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Being the gift of God
“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 in sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.”
What’s wrong with this picture? The Gospel for the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary time gives us an image of wealth disparities. A nameless rich man is juxtaposed to a poor man named Lazarus. This name ‘Lazarus’ means ‘God will help’. Paradoxically, the help will have to come through the generosity of the rich man to whom God has given enough resources. The pivotal point of this drama is not the rich man’s wealth but his decadence and hardness of heart in the face of dire suffering. Lazarus is at his door covered with sores, meaning he suffers physical ailments which are exacerbated by his economic struggles. The rich man sees his situation but does nothing to help. Likewise, Lazarus is in a state of desperation, willing to accept whatever morsels might be available from the rich man’s table. A flick of the rich man’s wrist with the fluffy bread with which he cleans his silver plate or a few steps down the marble steps with some water will change this scene dramatically. While this text from Luke’s Gospel is nearly 2,000 years old, sadly the image mirrors the inequities that persist today. Our major cities with opulent dining venues with hungry persons longing for a morsel of bread on the sidewalks is the modern version of this story.
The Liturgy of the Word invites us to consider the story of Lazarus in light of the prophet Amos who also criticized excessive wealth in his day. The Prophet Amos tells us about our Hebrew ancestors in Zion, who do not care that many of their people are suffering great losses due to war and slavery. Many of us suffer from this same tendency: if a catastrophe does not affect us personally and directly, then we can easily forget about it. Even today, with television and modern
media, when we see the awful things that happen in our world, we often find ourselves not caring much about what happens to others. On the other hand, if we know that something is going to affect us, then we begin to care passionately.
When the conclave of 2013 was finishing up, and Jorge Mario Bergoglio (who took the name Francis) was elected Pope, Cardinal Hummes of Brazil came up to him and whispered into his ear: “Don’t forget the poor.” In emphasizing “a poor Church for the poor,” Pope Francis is continuing an ancient and powerful tradition that stretches right back to the Bible, including our first reading and Gospel for today.
In the context of Luke's Gospel, the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus delivered in the presence of a crowd of listeners, is part of Jesus' response to some Pharisees. These Pharisees are described in Luke's Gospel as “loving money.” Pharisees were followers of a sect of Judaism active before, during, and after Jesus' lifetime. They taught an oral interpretation of the Law of Moses as the basis for popular Jewish piety. They put less emphasis on Temple worship and more on applying the law to everyday life. Christ on the other hand insisted on a spiritual life based on worship and compassion: love of God and neighbor.
This parable is an invitation to us to enter into the lives of people as ‘our business.’ So, start by asking who is the ‘Lazarus’ in your life. Who is the person who needs God’s help through you? Here is the FAME strategy of reaching out. F- Find connection with the person on any level. A- Affirm that person honoring the value of the individual. M- Move yourself inwardly with compassion as God is calling you to ministry. E- Express your concern in action.
Fr Tom Kunnel, C.O.