Friday

Luke 16: 19 – 31


"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

Luke 16, the story of Lazarus and the rich man, contains a difficult message. To many, the story’s karmic implications are especially disturbing: the rich man lived for pleasure, and he suffers in death. Lazarus lived in torment, and is given rest in Heaven. However, this simple interpretation is deceptive.

What truly damned the rich man was his flawed heart and his dismissal of God. The rich man ignored God in life, but wanted his help in death. When he saw Lazarus during their lives, he hadn’t raised a finger to help him. Then, when he sees Lazarus in Heaven, he asks Lazarus to descend to Hell to help him. The rich man’s wealth gave him an attitude of entitlement that he carried to the afterlife.

Even when the rich man asks Abraham to help his brothers, he still doesn’t seem to understand. He thinks if Lazarus comes back to life, his brothers will believe whatever Lazarus said. Unfortunately, a living dead man isn’t enough to make some people believe, whether it’s a beggar or the resurrected Jesus. Some are more comfortable not believing than letting Christ change them.

PA