The parable of the rich man and the poor man Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) conveys to us that God values all people. The kingdom of heaven is open to everyone, regardless of economic or cultural status. This means that things that we think are important - things like money, material possessions - they don’t really hold value in the kingdom of heaven. In fact, wealth and power can become the very hindrance to entrance into the kingdom of God.
God loves his creation, he sent his Son Jesus Christ “to seek and to save” us (9:10). And the implication of this forgiveness and reconciliation that we have with God, is that we extend it to others also, including our neighbour, especially the one who is very different from us. This is our privilege, and this is our challenge. This is what the law and the prophets pointed to, and this is what Jesus fulfilled in his earthly ministry.
There are two sections in the story: 1- the divine reversal in the age to come; there’s a radical reversal between the conditions of this life and those in the age to come (21:19-26); and 2- our difficulty to live this reversal now, especially if we have wealth (21:27-31).
So we begin with the great reversal. Jesus portrays the difference between the rich man and Lazarus in vivid form. The rich man is dressed in splendid clothing, lives in luxury, and feasts and parties every day. Lazarus, on the other hand, is homeless, hungry, and sick (21: 19-21).
We don’t know much else about these characters, but we are told that after they die, a great reversal takes place. The rich man is “buried” unceremoniously, while Lazarus is taken up by angels (21:22). Lazarus is brought to “Abraham’s bosom”, a place of intimacy, safety, and rest1, whereas the rich man goes to Hades, a place of torment and suffering (21:22-23).
At this point we may ask ourselves, why the reversal? Certainly there is a reflection here of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus makes the following two contrasts: blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God; and trouble, sorrow, and distress upon the rich: they are motivated by money and possessions, and as such, they have already received their reward (6:20-26).
There is a sense of pride that overtakes us when we get our hands on wealth and power, a sense of arrogance that no longer sees need for God, and only sees our neighbour as a means to an end. We see this in the next section:
“Father Abraham”, says the rich man, “have mercy upon me...send Lazarus to dip...his finger in water and cool my tongue” (21:23). He who did not show mercy, now expects mercy. He’s in a place of pain and torment, and yet, he arrogantly sees Lazarus as his lackey who should come and comfort him. He even requests that Lazarus be sent as a messenger, a gopher, to warn his family members (16:26-27).
The point here is that the rich man had a hard and stubborn heart. His wealth was more important to him than serving God and neighbour, and this, even though he grew up hearing the Law and the Prophets. He knew that God’s justice consists of mercy and compassion (Zechariah 7:9), but he did not do likewise. Lazarus “desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table...”; but instead, “...the dogs came and licked his sores” (21:21).
She who has ears let her hear. Better yet, he who hears, let him obey. This is what’s implied in Abraham’s final response when the rich man requests that Lazarus be sent back to warn his family: “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead’” (21:31).
The rich man’s family is in the same predicament he was in: they are also locked into their rejection of God. If they don’t pay attention to the words of Scripture, they also will not pay attention to someone else, even someone who comes back from the dead. Jesus himself experienced this after his own resurrection.2
Brothers and sisters, we have heard the Scriptures. We have been, and continue to be, at the receiving end of mercy and compassion from God. The privilege and the challenge is for us to pass along the love of God, and not get bogged down by money and possessions. This is my prayer: that we would pay attention to the words of Jesus, that we would translate hearing into obedience.
Amen ✠
God loves his creation, he sent his Son Jesus Christ “to seek and to save” us (9:10). And the implication of this forgiveness and reconciliation that we have with God, is that we extend it to others also, including our neighbour, especially the one who is very different from us. This is our privilege, and this is our challenge. This is what the law and the prophets pointed to, and this is what Jesus fulfilled in his earthly ministry.
There are two sections in the story: 1- the divine reversal in the age to come; there’s a radical reversal between the conditions of this life and those in the age to come (21:19-26); and 2- our difficulty to live this reversal now, especially if we have wealth (21:27-31).
So we begin with the great reversal. Jesus portrays the difference between the rich man and Lazarus in vivid form. The rich man is dressed in splendid clothing, lives in luxury, and feasts and parties every day. Lazarus, on the other hand, is homeless, hungry, and sick (21: 19-21).
We don’t know much else about these characters, but we are told that after they die, a great reversal takes place. The rich man is “buried” unceremoniously, while Lazarus is taken up by angels (21:22). Lazarus is brought to “Abraham’s bosom”, a place of intimacy, safety, and rest1, whereas the rich man goes to Hades, a place of torment and suffering (21:22-23).
At this point we may ask ourselves, why the reversal? Certainly there is a reflection here of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus makes the following two contrasts: blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God; and trouble, sorrow, and distress upon the rich: they are motivated by money and possessions, and as such, they have already received their reward (6:20-26).
There is a sense of pride that overtakes us when we get our hands on wealth and power, a sense of arrogance that no longer sees need for God, and only sees our neighbour as a means to an end. We see this in the next section:
“Father Abraham”, says the rich man, “have mercy upon me...send Lazarus to dip...his finger in water and cool my tongue” (21:23). He who did not show mercy, now expects mercy. He’s in a place of pain and torment, and yet, he arrogantly sees Lazarus as his lackey who should come and comfort him. He even requests that Lazarus be sent as a messenger, a gopher, to warn his family members (16:26-27).
The point here is that the rich man had a hard and stubborn heart. His wealth was more important to him than serving God and neighbour, and this, even though he grew up hearing the Law and the Prophets. He knew that God’s justice consists of mercy and compassion (Zechariah 7:9), but he did not do likewise. Lazarus “desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table...”; but instead, “...the dogs came and licked his sores” (21:21).
She who has ears let her hear. Better yet, he who hears, let him obey. This is what’s implied in Abraham’s final response when the rich man requests that Lazarus be sent back to warn his family: “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead’” (21:31).
The rich man’s family is in the same predicament he was in: they are also locked into their rejection of God. If they don’t pay attention to the words of Scripture, they also will not pay attention to someone else, even someone who comes back from the dead. Jesus himself experienced this after his own resurrection.2
Brothers and sisters, we have heard the Scriptures. We have been, and continue to be, at the receiving end of mercy and compassion from God. The privilege and the challenge is for us to pass along the love of God, and not get bogged down by money and possessions. This is my prayer: that we would pay attention to the words of Jesus, that we would translate hearing into obedience.
Amen ✠
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1- Luke Timothy Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Gospel of Luke. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 3. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1991), 252.
2- Luke Timothy Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Gospel of Luke. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 3. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1991), 256.
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