This Sunday’s Gospel reading from Luke (16:19-31), where we have the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man, is well-known. It wakes up many emotions and reactions from different people. You may be one of them. At first glance, it may seem to suggest that wealth is evil or that the rich are destined for punishment while the poor are guaranteed reward. Far from it! God does not condemn us simply for being rich or reward us merely for being poor. It may not be the right way to put it. However, the God we serve is too good to concentrate on material status as the measure of salvation.
The real message from these messages lies in our motivations, attitudes, and responses, whether rich or poor. When the gospel Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12; Luke 6:20-26) speak of blessings for the poor or woes for the rich, they do not set one group against the other. Instead, they challenge us to examine the intentions of our hearts. Wealth and poverty are material realities and spiritual dispositions; they reveal how we relate to God and others.
As we reflect on these issues this weekend, if you find yourself blessed with abundance, never look down on those who have less or treat them as worthless, or what we sometimes refer to as a piece of garbage. And if you struggle with little, guard your heart from envy and resentment. Instead, work diligently, seek wise counsel, and trust God to turn your situations around. Above all, God summons us to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers and to support one another in love, for together we walk this faith journey.