The Lukan parable of the rich man and Lazarus is a particularly graphic story with an outcome we find uncomfortably harsh and stark. But before reading Luke 16:19-31, it is insightful to look back to verses 14-15. Jesus was a master at tailoring the thrust of his teachings to the specific audience he was addressing. This story is no exception. Verse 14 clearly defines those who are listening as "the Pharisees, who were lovers of money...."

Jesus' metaphors are amazingly vivid and bold. On the one hand there is the rich man, a caricature of extravagance, lolling about in purple linen robes and every day feasting sumptuously. On the other hand there is Lazarus, the epitome of poverty and misery as he lay (some translators even suggest he "was thrown") in the dust at the gate, covered with op…