St Luke 16: 19-31
‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house — for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”’
Reflection
In the world’s terms, the rich man – Elon Musk, Bill Gates, name your preferred billionaire – are the successes. The poor man – beggar, refugee, illegal immigrant, or whoever the media tell us to hate and despise this week – is the failure, worthless.
And then God does his upside-down thing that seems to always take us by surprise. The rich man is suffering in the after-life, the poor unconsidered man is established in the best of Jewish company, with Abraham himself.
And too late, the man who was such a success wakes up to this new reality. Now he is the beggar, desperate and needy. Just a drop of water is all he wants. Surely that’s not too much to ask? We don’t hear what Lazarus thinks – the beggar who sat at the rich man’s gate and received nothing but what fell, unwanted from the rich man’s table.
Is this tough justice something we are happy to hear? Do we want the profiteering multinationals and utility companies and their million-pound Christmas bonus CEOs given their just deserts?
But there’s more to this story: the rich man realises his five brothers who are following in his footsteps will, in their time, arrive exactly where he is and he wants them to be warned. In extremis, Mr Rich Man begs first for himself, then his family. They say charity begins at home. His perspective is a very small one.
And again the answer is no. Quite simply, this isn’t how it works. But this story is being told by Jesus who will rise from the dead. Is he revealing his awareness of the reality of how few people will believe in him, turn again, repent, change their ways?
And yet still kept going to the Cross.
Prayer
Forgive us the smallness of our vision, our hearts cramped by our self-centredness.
Wake us now to your truth and give us enough time to do better – in your terms, not the world’s.
Amen