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Symbolic illustration of Abraham and comforted Lazarus separated from the unnamed rich man by a broad, uncrossable chasm, based on Luke 16:25–26.

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The Uncrossable Chasm

Luke 16:19-31

The Big Idea

God’s teaching calls us to notice people in need and respond with compassion. We should not ignore suffering around us.

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The Bible Story

The Rich Man and Lazarus

In Luke 16:19–31, Jesus tells about an unnamed rich man who lives in luxury while poor Lazarus lies at his gate, longing for food. After both men die, Lazarus is carried to Abraham’s side, while the rich man is in Hades. Abraham explains that the rich man received good things during life while Lazarus received bad things; now Lazarus is comforted and the rich man is in anguish. A great chasm prevents anyone from crossing between them. The passage presents a serious reversal and consequence without saying that wealth alone explains judgment. The rich man then asks Abraham to warn his five brothers. Abraham replies that they have Moses and the Prophets and should listen to them. The story closes by stressing the importance of listening and responding to God’s revealed instruction.

Themes

Compassion toward people in needListening to Moses and the ProphetsReversal of earthly circumstancesThe consequences of ignoring sufferingThe permanence of the separation after death

Bible moment

The Bible moment

In Luke 16:19–31, Jesus tells about an unnamed rich man who lives in luxury while poor Lazarus lies at his gate, longing for food. After both men die, Lazarus is carried to Abraham’s side, while the rich man is in Hades. Abraham explains that the rich man received good things during life while Lazarus received bad things; now Lazarus is comforted and the rich man is in anguish. A great chasm prevents anyone from crossing between them. The passage presents a serious reversal and consequence without saying that wealth alone explains judgment. The rich man then asks Abraham to warn his five brothers. Abraham replies that they have Moses and the Prophets and should listen to them. The story closes by stressing the importance of listening and responding to God’s revealed instruction.

Look closely

What children can notice

A symbolic, non-frightening composition places Abraham and comforted Lazarus on one side and the rich man on the other, with a broad unpassable chasm between them. The visual emphasizes separation and reversal rather than anguish.

Talk together

Talk about it

  • How could you show compassion to someone in need?
  • Why does Abraham say the brothers should listen to Moses and the Prophets?

For families, church, and class

Use this page

For older children, present this passage calmly and without graphic details. Invite children to discuss compassion, justice, and responding to God’s teaching. Explain that the chasm represents permanent separation in the story, without inventing its geography or mechanism. Avoid saying that wealth alone caused the rich man’s judgment.

Source note

From this passage

Luke 16:25-26 · The Rich Man and Lazarus

A symbolic, non-frightening composition places Abraham and comforted Lazarus on one side and the rich man on the other, with a broad unpassable chasm between them. The visual emphasizes separation and reversal rather than anguish.

Continue the Story

The Rich Man and Lazarus

More from this story

Choose another meaningful scene to color.

Lazarus seated beside the rich man’s gate, with the rich man’s table beyond it and dogs nearby, illustrating Luke 16:20–21.

Lazarus at the Gate

Luke 16:19-31

The unnamed rich man in purple and fine linen beside a lavish daily feast, with his gate visible, illustrating Luke 16:19.

A Life of Luxury

Luke 16:19-31

Lazarus is carried by unnamed angels toward Abraham’s side, with a simple, respectful indication of the rich man’s burial in the background.

Carried to Abraham’s Side

Luke 16:19-31

A symbolic Bible scene showing Abraham with Lazarus beside him and the rich man far away, raising a hand in request, representing Luke 16:23–24.

A Distant Request

Luke 16:19-31

More about Abraham

Abraham respectfully welcoming three visitors at the entrance of his tent beneath the oaks of Mamre, based on Genesis 18:1-2.

Abraham Welcomes the Visitors

Genesis 18:1-15

Abraham stands in an open place before the LORD and asks whether the righteous should be swept away with the wicked, with optional markers for the decreasing numbers he names.

Abraham Asks for Mercy

Genesis 18:16–19:29

Sarah smiling with thankful joy as a gentle symbolic light represents the LORD’s faithfulness after Isaac’s birth.

God Keeps His Word

Genesis 21:1-7

Abraham sees a ram caught by its horns in a thicket near an altar on a mountain, with Isaac unharmed nearby.

God Provides a Ram

Genesis 22:1-19

More from Luke

Child-friendly Bible illustration concept of Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger in Bethlehem.

Jesus Is Born

Luke 2:1-20

Twelve-year-old Jesus sits among temple teachers, listening and asking questions, while Mary and Joseph arrive nearby.

Jesus Listens and Asks Questions

Luke 2:41-52

Jesus teaching a non-specific crowd from Simon’s boat near the shore of the Lake of Gennesaret, based on Luke 5:1-3.

Jesus Teaches from the Boat

Luke 5:1-11

A Samaritan kneels beside a wounded traveler on the roadside, binding his wounds with bandages while oil and wine containers and the Samaritan’s animal are nearby.

The Samaritan Shows Compassion

Luke 10:25-37

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