Church Fathers Commentary Luke 16

The Venerable Bede: After rebuking with three parables those who murmured because He received penitents, our Savior shortly after adds a fourth and a fifth on almsgiving and frugality. This is because the most fitting order in preaching is for almsgiving to be added after repentance. Therefore, the text continues, And he said to his disciples, There was a certain rich man.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: There is a certain erroneous opinion, common to humanity, that increases evil and diminishes good. It is the feeling that we possess all the good things in our life as masters over them, and so we seize them as our own special property. But the opposite is true.

We are placed in this life not as masters in our own house, but as guests and strangers, led where we do not wish to go and at a time we do not expect. The one who is rich now suddenly becomes a beggar. Therefore, whoever you are, know that you are a steward of what belongs to others, and that the privileges granted to you are for a brief and temporary use. Cast away, then, the pride of power from your soul, and put on the humility and modesty of a steward.

The Venerable Bede: The bailiff is the manager of a farm and gets his name from it. The steward, however, or director of the household, is the overseer of money and produce, and of everything his master possesses.

St. Ambrose of Milan: From this, then, we learn that we are not the masters, but rather the stewards of the property of others.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Furthermore, when we do not manage our wealth according to our Lord’s will but abuse our trust for our own pleasures, we are unfaithful stewards. This is why the text says, And he was accused to him.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Meanwhile, the steward is taken and removed from his position, for the parable continues: And he called him, and said to him, What is this that I hear of you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can be no longer steward. Day after day, through the events that take place, our Lord cries out the same thing to us, showing us a man rejoicing in his health at midday who, before evening, is cold and lifeless, or another dying in the middle of a meal. In various ways, we all depart from our stewardship. The faithful steward, who is confident about his management, desires with Paul to depart and be with Christ. But the one whose desires are on earth is troubled at his departure. Thus, it is added of this steward: Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? For my Lord takes away from me the stewardship. I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

Weakness in action is the fault of a lazy life, for no one who was accustomed to hard work would shrink from it. But if we take the parable allegorically, after we depart from this life, there is no more time for working. The present life is for practicing what is commanded; the future is for consolation. If you have done nothing here, then it is in vain that you are anxious for the future, nor will you gain anything by begging. The foolish virgins are an example of this; they unwisely begged from the wise but returned empty. For everyone wears their daily life like an inner garment; it is impossible to take it off or exchange it with another.

But the wicked steward cleverly arranged for the forgiveness of debts to provide himself an escape from his misfortunes among his fellow servants, for it follows: I am resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So too, whenever a person, perceiving their end is near, lightens the load of their sins with a kind deed—either by forgiving a debtor or by giving generously to the poor—they are dispensing what belongs to their Lord. In doing so, they win for themselves many friends. These friends will offer a true testimony for them before the judge, not with words, but by the evidence of their good works; indeed, through their testimony, they will provide for them a place of rest and consolation. But nothing is our own; all things are in God’s power. Hence it follows, So he called every one of his Lord’s debtors to him, and said to the first, How much owe you to my Lord? And he said, A hundred casks of oil.

The Venerable Bede: A cadus in Greek is a vessel containing three urns. The parable continues: And he said to him, Take your bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty, forgiving him half. It then continues: Then said he to another, And how much owe you? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. A corus is made up of thirty bushels. And he said to him, Take your bill, and write fourscore, forgiving him a fifth part.

The simple meaning may be taken as follows: whoever relieves the needs of a poor person, whether by supplying half or a fifth of what is needed, will be blessed with the reward for their mercy.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, the meaning is this: because he had the debtors write down fifty out of the hundred measures of oil, and eighty out of the hundred measures of wheat, it signifies that the duties every Jew performs for the Priests and Levites should be even more present in the Church of Christ. While they give a tenth, Christians should give a half, as Zacchaeus gave from his goods, or at least exceed the payments of the Jews by giving two-tenths, that is, a fifth.

St. Augustine of Hippo: The steward whom his Lord cast out of his stewardship is nevertheless commended because he provided for his future. As it follows, And the Lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely. We should not, however, take the entire story as a model for our imitation, for we should never act deceitfully against our Lord so that we might give alms from the fraud itself.

Origen of Alexandria: Because the Gentiles say that wisdom is a virtue—defining it as experience with what is good, evil, and indifferent, or as the knowledge of what should and should not be done—we must consider whether this word has one meaning or many. For it is said that God prepared the heavens by wisdom. It is plain, then, that this wisdom is good, because the Lord prepared the heavens by wisdom.

It is also said in Genesis, according to the Septuagint, that the serpent was the wisest of animals. In this case, wisdom is not a virtue but evil-minded cunning. It is in this sense that the Lord commended the steward for having acted wisely—that is, cunningly and wickedly.

Perhaps the word “commended” was used not in the sense of true praise, but in a lesser sense. This happens when we speak of someone being commended for trivial or morally neutral matters, or when, to a certain degree, clashes and sharpness of wit are admired because they draw out the power of the mind.

St. Augustine of Hippo: On the other hand, this parable is told so that we might understand that if the steward who acted deceitfully could be praised by his master, how much more will those please God who do their works according to His commandment.

Origen of Alexandria: The children of this world are also called not wiser, but more prudent than the children of light—and this is not an absolute or simple statement, but one that applies only “in their generation.” For the text continues, For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light...

The Venerable Bede: The phrases “children of light” and “children of this world” are used in the same way as “children of the kingdom” and “children of hell.” For a person is called a son of the works he does.

Theophylact of Ohrid: By “the children of this world,” then, He means those who are concerned with the good things of the earth. By “the children of light,” He means those who, beholding divine love, concern themselves with spiritual treasures.

Indeed, in managing human affairs, we find that we prudently arrange our own matters and work diligently so that we may have a refuge when we depart from this life. Yet when we ought to be managing the things of God, we take no thought for what our lot will be hereafter.

St. Gregory the Great: Therefore, so that people may find something in their own hands after death, they should place their riches in the hands of the poor before they die. This is why it says, And I say to you, Make to yourselves friends of the man of unrighteousness...

St. Augustine of Hippo: What the Hebrews call “mammon” is “riches” in Latin. It is as if He said, “Make friends for yourselves with the riches of unrighteousness.” Now, some people misunderstand this. They seize the property of others, give a portion to the poor, and think they are doing what was commanded.

This interpretation must be corrected. The command is to give alms from your righteous labors, for you will not corrupt Christ, your Judge. If you were to bribe a judge with money plundered from a poor person to get a favorable ruling, the very force of justice would make you displeased with yourself, even if you won. Do not, then, imagine God to be like that. God is the fountain of Justice; therefore, do not give alms from money gained by interest and usury. I am speaking to the faithful, to whom we dispense the body of Christ.

If you possess such money, you have it from evil means. Stop being doers of evil. Zaccheus said, Half of my goods I give to the poor. See how he runs to make friends with the mammon of unrighteousness! And so as not to be held guilty on any account, he says, If I have taken anything from anyone, I restore it fourfold.

According to another interpretation, the “mammon of unrighteousness” refers to all the riches of the world, from wherever they come. For if you seek true riches, you will find them in things like those Job abounded in even when he was naked, when his heart was full toward God. Other things are called “riches of unrighteousness” because they are not true riches; they are full of poverty and always subject to chance. If they were true riches, they would give you security.

Alternatively, they are called “riches of unrighteousness” because they are riches only to the unrighteous—those who place their hope and find the fullness of their happiness in them. But when the righteous possess these things, they indeed have money, but their only true riches are heavenly and spiritual.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Or, He spoke of “unrighteous mammon” because through the various enticements of wealth, covetousness corrupts our hearts, so that we become willing to obey riches.

St. Basil the Great: Or, if you have inherited a patrimony, you have received what was amassed by the unrighteous, for among a number of predecessors, someone must surely be found who has unjustly usurped the property of others. But suppose your father was not guilty of extortion; from where did you get your money? If you answer, “From myself,” you are ignorant of God, lacking knowledge of your Creator. But if you answer, “From God,” then tell me the reason you received it. Is not the earth and the fullness thereof the Lord’s? If, then, whatever we have belongs to our common Lord, it also belongs to our fellow servants.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Therefore, the riches the Lord has given for the necessities of our brothers and fellow servants, but which we spend on ourselves, are called “the riches of unrighteousness.” It was fitting for us, from the beginning, to give everything to the poor. But since we have become stewards of unrighteousness by wickedly keeping what was intended for the help of others, we must surely not remain in this cruelty. Instead, we must distribute to the poor, so that we may be received by them into everlasting habitations. For it is written, That, when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

St. Gregory the Great: But if we obtain everlasting habitations through their friendship, we should realize that when we give, we are offering presents to patrons rather than bestowing benefits upon the needy.

St. Augustine of Hippo: For who will have everlasting habitations but the saints of God? And who are to be received by them into everlasting habitations but those who minister to their needs and gladly supply whatever they require? They are those “little ones” of Christ who have forsaken all their belongings to follow Him, and have given whatever they had to the poor. They did this so that they might serve God without earthly shackles and, freeing their shoulders from the world’s burdens, might be lifted up as if on wings.

We must not, then, understand that those by whom we wish to be received into everlasting habitations are, as it were, God's debtors. Instead, it is the just and holy who are signified here, and they are the ones who cause those to enter who ministered to their needs from their own worldly goods.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Alternatively, the command to make friends for yourselves with the mammon of unrighteousness means that by giving to the poor we may purchase the favor of the angels and all the saints.

St. John Chrysostom: Note also that He did not say, “that they may receive you into their habitations.” For they are not the ones who receive you. Therefore, when He said, Make friends for yourselves, He added, with the mammon of unrighteousness, to show that their friendship alone will not protect us unless good works accompany it—unless we righteously cast away all riches that were unrighteously amassed. The most skillful of all arts, then, is almsgiving, for it does not build us houses of mud, but stores up for us an everlasting life. Now, in every other art, one needs the support of another, but when we ought to show mercy, we need nothing but the will alone.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: In this way, then, Christ taught those who abound in riches to earnestly love the friendship of the poor and to store up treasure in heaven. But He knew the sloth of the human mind, and how those who pursue riches perform no works of charity for the needy. He shows by clear examples that such people receive no profit from spiritual gifts, adding, He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Our Lord then opens the eye of our heart, explaining what He had said by adding, If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? That which is “least,” then, is the unrighteous mammon—that is, earthly riches, which seem as nothing to those who are heavenly-minded. I think, then, that a person is faithful in a little when he gives aid to those who are bowed down with sorrow. If we have been unfaithful in a little thing, how shall we obtain from God the true riches—that is, the fruitful gift of divine grace, which impresses the image of God on the human soul?

That our Lord's words point to this meaning is plain from what follows, for He says, And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?

St. Ambrose of Milan: Riches are foreign to us because they are something beyond nature; they are not born with us, and they do not die with us. But Christ is ours, because He is the life of humanity. Lastly, He came to His own.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Thus, until now, He has taught us how faithfully we ought to manage our wealth. But because managing our wealth according to God’s will can only be achieved through an indifference of mind, one that is unaffected by riches, He adds, No man can serve two masters.

St. Ambrose of Milan: This is not because the Lord is two, but one. For although there are those who serve mammon, mammon itself has no rights of lordship; rather, the one who serves it places a yoke of servitude upon himself. There is one Lord, because there is one God. From this it is evident that the power of the Father and the Son is one, and He gives the reason, saying, For either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.

St. Augustine of Hippo: But these things were not spoken casually or at random. For no one, when asked if he loves the devil, answers that he loves him; rather, he says that he hates him. Yet nearly everyone proclaims that they love God. Therefore, “either he will hate the one” (that is, the devil) “and love the other” (that is, God), “or he will hold to the one” (that is, the devil, when he pursues temporal wants) “and despise the other” (that is, God). This happens when people neglect God's threats in favor of their own desires, flattering themselves that because of His goodness, they will not be punished.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: The conclusion of the entire discourse is what follows: You cannot serve God and man. Let us, then, transfer all our devotion to the one God, forsaking riches.

The Venerable Bede: Let the covetous hear this: we cannot serve Christ and riches at the same time. And yet He did not say, “He who has riches,” but, “He who serves riches.” For whoever is the servant of riches watches over them like a servant, but whoever has shaken off that yoke of servitude dispenses them as a master. But whoever serves mammon truly serves the one who is set over earthly things as the reward for his iniquity and is called the prince of this world.

The Venerable Bede: Christ had told the Pharisees not to boast of their own righteousness but to receive repentant sinners and redeem their sins by almsgiving. But they mocked the Preacher of mercy, humility, and frugality. As it is said, the Pharisees, who were greedy, also heard these things and mocked Him, perhaps for two reasons: either because He commanded something that was not profitable enough, or because He criticized their past excessive actions.

Theophylact of Ohrid: But the Lord, detecting a hidden malice in them, proves that they only pretend to be righteous. Therefore, it is added, And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men.

The Venerable Bede: Those who justify themselves before men are those who look down on sinners as if they are in a weak and hopeless condition, while imagining themselves to be perfect and not in need of the remedy of almsgiving. But He who will enlighten the hidden places of darkness sees how justly this deep and deadly pride is to be condemned. Therefore, it says, But God knoweth your hearts.

Theophylact of Ohrid: And therefore you are an abomination to Him because of your arrogance and your love of seeking human praise. As He adds, For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

The Venerable Bede: Now the Pharisees mocked our Savior for arguing against greed, as if He were teaching things contrary to the Law and the Prophets, in which many very rich men are said to have pleased God. Moses himself also promised that the people he ruled, if they followed the Law, would abound in all earthly goods. The Lord answers them by showing that there is not the slightest difference between the Law and the Gospel, either in these promises or in the commands. Therefore He adds, The law and the prophets were until John.

St. Ambrose of Milan: This does not mean that the Law failed, but that the preaching of the Gospel began, for what is inferior seems to be fulfilled when something better succeeds it.

St. John Chrysostom: By this, He prepares them to believe in Him readily. For if all things were complete up to John’s time, then I am the One who has come. The Prophets would not have ceased unless I had come. But you will ask, "How were the Prophets only until John, since there have been many more prophets in the New Testament than in the Old?" He was speaking, however, of those prophets who foretold Christ’s coming.

Eusebius of Caesarea: The ancient prophets knew about the preaching of the kingdom of heaven, but none of them had expressly announced it to the Jewish people, because the Jews, having a childish understanding, were not ready for the preaching of what is infinite. But John was the first to openly preach that the kingdom of heaven was near, as well as the forgiveness of sins through the washing of regeneration. Therefore, it says, Since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

St. Ambrose of Milan: For the Law, being more indulgent to our natural desires, permitted many things according to nature in order to call us to the pursuit of righteousness. Christ, however, breaks through nature by cutting off even our natural pleasures. Therefore, we restrain our nature so that it does not sink us down to earthly things, but raises us to heavenly things.

Eusebius of Caesarea: A great struggle awaits people in their ascent to heaven. For people, clothed in mortal flesh, to be able to subdue pleasure and every unlawful appetite in their desire to imitate the life of angels, requires a kind of force. Indeed, who, upon seeing those who labor earnestly in God's service and nearly put their flesh to death, would not confess that they are forcefully entering the kingdom of heaven?

St. Augustine of Hippo: They also take the kingdom of heaven by force, not only by despising all temporal things but also by disregarding the criticisms of those who wish them to do so. The Evangelist added this when he said that Jesus was mocked for speaking about despising earthly riches.

The Venerable Bede: But so they would not suppose that in His words, The Law and the Prophets were until John, He was preaching the destruction of the Law or the Prophets, He prevents such a notion by adding, And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

For it is written, the fashion of this world passeth away. But concerning the Law, not even the smallest part of a single letter—that is, not even the least of its commands—is without spiritual significance. And yet, The Law and the Prophets were until John, because what had always been prophesied as something to come was now, through John's preaching, clearly revealed as having arrived.

He confirms what He said beforehand about the perpetual inviolability of the Law with one testimony taken from it as an example, saying, Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery. This was so that from this one instance they would learn that He came not to destroy but to fulfill the commands of the Law.

Theophylact of Ohrid: That the Law spoke imperfectly to the imperfect is plain from what it says to the hard-hearted Jews: If a man hate his wife, let him put her away. This was because they were murderers who rejoiced in bloodshed and had no pity even on those united to them, so that they even slew their sons and daughters for demons. But now, a more perfect teaching is needed. Therefore I say that if a man puts away his wife for any reason other than fornication, he commits adultery, and he who marries her also commits adultery.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But first, I think, we must speak of the law of marriage, so that we may afterward discuss the prohibition of divorce. Some think that every marriage is sanctioned by God, because it is written, What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. How then does the Apostle say, But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart? In this, he shows that not every marriage is from God, for Christians are not joined with Gentiles by God's approval.

Do not, then, put away your wife, lest you deny that God is the Author of your union. For if this is true for others, how much more should you bear with and correct your wife's behavior. If she is sent away while pregnant, it is a hard thing to shut out the parent and keep the child, which adds the loss of a child's affection to the parent's disgrace. It is harder still if you drive away the children as well because of their mother. Would you tolerate your children being under a stepfather during your lifetime, or under a stepmother while their own mother is still alive?

How dangerous it is to expose a young wife's tender age to error. How wicked it is to desert a wife in her old age, when you have blighted the flower of her youth. Suppose that after being divorced she does not remarry; this should also displease you, for she keeps her vow to you, even though you are an adulterer. Suppose she does remarry; her necessity becomes your crime, and what you assume is a marriage is actually adultery.

But to understand this morally: Having just stated that the kingdom of God is preached and that not one tittle could fall from the Law, He added, Whosoever putteth away his wife... Christ is the husband. Therefore, let no one whom God has brought to His Son be severed by persecution, enticed by lust, spoiled by philosophy, tainted by heretics, or seduced by a Jew. All who desire to corrupt truth, faith, and wisdom are adulterers.

The Venerable Bede: Our Lord had just advised making friends with the mammon of unrighteousness, which the Pharisees derided. He then confirmed by example what He had set before them, saying, There was a certain rich man... etc.

St. John Chrysostom: There was, not is, because he had passed away like a fleeting shadow.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But not all poverty is holy, nor are all riches criminal; for as luxury disgraces riches, so holiness commends poverty.

It follows: And he was clothed in purple and fine linen.

The Venerable Bede: Purple, the color of a royal robe, is obtained from sea shells, which are scraped with a knife. Byssus is a kind of white and very fine linen.

St. Gregory the Great: Now, if wearing fine and precious robes were not a fault, the word of God would never have expressed this so carefully. For no one seeks costly garments except for vainglory, so that he may seem more honorable than others. Indeed, no one wishes to be clothed in such garments where he cannot be seen by others.

St. John Chrysostom: He covered ashes, dust, and earth with purple and silk; or rather, ashes, dust, and earth bore purple and silk upon them. As his garments were, so was his food. Therefore, for us also, let our clothing be as our food is. Hence it follows: And he fared sumptuously every day.

St. Gregory the Great: And here we must watch ourselves closely, since banquets can scarcely be celebrated blamelessly. For luxury almost always accompanies feasting, and when the body is absorbed in the delight of refreshing itself, the heart relaxes into empty joys.

It follows: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus.

St. Ambrose of Milan: This seems to be a narrative rather than a parable, since the name is also expressed.

St. John Chrysostom: A parable is a story in which an example is given while the names are omitted. Lazarus is interpreted as "one who was assisted," for he was poor, and the Lord helped him.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Alternatively, this discourse concerning the rich man and Lazarus was written in the manner of a parabolic comparison to declare that those who abound in earthly riches, unless they relieve the necessities of the poor, will meet with a heavy condemnation.

But the tradition of the Jews relates that there was at that time in Jerusalem a certain Lazarus who was afflicted with extreme poverty and sickness. Our Lord, remembering him, introduces him into the example for the sake of adding greater emphasis to His words.

St. Gregory the Great: We must also observe that, among pagans, the names of the poor are more likely to be known than those of the rich. Now, our Lord mentions the name of the poor man, but not the name of the rich man, because God knows and approves the humble, but not the proud.

So that the poor man might be more approved, poverty and sickness were consuming him at the same time, as it follows: who was laid at his gate, full of sores.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: He lay at the rich man's gate for this reason: so that the rich man could not say, "I never saw him; no one told me," for he saw him both going out and returning. The poor man is full of sores, so that in his own body he might display the cruelty of the rich man.

You see one of your own kind at the point of death lying before the gate, and you do not pity him. If you do not regard the commands of God, at least have compassion on your own human condition, and fear lest you also become like him.

Sickness has some comfort if it receives help. How great, then, was the punishment in that body, where with such wounds he did not remember the pain of his sores, but only his hunger! For it follows, desiring to be fed with the crumbs... etc. It is as if he said, "What you throw away from your table, give as alms; make your losses into gain."

St. Ambrose of Milan: The insolence and pride of the wealthy are manifested afterward by the clearest signs, for it follows: and no one gave to him.

For they are so unmindful of the human condition that, as if placed above nature, they derive an incitement to their own pleasure from the wretchedness of the poor. They laugh at the destitute, they mock the needy, and they rob those whom they ought to pity.

St. Augustine of Hippo: For the covetousness of the rich is insatiable: it neither fears God nor regards man, does not spare a father, does not keep faith with a friend, oppresses the widow, and attacks the property of a ward.

St. Gregory the Great: Moreover, the poor man saw the rich man go forth surrounded by flatterers, while he himself lay in sickness and want, visited by no one.

The dogs, who fearlessly licked his sores, witness that no one came to visit him, for it follows: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The beasts tenderly licked those sores which no man deigned to wash and dress.

St. Gregory the Great: In one situation, Almighty God displayed two judgments. He permitted Lazarus to lie before the rich man’s gate for two reasons: so that the wicked rich man might increase the vengeance of his condemnation, and so that the poor man, by his trials, might enhance his reward.

The one daily saw the person to whom he should show mercy; the other daily saw the trial by which he might be approved.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: We have heard how both fared on earth; let us see what their condition is among the dead. That which was temporal has passed away; that which follows is eternal. Both died; one is received by angels, the other by torments. For it is said, And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels, and so on. Those great sufferings are suddenly exchanged for bliss.

He is carried after all his labors because he had fainted, or at least so that he would not tire from walking; and he was carried by angels. One angel was not sufficient to carry the poor man, but many come, that they may form a joyful company, each angel rejoicing to touch such a great burden. They gladly burden themselves in this way so that they may bring people to the kingdom of heaven. But he was carried into Abraham’s bosom, that he might be embraced and cherished by him; Abraham’s bosom is Paradise.

And the ministering angels carried the poor man and placed him in Abraham’s bosom because, though he lay despised, he did not despair or blaspheme, saying, “This rich man, living in wickedness, is happy and suffers no tribulation, but I cannot even get food to supply my needs.”

St. Augustine of Hippo: As for you thinking that Abraham’s bosom is something physical, I am afraid you will be thought to treat such a weighty matter lightly rather than seriously. For you could never be so foolish as to suppose that the physical bosom of one man could hold so many souls—or, to use your own words, so many bodies as the angels carry there, just as they did with Lazarus. But perhaps you imagine that only one soul deserved to come to that bosom. If you wish to avoid a childish mistake, you must understand that Abraham’s bosom is a secluded and hidden resting place where Abraham is. It is called Abraham’s not because it is his alone, but because he is the father of many nations and was placed first, so that others might imitate his preeminent faith.

St. Gregory the Great: When the two men, the poor and the rich, were below on earth, there was One above who saw into their hearts. By trials, He trained the poor man for glory, and through patience, He awaited the rich man for punishment. Hence it follows, the rich man also cried.

St. John Chrysostom: He died in body, but his soul was already dead, for he did none of the works of the soul. All the warmth that comes from loving one's neighbor had vanished, and he was more dead than his body. But no one is mentioned as having ministered to the rich man’s burial, as they did for Lazarus. Because when he lived pleasantly on the broad road, he had many eager flatterers; but when he came to his end, they all forsook him. For it simply follows, and was buried in hell. But even while living, his soul was buried, enshrined in his body as if in a tomb.

St. Augustine of Hippo: The burial in hell is the lowest depth of torment, which after this life devours the proud and unmerciful.

Pseudo-Basil: Hell is a certain common place in the interior of the earth, shaded on all sides and dark. In it, there is a kind of opening stretching downward, through which the souls condemned to perdition descend.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, just as the prisons of kings are placed at a distance outside the city, so also hell is somewhere far off, outside the world. Hence it is called the outer darkness.

Theophylact of Ohrid: But some say that hell is the passing from the visible to the invisible, and the soul's loss of form. For as long as the soul of a sinner is in the body, it is visible through its actions. But when it leaves the body, it becomes shapeless.

St. John Chrysostom: Just as it made the poor man's affliction heavier while he lived—lying before the rich man’s gate and seeing the prosperity of others—so also when the rich man was dead, it added to his desolation that he lay in hell and saw the happiness of Lazarus. He felt his own punishment to be more intolerable, not only because of the nature of his torments, but also by comparison to the honor given to Lazarus. Hence it follows, But lifting up his eyes. He lifted up his eyes so that he might look at him, not despise him, for Lazarus was above and he was below.

Many angels carried Lazarus; he was seized by endless torments. Therefore it is not said, "being in torment," but "torments." For he was wholly in torments; only his eyes were free, so that he could behold the joy of another. His eyes are allowed to be free so that he may be tortured all the more by not having what another has. The riches of others are the torments of those who are in poverty.

St. Gregory the Great: Now if Abraham sat below, the rich man, being in torments, would not have seen him. For those who have followed the path to the heavenly country, when they leave the flesh, are held back by the gates of hell. This is not because punishment strikes them as sinners, but because, while resting in more remote places (for the intercession of the Mediator had not yet come), the guilt of their first fault prevents them from entering the kingdom.

St. John Chrysostom: There were many poor, righteous men, but the one who lay at his door was the one he saw, to add to his woe. For it follows, And Lazarus in his bosom. It may be observed here that all whom we have offended are exposed to our view. But the rich man sees Lazarus not with just any other righteous man, but in Abraham’s bosom. For Abraham was full of love, but this man is convicted of cruelty. Abraham, sitting before his door, pursued those who passed by and brought them into his house; the other turned away even those who stayed within his gate.

St. Gregory the Great: And this rich man, indeed, now fixed in his doom, seeks as his patron the one to whom in this life he would not show mercy.

Theophylact of Ohrid: He does not, however, direct his words to Lazarus but to Abraham. This is perhaps because he was ashamed and thought Lazarus would remember his injuries; but he was judging Lazarus by his own character. Hence it follows, And he cried and said.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Great punishments produce a great cry. Father Abraham. It is as if he said, “I call you father by nature, like the son who wasted his inheritance, although by my own fault I have lost you as a father. Have mercy on me.” You practice repentance in vain when there is no place for it; your torments, not the desires of your soul, drive you to act penitent.

I do not know whether one who is in the kingdom of heaven can have compassion on one who is in hell. The Creator pities His creature. One Physician came who was to heal all; others could not heal. Send Lazarus. You are mistaken, wretched man. Abraham cannot send, but he can receive.

To dip the tip of his finger in water. You would not deign to look at Lazarus, and now you desire his finger. What you seek now, you should have done for him when he was alive. You, who before despised delicate food, are now in want of water. Mark the sinner's conscience: he did not dare ask for the whole finger.

We are also instructed how good it is not to trust in riches. See the rich man in need of the poor man who was starving before. Things are changed, and it is now revealed to all who was truly rich and who was poor. For it is as in the theaters: when evening approaches and the spectators depart, they go out, lay aside their costumes, and those who seemed to be kings and generals are seen as they really are—the sons of gardeners and fig-sellers. So also, when death comes and the spectacle is over, all the masks of poverty and riches are removed. By their works alone are people judged, revealing who is truly rich, who is poor, who is worthy of honor, and who of dishonor.

St. Gregory the Great: For that rich man, who would not give the poor man even the scraps from his table, found himself in hell begging for the smallest thing. He who refused to give a crumb of bread now sought a drop of water.

St. Basil the Great: But he receives a fitting reward: fire and the torments of hell. For a parched tongue, he receives wailing instead of a tuneful lyre; for drink, an intense longing for a single drop; for curious or wanton spectacles, profound darkness; for eager flattery, the undying worm. Hence it follows, That he may cool my tongue, for I am tormented in the flame.

St. John Chrysostom: He was tormented not because he was rich, but because he was not merciful.

St. Gregory the Great: From this we may gather what torments will punish one who robs another, if someone who does not even distribute what is his own is struck with the condemnation of hell.

St. Ambrose of Milan: He is also tormented because for a luxurious man, it is a punishment to be without his pleasures. Water is also a refreshment to a soul that is fixed in sorrow.

St. Gregory the Great: But what does it mean that, when in torments, he desires his tongue to be cooled? It means that because he sinned by his talking at feasts, now, by the justice of retribution, his tongue is in a fierce flame. For talkativeness is generally rampant at a banquet.

St. John Chrysostom: His tongue, too, had spoken many proud things. Where the sin is, there the punishment is. And because the tongue offended greatly, it is tormented all the more.

Or, his wish for his tongue to be cooled while he was burning completely in the flame signifies what is written: Death and life are in the hands of the tongue, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. He did not do this out of pride. The tip of the finger, then, means the very smallest work in which a person is assisted by the Holy Spirit.

St. Augustine of Hippo: You say that the members of the soul are described here. You would have "the eye" be understood as the whole head, because he was said to lift up his eyes; "the tongue" as the jaws; and "the finger" as the hand. But why is it that when these names of body parts are spoken of God, they do not, in your mind, imply a body, but when spoken of the soul, they do? Is it that when spoken of the creature, they are to be taken literally, but when of the Creator, metaphorically and figuratively? Will you then give us physical wings, seeing that it is not the Creator, but a man—that is, the creature—who says, If I take the wings of the morning? Besides, if the rich man had a physical tongue because he said, to cool my tongue, then for us who live in the flesh, the tongue itself must have physical hands, for it is written, Death and life are in the hands of the tongue.

Gregory of Nyssa: Just as the most excellent mirror reflects an image of a face exactly as the face itself appears before it—a joyful image for a joyful face, a sorrowful one for a sorrowful face—so also is the just judgment of God adapted to our dispositions. Therefore, because the rich man did not pity the poor man as he lay at his gate, he is not heard when he himself needs mercy. For it follows, And Abraham said to him, Son...

St. John Chrysostom: Behold the kindness of the Patriarch. He calls him "son" (which may express his tenderness), yet he gives no aid to one who had deprived himself of a cure. Therefore he says, Remember... that is, consider the past. Do not forget that you delighted in your riches and you received good things in your life—that is, things you considered to be good. You could not triumph both on earth and here. Riches cannot be true riches both on earth and in the afterlife. It follows, And Lazarus likewise evil things. This is not because Lazarus thought them evil, but because Abraham spoke according to the opinion of the rich man, who considered poverty, hunger, and severe sickness to be evils. When the weight of sickness harasses us, let us think of Lazarus and joyfully accept evil things in this life.

St. Augustine of Hippo: All this, then, is said to the rich man because he chose the happiness of the world and loved no other life than the one in which he proudly boasted. But Abraham says, Lazarus received evil things, because he knew that the perishable nature of this life—its labors, sorrows, and sicknesses—is the penalty for sin, for we all die in Adam, who by his transgression was made subject to death.

St. John Chrysostom: He says, You received good things in your life (as if they were your due). It is as though he said: If you have done any good thing for which a reward might be due, you have already received it all in that world by living luxuriously, abounding in riches, and enjoying the pleasure of prosperous undertakings. But if Lazarus committed any evil, he has received all his due for it by being afflicted with poverty, hunger, and the depths of wretchedness. And each of you came here naked: Lazarus, naked of sin, for which reason he receives his comfort; you, naked of righteousness, for which reason you endure your inconsolable punishment. And hence it follows, But now he is comforted, and you are tormented.

St. Gregory the Great: Therefore, whatever good things you have in this world, when you remember having done anything good, be very fearful about it, lest the prosperity granted to you is your recompense for that same good deed. And when you see poor people doing something blameworthy, do not be afraid, seeing that perhaps the fire of hardship is cleansing those whom the remains of the slightest iniquity defile.

St. John Chrysostom: But you will say, “Is there no one who will enjoy pardon, both here and there?” This is indeed a hard thing, and among those that are impossible. For if poverty does not press, ambition urges; if sickness does not provoke, anger inflames; if temptations do not assail, corrupt thoughts often overwhelm. It is no small task to bridle anger, to check unlawful desires, to subdue the swellings of vainglory, to quell pride or haughtiness, and to lead a disciplined life. He who does not do these things cannot be saved.

St. Gregory the Great: It may also be answered that evil people receive good things in this life because they place their whole joy in temporary happiness. The righteous, however, may indeed have good things here, yet they do not receive them as a reward, because while they seek better, eternal things, in their judgment whatever good things are present seem by no means good.

St. John Chrysostom: But after the mercy of God, we must seek a hope of salvation in our own endeavors, not in counting on fathers, relatives, or friends. For a brother does not deliver a brother. Therefore, it is added, And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed.

Theophylact of Ohrid: The great gulf signifies the distance between the righteous and sinners. For as their desires were different, so also their dwelling places differ greatly.

St. John Chrysostom: The gulf is said to be "fixed" because it cannot be loosened, moved, or shaken.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Between the rich and the poor, then, there is a great gulf, because after death, rewards cannot be changed. Hence it follows, So that they who would pass from hence to you cannot, nor come thence to us.

St. John Chrysostom: It is as if he says: We can see, but we cannot cross over. We see what we have escaped, and you see what you have lost. Our joys enhance your torments, and your torments enhance our joys.

St. Gregory the Great: For just as the wicked desire to cross over to the elect—that is, to depart from the pangs of their sufferings—so also the just would wish to cross over to the afflicted and tormented in their minds, out of compassion, and desire to set them free. But the souls of the just, although they feel compassion because of the goodness of their nature, after being united to the righteousness of their Author, are constrained by such great uprightness that they are not moved with compassion toward the reprobate. Therefore, neither do the unrighteous cross over to the lot of the blessed, because they are bound in everlasting condemnation; nor can the righteous cross over to the reprobate, because, having now been made upright by the righteousness of judgment, they do not pity them out of any compassion.

Theophylact of Ohrid: From this you may derive an argument against the followers of Origen, who say that since an end will be put to punishments, there will be a time when sinners will be gathered to the righteous and to God.

St. Augustine of Hippo: For the unchangeableness of the divine sentence shows that no aid of mercy can be given to people by the righteous, even if they should wish to give it. By this, he reminds us that in this life, people should relieve those they can, since hereafter, even if they themselves are well received, they will not be able to help those they love. For that which was written, that they may receive you into everlasting habitations, was not said of the proud and unmerciful, but of those who have made friends for themselves by their works of mercy. The righteous receive them, not as if benefiting them by their own power, but by divine permission.