Listen to the Living

(Note: A mental blur and technological monkey wrench prevented the posting of this slice of bread earlier today 3/17/22) 

 

The Rich Man and Lazarus

 Luke 16: 19-31

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. ²⁰ And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, ²¹ who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side.The rich man also died and was buried, ²³ and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. ²⁴ And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ ²⁷ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— ²⁸ for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ ²⁹ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

The Gospels are  giving us food for thought and action during this Lenten season of purification and preparation for the renewal of our Baptismal Promises on Easter (and during the Easter Season).  Today, pride,arrogance and self-satisfaction are contrasted with humility, simplicity and poverty.  The Rich Man "has it all" as we would say, while Lazarus has to beg for crumbs. But it is the poverty, both material and of spirit, that win him his reward. Isn't Lent about taking on the self-recognition of Lazarus and the divesting of the Rich Man's attitude of superiority?  Who am I in this parable?

Bro. Rene