May the mumbling commence!
How is true wealth defined in eternity? Jesus speaks of such wealth when he tells the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Read it below from Luke chapter sixteen:
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'
But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'" (Verses 19-31)
In a parable, it is unusual for a person to be named. It is interesting that a person in this parable is named. It is even more interesting that the one named is the poor diseased beggar and not the rich man. Most people would have known the rich man’s name and envied him his luxuries.
But we are not given the rich man’s name. Instead we are given the poor man’s name, Lazarus. Usually the poor are the anonymous ones – anonymous so that they are more easily ignored. Jesus gave them a name and a face. He promises the Lazarus’ of the world comfort in the next kingdom.
The rich man, though he could have, never lifted a finger to help Lazarus. When Lazarus was at Abraham’s side, he could not help the rich man – even if he would have chosen to. The rich man got the message loud a clear.
The rich man pleaded with Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his rich brothers. They already have their warning in the Scriptures. So do we.
Help us, O Holy Spirit, to give names, faces, and voices to the poor of our world. Let us give these gifts to the poor at our doorstep. Let us share our comfort and ease with someone less fortunate. In this way, we can make a name for ourselves in heaven. In this way, we can bring glory to God and to the way of Jesus the Christ.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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