Reflection On Luke 16: 19-31

Jesus in today’s Gospel presents a dramatic scene of contrasts between riches and poverty, heaven and hell, compassion and indifference, inclusion and exclusion. In the parable, Lazarus seems to be not only poor but also incapacitated. His incapacity can be seen in the way he was laying in front of the rich man’s house. On the other hand, the rich man is seen as growing in wealth day by day and as a result he shows indifference towards poor Lazarus. Lazarus was a poor fellow and in spite of his misfortune and continuous suffering; he did not lose hope in God. Lazarus saw the greatness and goodness of God beyond his material poverty; whereas the rich man could not see beyond his material riches. He was totally attached to the riches and as a result, he completely forgot the presence of God. The rich man instead of serving God served his wealth during his earthly life. The final outcome is that the rich man became a beggar in the kingdom of God and the poor Lazarus rich. Etymologically Lazarus means ‘God is my help.’ Lazarus, a beggar, covered with ulcer and sores, was in fact helpless. God alone was his sole help. The rich man, on the other hand, was in a state of glory from the worldly point of view. They both stood in opposite poles. The rich man did no harm to Lazarus except that he did not notice him. The rich man thus lost the heaven for not doing what he was expected to do.
Through this parable Jesus says that the main thing in life is to give primacy to God in our lives and to cultivate virtues. Jesus makes the point clear that the rich man was uncaring and did not show compassion towards his fellow brother. Above all he was greedy with the wealth he had acquired. On the other hand we notice that the dog showed more love for poor Lazarus. But the rich man totally neglected the cry and plea of Lazarus. The rich man ended up in the fires of hell because of his greed and lack of compassion, because he was a man outside the grace of God. He suffered in hell precisely because of the indifference that he showed towards the human suffering.
Questions to ponder:
What kind of human being you are and want to be?
What is your priority in life?
Is human dignity necessary? If yes, how do you look at the disabled and disoriented in the society?


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