Homily for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Rev. Marcel E. Okwara, CSsR

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church

Brooklyn Center, Minnesota 

Today’s Gospel is about the parable of a rich man and a poor man. The rich man, according to Jesus dressed expensively and dined sumptuously each day. To dine sumptuously means to indulge in a costly, lavishly, and splendid eating. Now, while he enjoyed the fruits of his labor, which happens to be God’s blessings, there was unfortunately an impoverished man who laid at his door, covered with sores, and wished he could eat from the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.  After an earthly life of untold suffering, the poor man died and was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man, after living in extreme luxury also died. Unfortunately, he ended up in a place of torment; a place we call hell. From where he was suffering, he saw Abraham and Lazarus on the other side having a good time. Immediately, he made two demands. The first was, “Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.” When his first request was rejected by Abraham, he made another one, “…I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.” To the second request, Abraham reminded him that his brothers have Moses and the prophet of whom they should listen to. 

Some of us will look at this Gospel as a condemnation of riches and wealth and a glorification of abject poverty. Jesus’ intention was never to condemn the wealthy or denigrate riches. Moreover, Lazarus’ poverty is evil and sinful. His level of poverty is an offense against charity. Abject poverty of this kind should be tackled and defeated. It gives no glory to God; it gives no praise to anyone. No human being should be allowed to experience such for it debases the dignity of the human person. Jesus is not anti-riches or anti-rich folks. After all, riches can be God’s blessings too. Scripture tells us that silver and gold belongs to God. God is the source of everything that is good. 

That brings me to the question: Why did the rich man end up in the place of torment and Lazarus in a place of comfort? The rich man did not go to hell simply because he was rich. Then what was his sin? After all he never ordered Lazarus be thrown out of his house. He did not call the police to report that an intruder was around him. What then was the sin of the rich man? He was blind to the poor man at his door. He never noticed Lazarus. The poor man was invisible to him. As far as he was concerned, Lazarus was part of the landscape. As far as he was concerned, it was perfectly alright for Lazarus to live in squalor while he wallow in extravagant feasting. What took the rich man to the place of torment is not what he did but what he did not do. His sin was that he could look at a man ravaged by disease, a child of God, a human being like himself, saw his dire need for help but felt no sense of pity. He saw a man covered with sores, a helplessly homeless beggar, a desperately hungry man, a man plundered by deep pain, yet did nothing about it. And it is not as if he lacked the resources to help and change the life of Lazarus. God was sitting right in front of his house, but he turned a blind eye. Because he rejected God in time,  God rejected him in eternity.   

As for Lazarus he went to heaven not because he was a poor man, but because like his name suggests he totally leaned on God for help. The name Lazarus is derived from the Hebrew name “Eleazar” which means, “God is my help.” In his poverty, he was not jealous of the rich man. He did not turn away from God. He was not upset with God or with anyone. Despite his poverty, he still had faith in God. He loved God and sought help from him. In the end, he got the relief and salvation he sought for.

Sisters and brothers, if you are able to help someone, if you are able to put a smile on someone’s face, if you are able to make an impact in someone’s life, an impact rooted in love and compassion, try and do it. In the end, you will realize that you have stored so much treasure for yourself in heaven. The Lord has not called us to do nothing. We are called to do something- something good.  Every day of our lives, God puts us in a position of doing something worthwhile, of wiping away tears from the eyes of someone, of lending a helping hand, of speaking to a lonely person, of visiting the sick and the shut-in, of changing a life, of making a difference in the life someone, of making others see Jesus in us. When that opportunity comes, don’t act like the rich man in today’s gospel. Do something!