Luke 16:19-31

Luke 16:19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees:

“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen

and dined sumptuously each day.

And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,

who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps

that fell from the rich man's table.

Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.

When the poor man died,

he was carried away by 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 far off

and Lazarus at his side.

And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me.

Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,

for I am suffering torment in these flames.’

Abraham replied, ‘My child,

remember that you received what was good during your lifetime

while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;

but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.

Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established

to prevent anyone from crossing

who might wish to go from our side to yours

or from your side to ours.’

He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him

to my father's house,

for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them,

lest they too come to this place of torment.’

But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.

Let them listen to them.’

He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham,

but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

Then Abraham said,

‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,

neither will they be persuaded

if someone should rise from the dead.’”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you know all things. Guide me along the path that leads to life with you. Protect me from danger and give me your grace to fight the good fight, finish the race, and receive the victorious crown of your glory.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Moses and the Prophets: As Jesus journeys to Jerusalem, he alludes through a parable to the death he will suffer in Jerusalem and to his glorious resurrection from that death. The parable was addressed in particular to the Pharisees, who were hypocritically behaving like the rich man, who was indifferent to the needs of the poor man, Lazarus, at his doorstep. Jesus refers to the hardness of heart of the Pharisees, who were not listening to Moses, to the first five books of the Bible, or to the prophets. What is worse, they were refusing to listen to Jesus, the Word and Son of God, who would be raised from the dead. The books of the Old Testament all pointed to Jesus, and the Pharisees were blind to this.

2. The Reversal of Fortunes: One of the themes that runs throughout the Gospel of Luke is the reversal of fortunes. This theme was announced early on in Mary’s Magnificat: God will humble the proud and powerful and raise up the poor, the humble, the outcast, and the lowly. In his Sermon on the Plain, Jesus pronounced a blessing on the poor and woe on the rich. Earthly blessings – wealth and pleasure – can easily lead to eternal suffering, while earthly suffering – poverty, sickness, persecution – can be a sure path to eternal happiness. This is because those who are rich are tempted to trust in themselves, while the poor tend to rely on the help of others, especially on the help of God. Had the rich man in the parable seen himself as a steward of earthly wealth and done all he could to help the less fortunate, he would have stored up heavenly treasure and likely enjoyed the gift of eternal life. Lazarus, who suffered in this life, was exalted, while the rich man, who was indifferent to others in this life, was cast down.

3. Listening to the Risen One: At the end of the parable, Jesus refers to his resurrection and the hardness of heart he will encounter. The rich man thought that his five brothers would listen to the warning of someone risen from the dead and repent from their evil ways. But Abraham responded: “If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.” This alludes to the future preaching of the Apostles who will proclaim Christ crucified and risen from the dead. While some will accept their proclamation and come to faith in Jesus, others will reject it and refuse to believe. What Jesus is saying is that if a person won’t listen to the Old Testament proclamation of Moses and the prophets, they aren’t likely to listen to and embrace the New Testament proclamation of the fulfillment of Moses and the prophets. 

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, help me to see your face in the poor. Move my heart to have compassion on those who need my help. Do not let me be indifferent to you and the needs of my brothers and sisters.

Living the Word of God: One of the three practices of Lent is almsgiving. This Lent, how have I used the wealth I have on behalf of the poor? What changes do I need to make? What is God asking me to be detached from? Who could most benefit from my generosity?