On the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus, provides rich lessons for those who seek Kingdom life on earth and the hereafter. In the parable, the rich man did not lift a finger to lift up the poor man Lazarus. He was the very picture of complacency that the Lord decried through the prophet Amos.

The purple garments and fine linen he wore signified his regal and imperial standing. His table fare was sumptuous - rich and magnificent banquets reminiscent of kings. The parable made no mention of work. His was definitely a life of comfort and opulence.

The rich man had everything of this world, but nothing of God. But he did not welcome Lazarus into his home, who lay just outside his door. He did not invite Lazarus to his table. He did not share his resources with the poor man - not one tiny bit from his riches, not even the scraps of food that fell from his table. He did not witness to Lazarus the good news of God’s covenant of love with Israel. He did not accord Lazarus the dignity that befits a fellow child of God.

On the other hand, Lazarus had nothing of this world, but everything of God (Latin name Eleazar means “God is my help”). He was so poor, diseased and weakened that the parable described him as “lying at the rich man’s door.” He was unable to stand up and fend for himself. He had to beg to eat. He was hungry and would have eaten scraps falling from the rich man’s table. Apparently without family and friends, he was ignored, avoided and abandoned, approached only by dogs which licked his sores. Though suffering, he was uncomplaining. Lazarus had no possessions, except that which truly mattered: he had God.

Like everything in this world, both earthly wealth and suffering are passing things. Jesus, “the King of kings and Lord of lords…alone has immortality” Inevitably, the rich man and Lazarus died and met God’s divine justice. Lazarus, because of his reliance on God, was carried by angels to the eternal comfort of the bosom of Abraham. The rich man, because of his selfishness, was consigned to the eternal torment of the netherworld. There, he discovered that his and Lazarus’ earthly states had been reversed. Lazarus was comforted; the rich man was tormented. The rich man was now the beggar. Yet his old self-absorption and low regard for Lazarus remained. He begged Father Abraham to send Lazarus to cool his tongue with water from the tip of his finger. His tears did him no good, for without Jesus, there was no way the great chasm between heaven and hell can be bridged.

The rich man made his final appeal to warn his five brothers – who represented a society which did nothing to alleviate the plight of the poor - that they may repent of their selfishness. Father Abraham’s response speaks to us too. Repentance must flow out of love of God and obedience to His commandments. St. Paul reinforces and simplifies the command, “…keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Tim 6:14). The commandment to keep is kingdom love.

Our value before God does not lie in our wealth, looks or stature, but in our heart of love, a love that lifts up all persons, most specially the poor. Jesus is the model of lifting up the poor: “for your sake, He became poor though He was rich, so that by His poverty you might become rich” (2 Tm 8:9).

As Catholics, we must come together with a common conviction that we can no longer tolerate the moral scandal of poverty, hunger and deprivation in the world. As believers, we can debate how best to overcome these realities, but we must be united in our commitment and action. Our faith teaches us that poor people are not issues or problems but sisters and brothers in God's one human family.

As Catholics, we are called to be "ever more faithful witnesses of God's love and justice, protecting the dignity of all God's children, especially the poor and vulnerable." As our nation and world confront terrorism, war, and violence, we recall the words of Pope Paul VI, "If you want peace, work for justice."

With our Church under challenge, the world confronted by terror and haunted by conflict, we must focus our individual and collective efforts on issues of poverty and human dignity now!

* It is our calling. Our commission from the Lord places our service to the poor and the vulnerable and our work for justice at the heart of our discipleship.
* Poverty is all around us. Even in the richest country in the world, 1/6 of the children are growing up poor. The blessings and burdens of American life are not being shared equitably. In the Philippines, over 3 million families live below the poverty line, and are experiencing hunger daily. Millions are homeless or living in shanties.
* The situation is dire. It is estimated that more than 30,000 children die every day from hunger, deprivation, and their consequences. Disease and debt, corruption and conflict are threatening the lives and dignity of millions of people around the world.
* Jesus is in the poor. In Jesus' description of the Last Judgment in Mt 25, our Just Judge asked the question "What did you do for the least of these?" Jesus identified himself with the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the imprisoned, and the stranger, insisting that when we serve them we serve him.
* Each of us in Jesus can make a difference. Our community must actively preach the Gospel and pursue the Church's evangelizing and social mission. Together, we can build a world where people are treated with dignity, where lives are respected and protected.

In his hometown synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus outlined his mission and ours: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me . . . he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free." In these challenging times, this mission of Jesus is our way forward and our urgent task.