The rich man in the passage is described as wearing extravagant purple and fine linen clothes as a display of his wealth and status. He holds lavish feasts every day, while the poor man Lazarus desires only to eat scraps from the rich man's table, food that was meant for dogs. The passage contrasts the extreme luxury of the rich man with the desperate poverty of Lazarus and suggests taking collective, united action or "balikatan" to help the poor rather than ignoring or dismissing their situation.