A Sunday HOMILY on Lk 19 :19-29, By Dn. Carlos Miranda
The gospel of our Lord Jesus is the remedy that every soul needs, irrespective of nationality, race, social strata, or any other human distinction. Notably, significant portions of the gospel's wisdom is conveyed through stories, precisely because of their ability to bridge all societal boundaries.
Chapter 16:19-31 of Luke's gospel presents the spiritual narrative of a man named Lazarus, whose name means "God has helped," and a certain un-named man, and the interweaving of their lives. Consider the contrast: One man is homeless and destitute, pleads for mere crumbs, endures severe illness and the agony of festering sores, is alone in this world, accompanied only by wild dogs, possessing only help from God, as he name informs us.
The other man, revels in opulence, indulging in lavish banquets within the protective walls of a mansion, surrounded by servants and family, and lives regally dressed in purple. Purple during this period in history was derived from rare shells, and symbolized immense wealth, akin to today's billionaires.
Yet, we should all note that this dramatic divergence is not a mere commentary by our Lord on the intrinsic morality of riches and poverty. No, the true essence of this parable emerges when we scrutinize its intended recipients: namely, the affluent Pharisees, who, owing to their status and affluence, perceived themselves as the righteous, the chosen, and the elect. Moreover, the story is the Lord's way of reaching out to the pharisees, so that they might hear his gospel and repent. This story preaches the gospel to the pharisees.
Consequently, the narrative swiftly proceeds to the point that the Lord desires to make: “The inevitable demise of both men, and by extension of every human.” It is here that the narrative touches all who encounter it. We, like these two men will also come to our inevitable demise!
The parable tells us that upon their deaths the destitute man's soul is gently escorted by angels to the bosom of Abraham, while, to the astonishment of the Pharisees, the wealthy man's soul is consigned to Hades. In essence, Lazarus finds solace in the realm of the righteous, while the rich man languishes in a place of torment and anguish.
The soul which is spoken of here is the animating force of life, in fact it is life itself. Thus, the earthly departure of our soul is synonymous with the departure of our life; which then goes on to find repose in one of two abodes until the day of resurrection. This is why it is common for us to say, N. reposed, rather than died. physical death is not eternal death, the soul or life continues to exist.
One of the points of the parable is the clarification about the determining factor for one’s condition after our repose. According to Christ, who is God himself, the determining factor of our eternal destiny is the outcome of who and what we have become in this earthly life. In other words, we were born nothing, and we spend a lifetime becoming something. And that something has either drawn closer to the image of the Christ in whose image we were created, or has drawn further and further from that image.
This means that there exists no spiritual balance sheet, no credits and debits, for virtues and sins. St. Paul's words to the Roman church underscores this truth, emphasizing that our eternal reward or condemnation corresponds to the kind of pursuits we had in this life. Listen to his words found in the second chapter of Romans:
“…God will reward each one according to his works: to those who, by perseverance in good work, seek glory and honor and immortality, HE WILL REWARD eternal life, but to those who act from selfish ambition and who disobey the truth, but who obey unrighteousness, HE WILL REWARD wrath and anger. Romans 2:5–11
According to the apostle, upon our death, God will expose whether we pursued Christlikeness, or the likeness of our own imaginations. These two paths of perseverance clearly before us in the Lord’s parable; one is the path of the proud, and the other the path of repentant.
The narrative thrusts the prosperous Pharisees into the spotlight, challenging their self-righteous facades, and in an oblique way pleading with them to repent. The rich man in the parable personifies their hubris.
As you probably noticed, when the rich man sees Lazarus in comfort, he does not for one moment ask himself why is Lazarus there while I am in hades. Instead, he assumes that Lazarus must be there because he is Abraham’s servant. Consequently, he addresses Abraham instead of humbling himself before Lazarus.
Indeed, the rich man's unwillingness to call out to Lazarus, despite knowing him well, reveals the patronizing contempt he held for the poor, and the world’s unsuccessful- hence the for image of God. Not only would he not love such a person, but he couldn’t even bring himself to speak to him. Instead, he appeals to Abraham, assuming him to be more fitting for his plea. His words echo:
“Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he could dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am suffering pain in this flame!’ Luke 16:24
The PURSUITS of this rich man during his life were pride and superiority, hence his entreaty for to his perceived equal, Abraham, to alleviate his suffering. This rich man, akin to the Pharisees in the audience, failed to perceive that one like Lazarus, who persevered in good works and sought the divine, was the truly blessed one, and the one would truly be rewarded. Therefore, the rich man's fate was not due to missteps, but rather to the prideful character he had forged during his life that distanced him from God.
At his death the rich man had finally become what he wanted to be, self-centered, arrogant, and ungiving person, thus he received the corresponding reward of those desires. In contrast, by way of humility and meekness, Lazarus also finally became that which he sought, that is the image of Christ, and received his reward.
The moral here is plain: we attain what we ardently pursue, and in this pursuit we must be ready to make the necessary sacrifices. For this reason Abraham's responds to the rich man saying,
“Child, remember that you received your good things during your life, and Lazarus likewise bad things. But now he is comforted here, but you are suffering pain.” Lk 16:25–26
The message is clear, in this life one will either follow the path of repentance, or squander the opportunity to draw near to God.
This answer obviously does not satisfy him, so the rich man issues a second command, imploring Abraham to send Lazarus as a harbinger to his family about Hades to save them from a similar fate. What is Abraham's response?
“They have Moses and the prophets; they must listen to them.” Luke 16:29
In other words, they have no excuse, God has revealed the truth to humanity.
The rich man remains adamant, suggesting that witnessing someone rise from the dead would spur belief. But Abraham retorts that even if one were to return from the dead, those who refuse to heed the teachings of Moses and the prophets would remain unconvinced. The irony is palpable; for Jesus himself, the very speaker, would indeed rise from the dead, yet the Pharisees' hearts would remain unmoved. They would not only kill him, but reject his return to them form the dead!
The Pharisees, like the rich man, had the word of God, and had the ability to do the works of God, but they did not. YET, THEY FREELY CHOSE THEIR PATH IN THIS LIFE, AND IN THE END RECEIVED THEIR JUST REWARD!
What possible application can this have for us? Simply this: What we do, and thus who we pursue to become like in this life, is ultimately what and who we will be upon our own repose. That very person we are trying to become is the person we will forever be! Therefore, be purposeful and strategic in your pursuits in this life; Ensure that your life are not taken hostage by any other shiny pursuit that this world places before you.
THE POINT MADE BY THE PARABLE is that we are to become lovers of Christ and of our fellow man.
- 1st, the parable insists that we make reading and meditating on holy scripture with prayer, a central part of our life, and we do so knowing that this will transform us into the likeness Christ.
- 2nd, the parable insists that we make our love for our fellow human beings (the icons of Christ), the thing that defines us.
Meaning, that we lovingly pray and commune with others, and even meet their needs when it’s within our reach.
Weren’t both the scriptures and the giving of alms within reach for the rich man? Yes they were, yet the shiny pursuits of this life captured his heart, and he ultimately became a lover of self rather than a lover God and mankind. Taking in the scriptures and giving ourselves to our fellow man doesn’t require us to be a superhero, it only requires our DESIRE to do so.
Rest assured dear friends, if the path we choose is Christlikeness, then we will eternally grow closer and closer to our God, Jesus Christ, who together with the uncreated Father and the life-giving Spirit, is glorified now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
