GOSPEL
READING
The Rich Man
and Lazarus
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (YEAR C)
The film Titanic (1997) is a powerful, albeit secular, interpretation of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus from Luke 16:19-31. While the film doesn’t have an explicit religious message, its central narrative is a dramatic, real-world portrayal of the parable’s core themes: the chasm between the rich and the poor, the consequences of indifference, and the ultimate reversal of fortune.
Social Divide
The most direct parallel is the stark social divide on the ship. The first-class passengers, like the rich man, live a life of opulence, feasting in grand dining rooms and strolling on the upper decks. Their world of privilege and comfort is so complete that the lives of the third-class passengers, the “Lazaruses” of the story, are invisible to them. The film uses the physical architecture of the ship to make this metaphorical chasm literal. The third-class passengers are relegated to the lower decks, their access to the upper levels strictly controlled. This physical separation represents the moral indifference of the rich man, who, in his comfortable world, fails to see the suffering at his own gate.
- 1. How does the film use the ship’s physical layout—the grand staircases, the opulent dining rooms, the gated passageways, and the cramped quarters of steerage—to create a literal representation of the “chasm” between the rich and poor?
- 2. The rich man in the parable seems to be condemned not for his wealth, but for his indifference. He fails to “see” Lazarus at his gate. In what specific scenes do the first-class passengers demonstrate their blindness or indifference to the lives and struggles of those in third class?
- 3. Consider the character of Rose. Her journey begins in the world of the “rich man,” but she is deeply dissatisfied. What does her desire to connect with Jack and the world of the third class tell us about the emptiness of a life lived in insulated luxury?
The sinking of the Titanic serves as the ultimate, dramatic reversal of fortune. In the parable, the rich man dies and finds himself in torment, while Lazarus is carried to “Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22).
As the luxurious ocean liner plummets beneath the waves, the void between social classes diminishes, with the shared calamity forcing all passengers to confront a common enemy: the frigid depths of the Atlantic. The once affluent and commanding passengers find their privileged positions rendered obsolete, unable to leverage their material possessions or societal standing to secure their safety. The third-class passengers, who were largely ignored in life, are now equal in the face of death, and in some cases, their simple resilience and proximity to the lower decks give them a better chance of survival than the upper class.
- 1. At what moment in the film does money lose all meaning? Discuss the scene where Cal offers a steward money to secure a place on a lifeboat. What is the significance of the steward’s reaction?
- 2. In the parable, Lazarus is “carried by angels to Abraham’s side.” While the film’s ending is tragic for many, how does Jack’s sacrifice and Rose’s survival represent a different kind of “salvation”? Does Rose’s long, full life honor the spirit of the “poor man” who saved her?
- 3. The film shows third-class passengers being physically barred from reaching the lifeboats. How does this literal, man-made barrier in a moment of crisis reflect the spiritual “chasm” that was fixed between the rich man and Lazarus?
The parable’s great chasm, which cannot be crossed after death, also has a powerful echo in the film.
The rich man’s request for Lazarus to cool his tongue with a drop of water is met with Abraham’s reply that the gap is fixed. In Titanic, this is symbolized by the lifeboats. When there are not enough lifeboats for everyone, the physical gap between those who are safe in the boats and those who are drowning in the freezing water becomes an uncrossable gulf. The film shows the human failure to extend mercy in a moment of crisis, and the profound tragedy that results from a society that has not learned to see and care for the marginalized in life.
- 1. The lifeboats represent a chance at salvation. The gap between those in the boats and those in the freezing water becomes an uncrossable gulf. How does the behavior of those in the lifeboats (e.g., the fear to go back for survivors) reflect the parable’s theme of a fixed, uncrossable separation?
- 2. The Titanic’s crew received multiple iceberg warnings that were not fully heeded by those in command, who were focused on speed and luxury. How does this parallel the rich man’s brothers having “Moses and the Prophets” but failing to listen?
- 3. Abraham tells the rich man that even a messenger from the dead would not convince his brothers. Do you see this kind of hardened heart in any of the film’s characters? Do some characters, even in the face of death, refuse to change their worldview or let go of their sense of status?
CONCLUDING DISCUSSION
- 1. Does the film suggest that the tragedy of the Titanic was solely an “act of God,” or was it a result of human pride, class division, and the same kind of indifference seen in the parable?
- 2. What is the ultimate message of both the parable and the film? Is it simply that the rich are condemned and the poor are saved, or is it a deeper call to empathy, social responsibility, and recognizing the humanity of every person, regardless of their station in life?
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