DIVES AND LAZARUS: STRIKING THE BALANCE

HOMILY FOR THE 26TH SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C
Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

 

It is not enough to say that we do not do wrong/evil. It does not follow that since one does no evil, that he does good. Doing no wrong must be merged with doing something good (detachment from the devil, and attachment to God). Then can one claim to be good.

Last Sunday, we encountered the story of the unjust servant, in which we explained the concern of the story on the attitude of human beings about the things of this world more than the things of heaven. Jesus continues this Sunday to tell such a likely story to teach his audience that the yardstick for measuring going heaven is not based on how wealthy we have lived in this world, but on how well we have lived. Jesus indicated that man must love God and use money and not using God and loving money. Having told his audience the story of the unjust servant, the Pharisees who were present ridiculed him (cf. Luke 16:14). Hence, to answer that scoffing, Jesus tells them the story of the rich man and Lazarus. This is the story that we encounter in today’s Gospel (Luke 16:19-31); a story which is highly educative. This parable is meant to rebuke not the possession of wealth but its heartless, selfish use. Actually, we shall consider the two principal characters (The Rich man and Lazarus) in it, and thereupon present an awareness of two other characters often neglected (the five brothers and ‘Moses and the prophets).

The Rich Man (Dives)

There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. The rich man has been popularly referred to as Dives, but this is not his name, as Dives is the Latin equivalent for ‘rich’. Thus, the rich man was not named. The description we know about him was the way he dressed and ate. These are mere externalities of life. He was described by Jesus based on where his heart lay, the temporal things of this world. Another thing necessary to know about this rich man stems from this question: what was actually his sin? He lived to self. He neglected the plight of Lazarus, the poor. He never noticed Lazarus. We must be aware that there was nothing bad he did to Lazarus such as pursuing him away or even releasing bad words on him. He had made no objections to his receiving the bread that was flung from his table. His was the sin of omission: the good he has failed to do for a brother who was in need. A life lived to the self is death as to live for others is life. The sin of Dives was that he did not feel any answering sword of grief and pities pierce his heart having seen the suffering and pains of a fellow man that is in dare need. He ignored Lazarus. He did nothing when he should have done something.

Dives in our world today

The first question we need to answer is this: how do you describe yourself? Its corollary is: how do people describe you? We must be aware that the way we are described says a lot about us. Are you described based on the material things you possess? Or are you described based on how lovely your heart is. The danger of describing us based on our riches is that our names are lost, just as the name of this rich man was lost as it was not mentioned. We lose our names, lose the main thing that ought to characterize our lives, loose our identity with God, and even lose our connection with our fellow humans who can be helpful through their words of admonition. Therefore, when you notice that people around has started to describe you based on how luxurious you live your life or the material things you possess, run as far as your legs can carry you and embrace the spirit of charity and love. By so doing, the tag on you will be easily transformed to something positive, something which is more intrinsic, not external, and something which actually constitutes everyone as persons. Then and only then can such statements arise: he is a good man with a good heart. Learn to focus on those behaviours that make us really human. We have to ask ourselves whether what we are expected to do with material possessions are actually being done by us. A constant re-examination of self is important.

Lazarus (the poor)

And at his gate was a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. This poor man is named Lazarus, which is the Latinized form of Eleazar, and means God is my help. This name is given to us to show the poor man’s piety. He was so helpless that he could not even ward off the street dogs that pestered him. But God was his help by making him cross the path of the rich man, who blocked his heart to feel the clarion call for pity and help. He was at Dives’ gate and got no help from Dives. He got some crumbs from Dives’ table but not from Dives (in those days, they did not use spoons, forks or knives or napkins; they would eat with their hands, wiping them on crusts of bread that had been thrown out afterward. The serious point is that Lazarus became the measure for the goodness of Dives. But Dives was not aware.

Lazarus in the world today

When we do nothing when Lazarus lies at our gate, we do great wickedness. See how the scene was changed. When they both died, and went each to his own place, Dives became helpless, while Lazarus became helpful. The helpless became the man from whom help was demanded. Lazarus finds relief and is comforted, while the rich man is in pain and anguish. Lazarus was in heaven as Dives was in hell. However, we must clarify that the rich man was not in hell because he was rich nor was Lazarus in heaven because he was poor as we have explained. Dives begged for water which symbolizes relief. He who was unable to relief the pain of the other was seeking relief from the other. But it is a pity as there is now a very big chasm between Lazarus and Himself. The chasm indicates the impossibility of change in either condition. If you are in heaven, you are in heaven. If you are in hell, you are in hell. There is no passage from one to the other. This Abraham made the Dives to understand. Earth is the place for mutual help and love. Practice care and concern when you can so that you will not live an eternal life of regret. Sometimes, God sends ‘Lazarus’ in our paths that they may be added to the measures for our judgment, and many times, we have failed to see that when we fail to feel pity and show concern, we are scoring low grades as regards our defence after this life. Help that poor man beside you today, and secure a good place tomorrow in the bosom of Abraham.

The five brothers and the ‘Moses and the Prophets’

Dives had five brothers, and pleaded that they be warned less they join him in that place of torment. But he had lost the right to appeal since he is now in hell. Only the saints in heaven can appeal. If s sinner in hell can appeal even when he has lost such a privilege, what more of the saints in heaven who has such privilege. The saints in heaven do appeal for our good here on earth. Dives recognized this truth that he cannot return o warn the five brothers. He then appealed for Lazarus to be sent. The emphasis is that Dives is sure that the five brothers are still living like him and neglecting the poor, since he was with them in such a life. But one thing is striking. Here in hell, Dives felt some concern for his brothers, but his torture is all the more worsened because of his inability to do anything. The dead do not come back to life to warn us. Even when they have such a desire to warn, they are unable to do so.

However, there is a reasoning that might follow from this:  if God really wants to save the five brothers, he should have granted the request of this man. This reasoning fails as God gives us ample opportunities to repent. If they do not listen to the Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead. Abraham is right. Many Christians today do not repent on hearing the word of God from the mouth of Moses and the prophets. They too desire to see dead men rise in order to believe. This parable portrays our human desire for the spectacular, the dramatic or the shocking to occur. Sometimes we want God to tear the heavens open and come down. Many feel that they will not believe unless they experience some miracles. There are Moses and the prophets. If we listen to them, we shall be like Lazarus who enjoyed heaven. If we fail to listen to them, we shall be like Dives who is in hell. There will many a poor man in hell, as there will be rich men in heaven. The main thing is to give heed to the word of God preached through the mouths of the preachers (the Moses and the prophets today). The reason for your earthly life is that you might learn through the Moses and the prophets, the realities of life, and the realities of the life after.

The First Reading (Amos 6:1a.4-7) warns against this life that Dives lived. It warns against the life of luxury lived without considering the other persons in the society. According to God, through the mouth of the prophet, such persons are in potency of being driven into exile. They will be punished first in this life, even before the afterlife. The Second Reading (1 Tim 6:11-16) exhorts all to aim at righteousness and to fight the good fight of faith by keeping the laws of God and avoiding evil. It exhorts everyone to strive so as to achieve heaven like Lazarus.

We must strive, dear friends to combine the practice of detachment from evil with that of attachment to the good. We must strive after good having rejected evil. It is a terrible warning, as William Barclay says, that the sin of Dives was not that he did wrong things, but that he did nothing. We are called to help thus, the Lazaruses of our community, with the awareness that God is highly interested in the poor. God bless you as I wish you a blessed week ahead.