Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I want to begin my homily with today’s Psalm response (Ps 146:7, 8-10). It reads:
“Blessed is he who keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.”
“The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.”
“The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.”
The theme of my homily last week was, “Praise the Lord Who Lifts Up the Poor.” This was also taken from the Psalm response for last Sunday. As I read the liturgical readings for this Sunday, I saw this theme repeated in today’s readings. It tells us that the theme of poverty and riches is important enough in the scriptures for the Church to draw attention to it a second week in a row. But a close reading of the Parable of Poor Lazarus and the Rich Man is not merely about the riches and poverty. The parable is a literary tool for Luke to emphasize another overarching theme of his gospel – the “great divine reversal.”
The Great Divine Reversal
Scripture scholars tell us that one of the hallmarks of Luke’s gospel is its positive outlook on the world. Even though Palestine was occupied by the Romans, Luke’s gospel exudes joy and optimism. At the same time, Luke was not naïve about the human condition. His positive outlook did not deter him from offering a prophetic critique of human life and social values. The theme of the “great divine reversal” is one way he does this.
Luke challenges the complacency and the sense of security that comes from putting one’s trust in wealth and earthly realities. Luke’s repeatedly makes the point in his gospel that the temptation for the rich and the powerful to put their faith in earthly realities rather than on God is real. If they do, they receive the worldly consolation they seek. But the consolation of the poor does not lie in this world. It lies in God’s hands, and they will not be denied.
The idea of divine reversal is found throughout Luke’s gospel. Take Mary’s Magnificat for example. She sings: “He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty” (Luke 1:52-53). Nowhere is the great divine reversal better expressed than in the Lukan Beatitudes. Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are poor,” but “Woe to you who are rich, you have already received your consolation.” “Blessed are you who are now hungry,” but “Woe to you who are filled now, you will be hungry.” “Blessed are you who are now weeping,” but “Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep” (Lk 6:20-26). It is foolish, Luke says, to put human trust in earthly riches than on God.
The Parable of Lazarus and the Nameless Rich Man
The great divine reversal is best played out in the parable of the Lazarus and the rich man. At the end of the parable, Abraham says to the rich man, “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” (Lk 16:25). Notice that the poor man has a name, but the rich man is left nameless. It is the divine reversal in play.
But even in torment, the rich man had not learnt his lesson. He still wants Lazarus to act like a servant. He wanted Abraham to send Lazarus to cool his tongue, and then again to be sent to his brothers to warn them. It is possible that earthy riches and power can make us arrogant all the way into eternity.
Earthly Choices Have Eternal Implications
What practical implications can we draw from today’s the parable?
First, notice that Luke does not say anything about the that fact that the man is rich. Rather, Luke’s concern is lies in two other areas. The rich man has rejected the Law and the prophets. The Covenant required sharing of goods with the poor. The real-life example of his rejection of the Law was the neglect on the poor man at his gate. This was played out on a larger level in the society of Jesus time. Jesus, the great prophet was himself rejected. It was the rich and the powerful that rejected him and saw him crucified. The question for us is, “Are we really hearing what God is saying to us about our relationship with the marginalized?” Twice in a row the scripture readings have focused on the theme. These days, for example, the Church is calling out to Catholics to care about the plight of the immigrants whose lives have been thrown into utter turmoil. But is anyone listening?
Second, the parable serves as a stark warning to us against a life of self-serving greed, indifference, and insensitivity to the needs of others. The irony in the parable this that there is no reversal of fate in the afterlife. The only opportunity to recognize and respond to the needs of the poor and marginalized is here and now.
Third, the primary moral of the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man is that our response toward the marginalized in this life has an eternal significance. Luke is not merely inviting us to throw a few dollars in charity and manipulate our eternal destiny. Rather, Jesus himself is calling is to genuinely care for the victims of social and religious injustices.
As we hear today's scripture readings, God is challenging us to pay genuinely pay attention to the needs of the marginalized. Of course, we have a choice. No matter what choice we make, it has eternal implications. And that is point of Luke's Parable of the Poor Lazarus and the Nameless Rich Man.
Fr. Satish Joseph