Luke 16:20
“A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was taken to his gate, full of sores,”
What does Luke 16:20 mean?
This introduction to Lazarus shows us someone in the deepest poverty and physical suffering of his time, placed right at the entrance of a wealthy man's home. The detail about his sores suggests disease that went untreated, making him not only poor but also isolated by the attitudes toward illness in that era. Jesus is setting up a stark contrast between two lives lived in close proximity yet separated by an enormous gulf of compassion and care. The story that follows will challenge us to think about how we respond to suffering we can actually see.