Readings: Amos 6:1, 4-7; 1 Tim. 6:11-16; Lk 16:19-31.
The Lazarus at our Door
1. Prophet Amos lashed out at the rich last Sunday for exploiting the poor. He was direct and uncompromising. He warned the children of Israel that the Lord would punish them through a military disaster because of their social injustice and religious arrogance. Amos was from the South and preached in the North. He warned that due to the lifestyle of the people, the impending disaster would affect the rich and the poor alike. Amos is on it again today, warning the rich who feasted sumptuously and enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle that they “Shall be the first to go into exile, and their wanton revelry shall be done away with.” The rich did not care about the poor; they took no notice of them except to exploit them to advance their selfish interests.
2. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man dressed in purple (royalty) and fine linen clothes; and feasted on exotic and costly dishes and drank expensive wine. And there was Lazarus, ‘God is my help.’ Lazarus was a homeless, disabled beggar so sick that he could not drive away dogs that came to lick his sores. He survived on the leftovers that fell from the rich man’s table. Although Lazarus would make his way to the rich man’s gate day in and day out, he did not notice him. The only time the rich man noticed Lazarus was when he saw him in the afterlife on the bosom of Abraham. While the rich man was laughing, rejoicing, and celebrating on earth, Lazarus was in agony. But in heaven, Lazarus rejoiced while the rich man suffered in hell. And Christ warned: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. But woe to you who are rich, for you, have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep.” (Lk. 6:20-25).
3. But what was the rich man’s sin? What was his crime? And why was he in hell? The rich man did not kick Lazarus out, shout at him, or prevent him from sitting by his gate. The parable said nothing about the source of his wealth. Being rich was a blessing from God. Psalm 112:3 tells us: “Wealth and riches shall be in their homes; their prosperity shall endure forever.” And Deuteronomy 8:18 assures us, “It is the Lord, your God, who gives you the power to acquire wealth, by fulfilling, as he has now done, the covenant which he swore to your fathers.”
4. The only crime that sent the rich man to hell was that he did not care; he did not notice his fellow man is dying in abject poverty. He failed to see Lazarus at his door! He did nothing to alleviate his pain and suffering or remedy his situation. He saw Lazarus as part of the landscape in front of his gate. He lacked the human decency to pursue a life of holiness by taking care of his fellow man in need. He failed to do what Paul urged Timothy to do in the second reading. “But you, a man of God…pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life.” (1 Tim. 6:11-12). He failed to obey the commandment of love. He did nothing! It was the sin of omission that sent the rich man to hell. We contribute to the sufferings of the poor by doing nothing to help them in their poverty!
5. We often feel that the poor deserve their state in life. We seem to think that they remain in poverty because they are lazy. M.K.O. Abiola said better, “If I am the richest man, living among the poorest of the poor, I am the poorest of them all.” How easy we forget that the rich should help the poor in this world while the poor will benefit the rich in the next. “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.’” Hell is real! If we refuse to notice Lazarus in our family, community, society, world, and gates, we may end up in hell like the rich man. Can we see Lazarus at our doors? They are everywhere, but can we see them? They are needy people, hurting people who need our attention and want us to help them with school fees. They are panhandlers on the street corners, and they sleep under bridges. Can you see the hurt in their eyes? They need us! Do not wait for the reversal of fortunes to notice; it may be too late then. J. F. Kennedy reminds us that “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”
6. Finally, it seems odd that the rich man’s request that his brothers be warned was refused. Isn’t it true that if men possess the truth of God’s word, and if wherever they look, there is a sorrow to be comforted, need to be supplied, pain to be relieved, and they are not moved to do anything, or take action to alleviate their sufferings? Nothing can change them, even if someone should come from the dead? The rich man went to hell because of the sin of omission; we commit the sin of omission too. May we notice the Lazarus at our doors so we may not join the rich man in his pity party held in hell. Amen!
Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP
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