Neville Goddard on Luke 16:19-31 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Luke 16 in context

Scripture Focus

19There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

26And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

27Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

28For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

29Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

30And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Luke 16:19-31

Biblical Context

A rich man in luxury and a beggar named Lazarus at his gate show how outer conditions mirror inner states. After death, the beggar is comforted and the rich man tormented, revealing a gulf fixed within consciousness, and the inner guidance—Moses and the prophets—speaks to listen to inner truth.

Neville's Inner Vision

Luke 16 invites you to read the scene as a drama of consciousness, not a travel brochure for the dead. The rich man clings to outward wealth and social rank, while Lazarus sits at the gate, a living symbol of neglected life seeking crumbs of attention. When they die, Lazarus is carried to Abraham’s bosom—an image of intimate union with the I AM—while the rich man endures torment in a flame that is really the fire of separation from inner truth. The gulf between them is a fixed belief in separation, the kind of mental distance you imagine exists between your outward life and your inner life. Abraham’s reply, “They have Moses and the prophets,” points to the inner law you already possess: hear the still, small voice of inner certainty rather than waiting for signs from beyond. If they refuse to listen, even a dead messenger will not awaken them. Your task is to revise your sense of self until the inner life becomes your dominant reality; then the old outer fortunes melt away into a living, joyous equilibrium.

Practice This Now

Assume the feeling of Abraham's bosom now—abide in the I AM. In the next moment, redirect attention from outer comforts to the neglected life within; feed Lazarus with care and gratitude, then repeat 'I AM' until the gulf dissolves.