Dear Preachers:
Don t you appreciate when someone is trying to make a point, or explain something to you and they don t beat around the bush? When people are vague, or just too wordy, we are tempted to ask them, What s your point?
No such ambiguity or circumlocution exists in today s readings. We get the point. It s quite clear that God s heart lies with the vulnerable and poor and against the rich who victimize, or are indifferent to them. This manifestation of God s sentiments runs through both Testaments, and we get a good example of that in today s readings.
There was a tendency among the Israelites to think that wealth was a sign of God s favor. (Still a current belief among some.) Since Israel was in a special relationship with God, the thinking went, God was bestowing bounty on the people. Of course it was the wealthy and well-placed who favored this belief. They looked forward to God s coming to approve and confirm them in their security. But the prophet Amos harsh words were meant to shake them out of their complacency. God had noticed the self-indulgence of the rich and Amos describes their excesses. He doesn t mention the condition of the poor, but it doesn t take much for the reader to draw out the comparison and get the point.
The wealthy slept on beds of ivory stretched comfortably on their couches, which would be in contrast to the earthen, or straw beds of the poor. They ate young lambs and calves, while the poor would have struggled to get bread for their families. The rich had plenty of free time to indulge in songs, unlike the slavish work conditions of the poor struggling to survive. There were bowls of wine and fine ointments to round out Amos contrasting description of the rich.
While we may not sleep on beds of ivory, we hear Amos outrage at the indifference of those who have much towards those who have little, or nothing. The fortunate closed a blind eye to the have-nots and Amos is succinct and clear in his condemnation. He gets to the point.
Recent church teachings have made reminded us (though we shouldn t have needed reminding!) that we have a responsibility to care for the most vulnerable among us. (Cf. Quotable below) So, for example, excessive use of the earth s resources affects the poor, especially in areas where the developed countries take from the natural resources of the poor nations. Are we now like those rich on the ivory beds, who eat and consume Earth s best? Are not the wealthy nations like the rich man, who passes Lazarus daily without seeing him and his needs? Our Pope and bishops have called us to discussion and action on issues that affect our environment, like: overconsumption, responsible stewardship of the land, pollution, depletion of the seas and rivers, etc.
The parable of Lazarus and the rich man also gets to the point. Like the prophet Amos, Jesus defends the vulnerable who are victimized or ignored, and powerfully portrayed in today s parable. The dogs pay more attention to Lazarus than the rich man, who dressed in purple garments and fine linens and dined sumptuously each day. Doesn t he sound like the complacent of Zion whom Amos castigated, lying on their beds of ivory, who ate lambs and calves, accompanied by bowls of wine?
Most in our congregation would not be described as rich, certainly not like the recipients of Amos fire, or the parable s rich man. Notice that it is Lazarus and not the rich man who is named in the story. It s a poetic touch indicating where Jesus attention lies. The parable also continues a strong theme in Luke: the suspicion that wealth and material goods can distract the disciple. Luke s Gospel shows God favoring the least, beginning with pregnant Mary s praise of God filling the hungry with good things and sending the rich away empty (1:52-53).
While Luke casts suspicion on riches, he doesn t recommend that everyone who follows Jesus should leave everything behind. For example, Mary and Martha have a home to which they welcome Jesus in his ministry (8:1-3). It seems Luke wants to advise us to be cautious about our possessions; each of us has to discern how we are to use them wisely in service to the kingdom of God. We are reminded that an emphasis on possessions neglects what the Scriptures teach and will only lead to disappointment and separation from God.
It is a short parable, but packed with rich detail. The rich man s indifference to Lazarus continues into the next life as he asks Abraham to send Lazarus with water to relieve his sufferings. It s as if he sees Lazarus as just another servant to his needs. The story isn t meant to describe something about the details of the next life. However, it does continue the Hebrew Testament s belief that God loves the poor, will raise them up and set right those who have been wronged.
The story goes further in its description of the conversation between Abraham and the rich man. (The rich man may have been important in his world, but doesn t even have a name in Jesus narrative.) The exchange between the two emphasizes the importance of the Jewish Scriptures, illustrated by the prophets and Moses, as a source for faith. Jesus will be raised from the dead, but the Scriptures will not be replaced as an object of faith. Rather the preachings of the early church will reinforce the fulfillment of God s promises revealed in Jesus life, death and resurrection.