Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, and he went to the place of the dead. There in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.‘ But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.‘” (Luke 16:19-26)
What are we to take away from this parable? What does this have to do with our lives today?
- Is this a call to feed the poor among us? Sure.
- Is this a reminder to treat all those around us regardless of their status with respect and dignity? Absolutely.
- Is this a gut check not to be so focused on ourselves that we miss the suffering of others? Clearly.
But when we look at each of these questions, it is also far too easy to kid ourselves into believing, I’m not like the rich man. I would never behave as he did. I am active in social justice ministry through my church and other organizations that serve the less fortunate. And of course, this is needed and wonderful. However, I’d like to challenge you today to think more deeply about the message Jesus is sending us. Who, in your life, needs you to ‘See’ them with the eyes of love and compassion? Their circumstances may not be as dire as Lazarus’ or those served by the numerous social justice programs we are familiar with, but their need is equally great.
My friend Janet works at Walmart. Janet exudes love from her eyes, to her smile, to her amazing hugs. I look forward to spending time with her just to be with her and see her smile. We’ve had a lot of conversations about issues in the world that disturb each of us. One of hers is the horrible crime of human trafficking. The idea that people are being used this way tugs at her heart. She is not sure how to get engaged and make a difference, but she feels this is one of the most important concerns facing our world today. And, she is probably right.
When I listen to her calling herself out for what she ‘is not’ doing. I find myself compelled to remind her of the importance of what she ‘is’ doing. Every day that she goes to Target, she brings her loving self to the people she meets. I hear her tell me about how much it means to her when people walk up to her register angry or frustrated and with humor and kindness, she has them laughing and smiling before they leave her line. They are gifted with a huge dose of her amazing love. And they feel it.
Janet tells herself that what she does at Walmart is not that important. She is convinced that there is something more, something bigger that she is called to do. And she may be right. What I try and remind her is that while the gift of love she shares with shoppers at Walmart may seem small to her, it is not. In a position where so many just move people through the line, Janet truly ‘sees’ them and their need. They are close. They are right outside her gate. And these people who God has sent into her path are just as important as those whose suffering seems bigger. Showing love and compassion for those close to us does not mean we do not have compassion for the larger issues in our world today.
Who has God placed at your gate? Is there someone in your family where judgment has kept you at a distance? Is there a co-worker that needs you to see them as more than the person who (fill in the blank)? Is it your spouse, your child, yourself?
This parable always felt like a judgment to me of all that I was not doing as I should. Today, all I hear Jesus’ invitation to see those around us, do what we can to alleviate their suffering even if that is nothing more than a smile.
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