Rich Man, Poor Man (Luke 16:19-31)
Last Sunday our Gospel was about the proper use of money, with a warning that money can be tainted, and that one easily becomes a slave to material riches. In today’s Gospel, Luke develops the teaching of Jesus in his parable of two contrasting men, one very rich, the other very poor. The rich man is not named in the gospel although people today usually call him Dives, meaning a very rich man. The poor man is Lazarus who is the only person to be named in any parable. His name is significant for it means that God helps.
Going back to the time of Moses, all Jews should have been aware of their social responsibility to care for the poor in ways like leaving some fruit on the trees or grain in the field. The rich man feasted magnificently every day while Lazarus did not receive even the scraps that fell from the table. Dogs were more sympathetic than the rich man and they licked the sores on Lazarus’ legs. We are not told if the rich man made his fortune unjustly. His sin was failure to care for the poor.
When he died, Lazarus, God helps, finallyexperienced his name and was taken up to heaven, the bosom of Abraham.
When the rich man died, he descended into Hades (hell). He could see Lazarus enjoying new life with the descendants of Abraham. He cried out for help, even a drop of water. But Abraham replied that there was a great gulf, impossible to cross, between the two.
The rich man pleaded that Lazarus might be sent back to warn his five brothers to amend their ways.
“They have Moses and the prophets,” said Abraham, “let them listen to them.”
“Ah no, father Abraham, but if someone comes to them from the dead, they will repent.”
“If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead.”
When Luke was writing his Gospel, he knew that Jesus had risen from the dead.
In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke described the wonderful sharing and caring among the early Christians.
For the past century documents of the Church have been very strong on social responsibility. But, as individuals, are we living up to our responsibilities?
Amos, in today’s First Reading criticised smug complacency. “Woe to those ensconced so snugly in Zion and to those who feel so safe on the mountains of Samaria.”
One estimate reported that some forty thousand children die of malnutrition every day, almost one every two seconds. This is in a world of instant communication and rapid transport of goods.
What happened early this year when it was feared that wars would worsen? Money put aside for famine relief was now reduced to purchase more weapons of destruction!
If we celebrate the breaking of bread in church but do nothing about feeding Christ in the hungry, then our liturgy is hypocritical. We have mastered the art of availing of the comforts of religion while being immunised from its challenges.
Where I walk or work, where I play or pray,
In the little acre of God that I tend,
Is there anybody less hungry because I am there?