Gospel [Luke 16:19-31 (§83)

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Dear Father, brothers and sisters:

In today’s Gospel reading we hear another one of the most well-known stories in the Gospel, the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus or Lazarus and Dives, the latter name being the one attributed to the Rich Man in Christian Tradition. This Gospel is a remarkable one in many ways as it is the only one in which the protagonist receives a name – Lazarus. The reading is part of chapter 16, several chapters further on from where we were last week, a chapter which is dense in Jesus’ preaching largely against the Pharisees and Scribes. As our guide to interpreting this intriguing Gospel story, let us take a St Gregory Palamas.

St Gregory in his homily gives a very detailed commentary on this extraordinary parable but starts with some advice which is as relevant for us here today as it was for his lay congregation in 14^th C Thessaloniki

Each of us brethren, must … practice every virtue, but if we lack one of them, we have to make up for what is missing by sharing what we have.

How are generosity to the poor, sharing the riches, wealth and possessions we have can compensate for our lack of virtue and excess of vices.

Our Gospel begins:

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

St Gregory first draws attention to the dichotomy that immediately opens up between poor Lazarus and the rich man.

Do you observe how the rich man had absolutely nothing in common with Lazarus? He gorged himself daily and his table was full of all sorts of luxurious foods and sauces, whereas Lazarus, who had never eaten his fill, longed to satisfy his hunger even with the plainest fare. He was resplendent, dressed in purple and fine linin, and his excellent physical health served to make him more handsome, By contrast, even the tattered tags Lazarus had round him were soiled and ill-smelling as he had broken out in sores and was bleeding all over. The rich man was seated up high, surrounded by a crowd of attendants, but Lazarus was lying on the ground where he had fallen, but the gate, and had no one even to chase the dogs away.

 Interestingly, St Gregory also poses a reason as to why Lazarus receives a name and the rich man is anonymous. Namely, that the poor man who was spoke on here deserves to be recognized and immortalized whereas the rich man’s inhuman conduct deserves to have his own name blotted out. But St Gregory also says that the rich man’s name can and should then be substituted with our own name to highlight our neglect of the poor and lack of love and generosity.

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom:

It is quite beautiful to think here of this poor beggar who had suffered so much in this world, being shown such honour, distinction and respect and lovingly received into Abraham’s bosom. St Gregory notes that Abraham is identified here as not only was he the Father of Nations, but also was renowned for his compassion and hospitality to strangers, something that is starkly contrasted to our anonymous rich man.

the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Again, the Fathers are given such grace to see even the little details in the Gospels that we can so easily overlook. St Gregory thus underlines that whereas no mention is made of whether Lazarus had any kind of burial at all, the rich man explicitly has a burial, and we can well imagine what an ostentatious display this would have been. Then St Gregory turns to the rich man’s gaze in hell and addresses his presumption. All his life he had chosen to not-see Lazarus even when he was right in front of him and in need. But as soon as it is convenient for him to see Lazarus and make use of him, now he recognizes him.

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

St Gregory says –

He restricted his plea to something extremely trivial, not daring to ask for more as his conscience condemned him.

Whilst the rich man was presumptious, he perhaps didn’t dare to ask for more as he knew how hypocritical his petition was. Note also that he addresses Abraham directly and not Lazarus to whom he must have been at least somewhat ashamed to call. He addresses Abraham as Father and beseeches him as he known he has no right to ask anything of Lazarus.

St Gregory strikes a solemn note when he says –

He asks for a drop of water, a minute quantity to cool his tongue, and he does not obtain it. Do you see how his punishment pays him back with interest?

Such an observation should make each one of us “rich men” tremble at how our own deeds or lack of them will be rewarded and punished in our life hereafter.

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

Abraham … pities him (the rich man) not so much for his punishment as for the evil still at work in him. For he has not yet reached an awareness of his sins …’

There is then still this stark lack of insight and self-understanding in the heart of this rich man.  

The rich man should be asking for mercy on his hardheartedness and recognizing the justice that he should now suffer torment after a lifetime of leaving Lazarus to his torment. We can also think here again how much this scene illustrates those Lukan beatitudes with terrifying accuracy:

But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger.

Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

One of the important features of this parable is how much it reveals to us, again in quite terrifying detail, about the reality of the next life. The Church Fathers have always interpreted the details provided in this parable of the Lord as a unique source of revelation about the state of souls. Thus, it is clear that even the great saints and Patriarchs in heaven cannot reverse the place that has been assigned to the souls by our Lord at the Particular judgment after death. Likewise, we can see the scriptural basis for the Church’s clear understanding of the impotence of the departed to do anything for themselves in the next life.

Thus, as St Gregory says, the rich man, is ultimately

not condemned for being greedy for gain or unjust, but solely for being unmerciful and pleasure-loving.

We can see in this how much our Lord puts an emphasis on mercy and of giving to those in need who are before us. As St Gregory continues in an imaginary dialogue between Abraham and the rich man –

As you preferred a fleeting, comfortable life devoted to enjoyment rather than self-control, it is just that pain, suffering and affliction should now encompass you. You never shared with the poor by giving … nor did you offer what you had over and above your needs to those in want, but you remained without any fellowship at all with the saints, setting yourself as far apart from them as evil is from virtue.  

However, despite Abraham’s response, the rich man still doesn’t accept.

Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

However, Abraham in the parable, does not agree with the rich man. For the teaching to have mercy upon the stranger, and to look out for the needs of the poor flows throughout the whole of the Law and is in no wise a new, unheard of revelation.

Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

St Gregory ends his homily by reminded his parishioners, and all of us, that if this rich man was without excuse, what does that make us, who not only have the words of Christ, but did just what the rich man had asked – rose again from the dead. As St Gregory says as if directly to us –

There is no longer any excuse for you and since “a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth”, anyone who has anything extra should share it with those who are without, and by so doing he will be adopted into the inheritance of Abraham.

Dear Fathers, brothers and sisters – sometimes it is easy for us to just take scripture for granted. We become so overfamiliar with it that we are blinded to its power and starkness. Today’s Gospel reading should be the greatest of wake-up calls for all of us, if we would hear it. Remembering today the example of St Hilarion the Great, who when he began to hear that lay people were revering him lamented with tears – “Woe is me, I have received my reward on earth”. The teaching of our Lord is clear, do we want to have our reward now or hereafter. Let us at least not neglect to show mercy to those souls that the Lord brings directly to us. Let us not neglect the Lazaruses of this world, that we may rejoice in heaven with them, with St Hilarion and all the saints.

Amen.