There was also a poor man. In the last stages of his life, this poor man has nothing to keep him alive, but the charity he receives. Named Lazarus. This is the only time Jesus mentions a name in a parable. Lazarus means God a help, and it is symbolic of absolute poverty. Augustine wrote: "Does not Christ seem to you to have been reading in that book where he found the name of the poor man written, but found not the name of the rich? For that book is the Book of Life." [Book of the Living; see note on Revelation 20:14-15.] The description shows the condition of the helpless poor at that time. The rich man has friends, and servants to wait on him. Lazarus has only dogs. [Dogs: see note on Matthew 7:6.] The whole point is that the rich man gave nothing to Lazarus. The bits of food from the rich man's table was the garbage which would be thrown out on the street.

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Old Testament