The Rich Man and Lazarus

Luke 16:19-21

The rich man has enough money to feed his dogs, but doesn’t even give crumbs for Lazarus.  He has probably walked by Lazarus many times without even seeing him.  Both Lazarus and the rich man die.  Lazarus is safe in the “bosom of Abraham” and the rich man is not so lucky.  The rich man can see Lazarus while he is suffering in the unending fire.  He wants Abraham to send someone from the dead to warn his brothers about what the result of greed can be, but Abraham’s answer I find interesting.  Abraham says, “If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.”  After Jesus rose from the dead and those who were witnesses to his resurrection reported it widely, but there were those who wouldn’t accept it.  There are those who won’t accept it today.  Over the years, there have been many people who have had experiences of both heaven and hell.  People who have had these near death experiences have come away either almost sad that they did not die, they were so drawn to the light and love they felt, or they are prompted to change their lives because of the horror they felt, and the fear that they would spend eternity there.  They were very happy to get a second chance.  We like to believe that God will bring us to heaven no matter what; after all, he loves all of us.  But, it’s not all up to God.  God has given us love and support all our lives, but it is up to us to accept the gift.  How do we do this?  Follow Jesus’ law of love is the way.  Being aware of the needs of others and doing what we can to change things.  The rich man might not have been aware of Lazarus, but what of us?  Are we aware of those around us?  Do we close our eyes to the needs of the poor?  This parable lets us know that we will be judged by our actions, or non-actions, and we should take the hint. 

Prayer: Lord, you tell us in so many ways how we need to live and what we need to do to serve you.  Open our eyes and ears so that we can serve you by serving others. Amen.