Narrate the parable of the rich man and Lazarus and indicate two lessons that could be learnt from it.
There was a rich man who was always gorgeously dressed. He lived in a big and beautiful house. At his gate was a poor man named Lazarus who wore rags and had sores all over his body. He begged even to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table, but he was daily ignored. The dogs came and licked his wounds. When both men died, Lazarus was carried to Abraham's bosom while the rich man was carried to Hades or hell where he was in great agony. He saw Abraham afar and Lazarus in his bosom. He cried, " Father Abraham, have mercy upon me and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame". Abraham replied: " Son, remember that you in your life time received your good things and Lazarus in like manner evil things, but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish".
He was further told that there was a gulf between heaven and hell for either of them to cross over. The rich man requested Father Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers on earth to tell them to be kind to the-poor. Abraham told him that his brothers had Moses and the prophets whom they should listen to. The rich man pressed further that if only someone from the dead would preach to them, they would listen. In his reply, Abraham said that if they could not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither would they listen if someone should rise from the dead.
Lessons which can be learnt from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus are:
(i) The parable teaches concern for one another.
(ii) As the Jews rejected the teaching of Moses and the prophets, so also did they reject the son of God, Jesus who was sent to bring salvation to mankind.
(iii) If we misuse our opportunities on earth, it may be taken away from us when we get to heaven.
(iv) Over-indulgence of the physical appetite leaves no room for spiritual growth.
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