truth. The fictitious characters represent two groups of people.
The "rich man" represents the self-righteous religious class (Pharisees, Scribes, etc). They possessed spiritual riches (the law and the scriptures), but looked down on the unlearned, the humble poor. Of them, Jesus said,
“Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.” (Luke 16:14)
"Lazarus," whose name means 'God will help,' for a reason! He represents those “poor in spirit,” and who “Hunger and thirst for righteousness." For them, only "God is their help." (Matt 5:3,5)
Lazarus desired to be fed (spiritually), even if it were crumbs (so little) from the rich man’s table, his religious leaders, who were entrusted to teach the law and the scriptures and to shepherd the people. (Compare Romans 3:2).
Jesus was always keenly aware of the spiritual poverty of Lazarus-like people:
“He had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34)
The death of both is metaphorical. The rich man died spiritually because of pride, self-righteousness, and love of money. After his death, he remained spiritually dead, separated from God's comfort—a separation that produced his agony and torment.
The poor man also died spiritually because the rich man deprived him of any spiritual nourishment. Note Lazarus' gradual spiritual decline:
Begged for food (spiritual bankruptcy)
Full of sores (spiritual sickness)
Laid at the gate (spiritual disability)
Fed crumbs (spiritual famine)
Licked by dogs (evildoers, compare Phil 3:2, Rev 22:15)
After his spiritual death, Lazarus was comforted and revived by God because he desired "to be filled". Similarly, those Lazarus-like receive heavenly blessings in this "age and in the one to come", as Jesus promised us,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matt 5:3,5,6)
"The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And the one hearing, let him say, 'Come!' And the one thirsting let him come; the one desiring, let him take freely the water of life." (Rev 22:17 BLB)
The words “TORMENT” and "Grief" convey mostly mental anguish, deep sorrow, and mourning. But nowhere do they apply to physical torture, as seen from their word study below:
HELPS Word-Studies:
Torment:
(Cognate: 931 básanos – originally, a black, silicon-based stone used as "a touchstone" to test the purity of precious metals (like silver and gold). (source: biblhub.com)
Grief:
(3600 odynáō (from 3601 /odýnē, "very painful sorrow") – properly, to experience intense emotional pain, i.e. deep, personal anguish expressed by great mourning. (source: biblehub.com)
Likely, you have noticed that the two Greek words translated as "torment" and "grief" ( básanos & odynáō) mean "test," "grieve," "suffer," "be anxious," or "in agony". Whatever figurative "flame" (v. 24) the "rich man" felt was due to his mental and emotional agony of being abandoned by God.
The "great gulf fixed" (v. 26) is caused by the separation between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light. The proud and self-righteous (darkness) have no place in Christ's kingdom (light). This is how Paul expresses this separation,
"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. What partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? What fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? What portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols?" (2 Cor 6:14-16 ESV)
True to Jesus' saying, "The first will be last, and the last will be first" (Matt 19:30), so it is with these two. The rich man-like group is spiritually poor, while the poor man-like group is spiritually rich: "But now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish." (Luke 16:25)
The problem with the rich man is in his tongue. If he were in a fiery hell, why would he ask to cool his tongue ONLY? Because it is allegorical to relay a deeper spiritual truth.
The "tongue" represents man's outer expression of his inner thoughts and desires. It is man's inner heart, his old nature, that prevents him from seeing the light of Christ.
“What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, deeds of greed, wickedness, deceit, indecent behaviour, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” (Matt 7:20-23)
“The tongue also is a fire, the world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, defiling all the body, and setting on fire the course of nature, and itself being set on fire by Gehenna.” (James 3:6)
The parable deals with Jesus' displeasure with the oppressive and deceiving religious systems in the church. It also highlights Jesus' love for those who "Are poor in spirit," and "Hunger and thirst after righteousness" (Matt 5:3, 6)
We are able to see that we are either like the rich man or like Lazarus. Although both groups can suffer spiritual poverty, it is the humble who are "comforted," but the proud "suffer" terribly.
No need to distort Jesus’ words to mean something other than what they really meant. The parable teaches us that our only hope out of spiritual poverty and sickness is to go to Jesus Christ, who alone offers true "comfort" and eternal "rest."
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
(Matthew 11:28)