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Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in
purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And
lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from
the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom
of Abraham.” Luke 16:19–22
No rational person would want to go to hell. The rich man in this
parable certainly did not desire hell, but his actions led him
there. Most people, however, do want to be rich in this world. In
fact, many people would think it irrational not to
desire wealth. It is very rare to find a person who chooses to live
in simplicity as a means to deeper spiritual fulfillment and as a
preparation for the riches of Heaven. But one clear message from
our Gospel story today is that the life that Lazarus lived on earth
was far better than that of the rich man. So which life do you
prefer here and now? While it is true that the rich man’s riches
were not the exclusive cause of his eternal damnation, it is also
true that his riches imposed upon him a temptation toward
selfishness and indifference to the needs of others, which ended in
his eternal demise.
Imagine that you won many millions of dollars. What would you do
with it? As a good Christian, you might immediately profess that
you would use that money for good, to help the poor and make a
difference in the lives of others. What would the ideal response be
to winning many millions of dollars? Would it suffice to give away
ten percent and then use the rest for yourself? Probably not.
One thing that this parable teaches is that material wealth not
only adds nothing of value to our eternal reward, it also adds much
temptation to our lives. True, if you received a lot of money and
then used that money exclusively for good in accord with God’s
will, that would be a holy act of charity on your part and good for
your eternal soul. But doing so would be very difficult. It
would be very difficult to resist the temptations that come from
material wealth.
Is it good to be rich? It is certainly good to be able to take care
of your basic needs in life and those of your family. Having money
helps you do that. But once our basic needs have been met, the
money left over is far more of a temptation than it is a blessing.
We have to believe that. And if you are among those who want to
become rich so that you can help others, consider this scenario. If
that is your motivation, and if you did win a large amount of
money, would it be possible for you to continue living the way you
are living now?
Imagine staying in the same home, driving the same car, having the
same lifestyle, and using all the money you obtained 100% for the
glory of God and the good of others. That would be hard to do. But
if you could do it, not only would it be good for others, it would
be exceptionally good for your own soul. Though this Gospel story
has many valuable lessons in it, one of the clearest messages is
that earthly poverty benefits a soul far more than earthly wealth.
Many people will find that hard to accept.
Reflect, today, upon the stark contrast between Lazarus and the
rich man. One dined sumptuously every day, was clothed in fine
linen and purple garments and then spent eternity in the
netherworld where he was tormented. The other longed to eat the
scraps from another’s table, had no home, was covered in sores, but
spent eternity in Heaven after being carried away by angels to the
bosom of Abraham. Choose to imitate Lazarus rather than the rich
man. If you have many material possessions, work hard at being
detached from them. Live simply, be generous, and never neglect
those in need. If you have very little, do not covet more.
Eliminate envy, don’t despair, trust in the providence of God, and
rejoice that, like Lazarus, you are able to build up eternal riches
within your soul that will remain with you forever.
Lord of true riches, the spiritual wealth of true virtue,
charity, faith and hope are all that matters in life. Material
possessions mean little in this life and are a source of many
temptations. Please free me from the desire for wealth. Free me
from greed, selfishness and envy. Fill me with a spirit of
detachment and generosity, and help me to build up true treasure in
Heaven. Jesus, I trust in You.
Image: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, via National
Gallery of Art
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