The plot of the story that Jesus tells is simple. A poor man sits outside the house of a rich man begging for crumbs. When both these men die, they are taken to different places. Being tormented with flames in hell, the rich man calls out to the poor man, who has been brought to Abraham's bosom. Parables can be recognized by their narrative, story-like quality.
Parables are often difficult to understand.
Once, the Disciples asked Jesus about the meaning of a parable he had told that day. In parables, groups of people are represented by different symbols. In this parable, the rich man represents a favored class-the leadership of the nation of Israel. Clearly, our rich man clothed in purple and fine linen represents the richly favored status of the Scribes and Pharisees, the spiritual leaders and representatives of Israel. If the rich man represents a favored class, then Lazarus must also be interpreted as a class-a downtrodden people.