Today’s Gospel of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus may seem confusing and challenging for us to understand at first but once we investigate it more in depth, the truth that God has for us is revealed.
Just a few verses before Jesus told this parable to the Pharisees, St. Luke mentions and describes that they, the Pharisees, “loved money, heard all this, and laughed at him.” Jesus tells them, “You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.”
Because they were the religious and elite of Palestine, everyone respected them. They were seen as the teachers and leaders of synagogues; the ones that had all the right jobs, they had it made. And Christ reminds them that the success of this world is not all that there is and is bound to disappear.
He reminds them that the purpose of this world is to prepare them to either eternal reward or eternal regret. He reminds them as He reminds us now, that our being in this world is only to prepare us for heaven, and if we get too attached to this world, we may never make it there.
He wants us to understand that heaven is where the soul lives in perfect communion with God, and that is what our soul was created for. Christ could not have been clearer about this, and yet so many then and still some of us now refuse to listen to him.
In order to quiet the Pharisees Christ tells them the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The beginning of the parable starts like this, “There was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and would feast magnificently every day.” Jesus mentions two exhibits of his wealth and one exhibit of poverty with the intent that the Pharisees understand how rich and far from God the rich man was and how they too were distant from the reality of God’s expectation, that love of God and love of man was greater than the love of law or the law of money.
In the first exhibit he mentions the fact that the rich man was dressed in purple and linen. In the second exhibit he mentions that the rich man enjoyed daily banqueting. He then mentions Lazarus; a poor man; poorest of the poor.
During the time of this parable, purple was a very expensive dye which was used to color clothing; this dye was so expensive that only the very, very rich could afford it. The rich man also feasted daily; he had a banquet every day; again, only a wealthy person could afford to do this.
Then Jesus talks about someone completely at opposite ends of the rich man; a beggar called Lazarus. The parable continues and says this, “And at his gate there lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even came to lick his sores.”
This man did not have a good life, he was so poor that he had to beg for money. Other than being poor he was laid at the rich man’s gate because he could not even walk. He could not even move to fend for himself, as stated “even the dogs came to lick his sores.
The parable concludes that when the poor man died, he was carried away by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld where he was in torment he raised his eyes and saw Abraham from far away and Lazarus by his side.
Abraham reminds him that during his lifetime good things came to him just as bad things came to Lazarus. And now he is to pay the consequence. The rich man then asks Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers to warn them of this place of torment. He tells him that if someone from the dead comes back to life they will believe. But in response he is told that his brothers have Moses and the prophets; that they need to listen to them.
In fact, Jesus does fulfill the rich man’s request. In the Gospel of John Jesus brings someone back from the dead, another Lazarus; ironically, they still did not believe in him.
Jesus wants to hold each one of us close to his heart, just as Lazarus was held close in Abraham’s bosom. It is God’s will that none of us be lost. His mission is to draw us all to himself, this is the desire in the heart of Jesus. And if we are faithful, it should become our desire too, for he has given us a share in this same mission of gathering souls to the bosom of our Father.
Every time that Mass begins we are asked to reflect on our sins, and depending on the penitential rite, we sometimes pray. “I confess to all mighty God, and to you my brothers and sisters that I have greatly sinned. In my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and what I have failed to do, and it goes on from there.
To better understand this parable of the rich man and Lazarus, we need to focus on the last line that I just read to you. “What I have done,” but more importantly “What I have failed to do.” Sinfulness comes when we do something bad but it also comes when we do not do something good even when we can do so. Sometimes we commit sin not just by our actions but also by our inactions, our omissions.
This parable is not about the rich being sinners nor is it about the poor being heavenly bound, for God does not discriminate. This parable is about a man who failed to help another. The rich man failed to recognize and assist his fellow man in need.
Lazarus longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table, these crumbs of food represent the truth of God’s word found in Jesus Christ. It was foreseen In the Old Testament by the prophet Jeremiah when he stated, “your words were found and I did eat them.”
There was a study that was made by psychologists on the biggest regrets that people have in life. The study states, “It’s not the things you do in life that you regret – it’s the things you don’t do.” In the short term, people regret their actions more than inactions. But in the long term, the ‘inaction, the things that we fail to do, our regrets, stick around longer.”
Let us examine our conscience. Have we failed to worship God by not attending Sunday Mass? Have we failed to educate our children in the Catholic faith? Have we failed to be generous in supporting the Church and helping the poor and needy? Have we failed to be reconciled with our spouse, a family member or former friend against whom we have held a grudge for a long time?5
Jesus knew what was going to happen to him. He knew that he would suffer, die, and “rise from the dead.” And he knew that even then many would not believe in him. So why did he go through all the trouble of trying to convert people? He went through the trouble for the few who will not leave him.
For even if one person could be reunited to God through his passion, death, and resurrection, He knows that it would be worth it. Because his love is not limited by time and space, he is able to love every person with a personal, intimate, and determined attention.
Jesus reminds us of all this because of his love for us. he plays no favorites and excludes no one. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”
Love moves our Lord, and love never gives up. If we are his faithful followers, we should faithfully follow in his footsteps. He wants us to be prepared for when our time on earth has ended and we stand before the judgment seat of God, he will judge us not just on what we have done, but also, on what we have failed to do.
Just a few verses before Jesus told this parable to the Pharisees, St. Luke mentions and describes that they, the Pharisees, “loved money, heard all this, and laughed at him.” Jesus tells them, “You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.”
Because they were the religious and elite of Palestine, everyone respected them. They were seen as the teachers and leaders of synagogues; the ones that had all the right jobs, they had it made. And Christ reminds them that the success of this world is not all that there is and is bound to disappear.
He reminds them that the purpose of this world is to prepare them to either eternal reward or eternal regret. He reminds them as He reminds us now, that our being in this world is only to prepare us for heaven, and if we get too attached to this world, we may never make it there.
He wants us to understand that heaven is where the soul lives in perfect communion with God, and that is what our soul was created for. Christ could not have been clearer about this, and yet so many then and still some of us now refuse to listen to him.
In order to quiet the Pharisees Christ tells them the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The beginning of the parable starts like this, “There was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and would feast magnificently every day.” Jesus mentions two exhibits of his wealth and one exhibit of poverty with the intent that the Pharisees understand how rich and far from God the rich man was and how they too were distant from the reality of God’s expectation, that love of God and love of man was greater than the love of law or the law of money.
In the first exhibit he mentions the fact that the rich man was dressed in purple and linen. In the second exhibit he mentions that the rich man enjoyed daily banqueting. He then mentions Lazarus; a poor man; poorest of the poor.
During the time of this parable, purple was a very expensive dye which was used to color clothing; this dye was so expensive that only the very, very rich could afford it. The rich man also feasted daily; he had a banquet every day; again, only a wealthy person could afford to do this.
Then Jesus talks about someone completely at opposite ends of the rich man; a beggar called Lazarus. The parable continues and says this, “And at his gate there lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even came to lick his sores.”
This man did not have a good life, he was so poor that he had to beg for money. Other than being poor he was laid at the rich man’s gate because he could not even walk. He could not even move to fend for himself, as stated “even the dogs came to lick his sores.
The parable concludes that when the poor man died, he was carried away by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld where he was in torment he raised his eyes and saw Abraham from far away and Lazarus by his side.
Abraham reminds him that during his lifetime good things came to him just as bad things came to Lazarus. And now he is to pay the consequence. The rich man then asks Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers to warn them of this place of torment. He tells him that if someone from the dead comes back to life they will believe. But in response he is told that his brothers have Moses and the prophets; that they need to listen to them.
In fact, Jesus does fulfill the rich man’s request. In the Gospel of John Jesus brings someone back from the dead, another Lazarus; ironically, they still did not believe in him.
Jesus wants to hold each one of us close to his heart, just as Lazarus was held close in Abraham’s bosom. It is God’s will that none of us be lost. His mission is to draw us all to himself, this is the desire in the heart of Jesus. And if we are faithful, it should become our desire too, for he has given us a share in this same mission of gathering souls to the bosom of our Father.
Every time that Mass begins we are asked to reflect on our sins, and depending on the penitential rite, we sometimes pray. “I confess to all mighty God, and to you my brothers and sisters that I have greatly sinned. In my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and what I have failed to do, and it goes on from there.
To better understand this parable of the rich man and Lazarus, we need to focus on the last line that I just read to you. “What I have done,” but more importantly “What I have failed to do.” Sinfulness comes when we do something bad but it also comes when we do not do something good even when we can do so. Sometimes we commit sin not just by our actions but also by our inactions, our omissions.
This parable is not about the rich being sinners nor is it about the poor being heavenly bound, for God does not discriminate. This parable is about a man who failed to help another. The rich man failed to recognize and assist his fellow man in need.
Lazarus longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table, these crumbs of food represent the truth of God’s word found in Jesus Christ. It was foreseen In the Old Testament by the prophet Jeremiah when he stated, “your words were found and I did eat them.”
There was a study that was made by psychologists on the biggest regrets that people have in life. The study states, “It’s not the things you do in life that you regret – it’s the things you don’t do.” In the short term, people regret their actions more than inactions. But in the long term, the ‘inaction, the things that we fail to do, our regrets, stick around longer.”
Let us examine our conscience. Have we failed to worship God by not attending Sunday Mass? Have we failed to educate our children in the Catholic faith? Have we failed to be generous in supporting the Church and helping the poor and needy? Have we failed to be reconciled with our spouse, a family member or former friend against whom we have held a grudge for a long time?5
Jesus knew what was going to happen to him. He knew that he would suffer, die, and “rise from the dead.” And he knew that even then many would not believe in him. So why did he go through all the trouble of trying to convert people? He went through the trouble for the few who will not leave him.
For even if one person could be reunited to God through his passion, death, and resurrection, He knows that it would be worth it. Because his love is not limited by time and space, he is able to love every person with a personal, intimate, and determined attention.
Jesus reminds us of all this because of his love for us. he plays no favorites and excludes no one. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”
Love moves our Lord, and love never gives up. If we are his faithful followers, we should faithfully follow in his footsteps. He wants us to be prepared for when our time on earth has ended and we stand before the judgment seat of God, he will judge us not just on what we have done, but also, on what we have failed to do.
