Lazarus, though helpless, must have been a man of faith.  His friends brought him to the rich man’s gate because they felt he was the best person able to help him.  The dogs were better to him than the rich man.  Even today we find many physically handicapped people who are people of faith.  Next the story tells us that both Lazarus and the rich man have died.  They both each went to their own place.  We discover the rich man went to what the KJV calls hell.  He finds himself in torment.  By the way, this is the grave prior to the lake of fire mentioned in Rev. 20:11-15.  It appears that he could look into Paradise and see Lazarus in the place of blessing.  He requests just a drop of water to cool his tongue.  This was not possible because of the great expanse between the two places.  By the way his physical tongue was in the ground decaying.  This shows that our inner man, (our spirit) continues to live on in eternity and has feelings.  Next we find the rich man asking that someone be sent to warn his brothers of this dreadful place.  He himself never paid attention to Lazarus or his faith prior to his death, what made him think his brothers would either even if Lazarus was to come back from the grave.  Jesus rose from the dead, yet how many people are paying attention to Him?