THE WORD
Jer 17,5-10 / Lk 16,19-31
Jesus said to the Pharisees, “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and ne 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 ll 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 fames.’ 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.’”
IN OTHER WORDS
Pope Francis has “disturbed” many of us with his simplicity and prophetic message. In EvangeliiGaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), he says: “I want a Church which is poor and for the poor. They (the poor) have much to teach us. In their difficulties they know the suffering Christ. We need to let ourselves be evangelized by them. We are called to nd Christ in them, to lend our voice to their causes, but also to be their friends, to listen to them, to speak for them and to embrace the mysterious wisdom which God wishes to share with us through them.”
In the parable that Jesus addresses to the Pharisees, the rich man heartlessly ignored the poor man Lazarus. Perhaps he believed that, with all his riches, he had everything he needed in life. He was complete. He did not need anything from the poor man. It was the poor man who needed his help. But in the end, the parable teaches us that the rich man’s self-sufficiency and indifference prevented him from discovering his real situation in the eyes of God. Due to his pride and lack of compassion, he could not perceive the spiritual riches hidden in Lazarus’ heart of which his life was utterly lacking. Blinded by the lure of riches, the rich man could not see the poverty of his heart and spirit. Had he welcomed Lazarus into his life, he would have learned from him the wisdom he needed and he would have discovered the treasures that could not be destroyed nor stolen and that lead to eternal bliss in the heavenly Kingdom.
The humble acknowledgment of our poverty and need leads us to relate with the poor in a different way. We do not anymore see them as mere recipients of our generous gifts, but as providers of the wisdom and many other gifts that we lack. We do not simplistically claim then that we are giving them a better life, because, the truth is, when we share life with them on a profound level, we realize that they have made us better persons, much more genuine disciples of Jesus. Without them, perhaps it would be much harder for us to understand and follow the Jesus who is proclaimed in the Gospels.
- Fr. Edwin Fernandez, SVD | DWC, Laoag
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
