Many people wonder about the Bible: are there two Lazaruses, or are we talking about the same person? Who has never encountered the question: Is Lazarus, Jesus’ friend, and Lazarus the beggar the same? The answer is simple! We are not talking about the same person, as the Bible mentions Lazarus, Jesus’ friend, and Lazarus the beggar, and clearly makes us understand that they are two distinct people.
Who Was Lazarus the Beggar?
Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, enjoying himself splendidly every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades he raised his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his arms. And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so that those who want to go over from here to you will not be able, nor will any people cross over from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I request of you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not come to this place of torment as well.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’ (Luke 16:19-31, NASB)
We observe that the rich man led a selfish life and his choice was very bad, and for this reason, when he died, he suffered eternally. Lazarus (the beggar) spent his life in poverty, but, unlike the rich man, he had a righteous heart toward God. Even living in poverty, he never abandoned his faith in God, and when he passed away, he was taken directly to paradise, to be with Abraham. The Bible teaches us that the destiny of the rich and the poor were completely irreversible. After the death of the rich man and Lazarus, their destinies could no longer be changed: the rich man went to hell and from there could no longer have contact with Lazarus, who was now in heaven.
The Bible teaches, through this parable, that many times we do not look with mercy on those around us and do not fulfill the commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:39, NASB)
This parable teaches us that we must kill our ego and help those in need. The rich man had a very good life, but his ego did not allow him to do good; his heart was far from God. Lazarus, the poor beggar, did not have much, but he had a righteous and God-fearing heart. Even if we do not have much on this earth, we will certainly have the abundance that God has prepared for us in eternal glory.
For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. (Matthew 25:35-36, NASB)
Who Was Lazarus, Jesus’ Friend?
Now a certain man was sick: Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. And it was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not meant for death, but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister, and Lazarus. So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let’s go to Judea again.” The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and yet You are going there again?” Jesus replied, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks during the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” He said this, and after this He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going so that I may awaken him from sleep.” (John 11:1-11, NASB)
Now we are talking about Lazarus of Bethany, Jesus’ friend and brother of Martha and Mary. This Lazarus was struck with an illness whose purpose was to glorify God. Lazarus, Martha, and Mary were a family with extreme dedication to Christ, that is, they were in intimate communion, and Jesus loved this family.
Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who was also seated at the Lord’s feet, and was listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the serving by myself? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42, NASB)
This communion and affection are generated from the moment Jesus enters the village and Martha receives Him in her home, but she was worried about her tasks. Mary was at Jesus’ feet, listening to His teachings; Jesus says that Mary chose the best part, which was not taken from her. Lazarus, brother of Martha and Mary, was facing the sadness and affliction of illness and, in the end, death. The Bible teaches us that today’s Christians will also go through similar afflictions. Christians will go through sorrows, afflictions, will be struck with illnesses, and will face death. We know that, for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, illness will never result in death as a destiny, for everyone who believes in Christ Jesus will never die.
and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:26, NASB)
The resurrection of Lazarus teaches us that we will have churches like Marthas, Marys, and Lazaruses. Churches will always have the Marys who persevere in total devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Marthas who are busy with the affairs of this world, and also the Lazaruses who suffer and die so that the name of God may be glorified. The Lord, in no way, will leave us without His love, mercy, or compassion. We must understand that everything needs to be in God’s time, so that His glory may be manifested. The fact that Jesus delayed going to Lazarus and stayed two days in the place where He was does not mean that God did not truly love them. Jesus wanted to strengthen the faith of the family and the disciples who were with Him. Jesus expresses in various ways that He loved Lazarus and that He shared in the sadness of that family. Christ wept, showed the deep feeling of God’s grief with the sadness of His people. Tears rolled from Jesus’ eyes and then the Master wept in silence, and this serves as comfort to all those who suffer, for Jesus participates with us in our sufferings.
We understand that Lazarus (the beggar) and Lazarus (brother of Martha and Mary, Jesus’ friend) are two different people, in different stories, different moments, and different contexts. Perhaps you still want proof about Lazarus (the beggar) and Lazarus (brother of Martha and Mary, Jesus’ friend). Observe that when the rich man dies and goes to hell, Lazarus (the beggar) also dies and goes to heaven. The Bible teaches us that this process was irreversible, that is, it is not possible to reverse it, it could not change in any way. If Lazarus (the beggar) were the same as Lazarus (Jesus’ friend), we would enter into contradictions regarding what Abraham says.
But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so that those who want to go over from here to you will not be able, nor will any people cross over from there to us.’ (Luke 16:25-26, NASB)
The process that Lazarus (brother of Martha and Mary, Jesus’ friend) went through was infinitely different. Lazarus, Jesus’ friend, was going through a process whose objective was to glorify the name of God. It was a reversible process: Lazarus, Jesus’ friend, died, but in Jesus’ time, he would rise again, so that the name of God would be glorified. Knowing that the Bible never contradicts itself, it is concluded that they are people with the same name, but different people. Lazarus (the beggar) is one person and Lazarus (brother of Martha and Mary, Jesus’ friend) is another person. We conclude that in the Bible there are two Lazaruses: the beggar and the brother of Martha and Mary, Jesus’ friend.
