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Gospel: Luke 16: 19-31
Jesus said to the Pharisees:
“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man’s table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.’
Abraham replied, ‘My child,
remember that you received what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing
who might wish to go from our side to yours
or from your side to ours.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him
to my father’s house,
for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.’
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Then Abraham said,
‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded
if someone should rise from the dead.'”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is the only parable in the Gospels where Jesus gives someone a name – Lazarus– which means, “God is my help.” It’s also the only parable that directly addresses the afterlife.
The parable begins with the image of a gate, which could’ve been opened at any time, allowing the two men to cross each other’s path. But in death, that gate is permanently closed. And, in a stunning twist of irony, their fortunes are reversed.
Whereas Lazarus desired only a small blessing in life, mere crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table, so in death, the rich man desires the smallest drop of water to cool his tongue.
As he cries out to Abraham, “Father Abraham, send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.” But just as Lazarus was denied any physical consolation in this life, so the rich man is denied any in the next.
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This parable comes to us during the appointed time of Lent.
Whereas wealth is not a sin, it does have the power to influence our hearts, turning our eyes away from the more important things in life – such as feeding Christ hungry in our neighbor – and towards less important things such as having “more” for ourselves, instead.
Perhaps this is what Christ is leading us to ponder today: Am I content with what I have, or do I find myself constantly wanting more? More attention, more praise, more money, more power. More of anything other than God’s love and grace?
Like the rich man, do I insulate myself from the suffering of others, or do I pass through the open gate and serve them while I can?
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It seems our answers to these questions sets us on a certain trajectory – hopefully towards the company of Lazarus, who is poor no longer.
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Image credits: (1) McMahon Group (2) Reflective Preacher (3) Lay Cistercians