“SEEDS OF LIFE”
Sunday, 25th September 2016.
Twenty Sixth Week of Ordinary Time
Amos 6: 1, 4-7;
Psalm 146: 7-10;
1Timothy 6:11-16;
Luke 16: 19-31
THE JESUS’ EFFECT!
Today in the gospel of Luke we come across the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. This parable has two parts, the first part about the earthly life and the second part about the afterlife. There is also a striking contrast between these two parts when they are compared. In the first episode the rich man is having a sumptuous meal and Lazarus is starving, while in the second, Lazarus is with Abraham and the rich man is suffering and thirsting.
It seems very strange and shocking to hear about the consequence the rich man faced in the afterlife. This rich man did not do anything wrong, he did not cheat or snatch anything from Lazarus. Why then did this rich man had to face such harsh consequences? To answer this question, we must first and foremost know that there are two ways of committing a sin – first, through commission and second, through omission. We are well aware of the sin of commission which is to sin by committing an act, for example: stealing, telling a lie, murder etc. On the other hand, we also commit sin by omitting an act, the best example for which we find today’s parable. The rich man was not punished because he did something rather because he did not do what he was supposed to do. The poor man Lazarus was suffering with hunger and sickness at the doorpost of this rich man. Surely the rich man must have seen him every day but not for even a single moment did he think of helping or at least give him leftovers to eat, this was to the extent that Lazarus was ready to eat even the crumbs that fell off from the table. The rich man failed to share his riches on earth therefore he did not receive a share in the riches in the afterlife.
A similar situation persists in the first reading taken from the book of Amos. The Lord gives a very stern message highlighting the growing contrast between the poor and the rich. The situation in Israel during the time of Amos had grown similar to that of the parable where the rich were extremely rich and the poor were extremely poor. God expresses his anger saying ‘woe to those’ because when the poor and the needy are suffering with hunger the rich are having banquets with lambs, wine; using fine oil and lying on ivory beds. God is not angry because they are enjoying rather because they have forgotten to share with the poor and the needy who are facing poverty and hunger.
Dear friends being rich is not evil but being greedy, selfish and indifferent is. Church in its social doctrine speaks of the principle of the universal destination of goods. To explain in simple words, when one has or hoards something in excess he/she deprives the other who is in actual and urgent need of it. The violation of this principle withholds the good that is to be done and thus amounts to sin of omission. We can call this situation as the rich man – Lazarus effect.
In the present day context, we find this RICHMAN–LAZARUS EFFECT all over the world; We have the developed countries which have excess of food stored in contrast to the underdeveloped nations where majority of the people struggle to get one meal a day. There are skyscrapers in the metro cities of our country where people live in luxury and in contrast there are the slums adjacent to these where people live in misery.
There are yet many such contrasts we find in our life and Jesus today calls us to remove this contrast from our lives and live with love, sharing and equality. Saint Teresa of Kolkata said “The less we have the more we give, seems absurd but it is the logic of love.” She was one driven by a JESUS EFFECT, finding peace, joy and love in having little and in sharing that little with all. Can we today take her example to be influenced by the Gospel, by the JESUS EFFECT and bring about the Kingdom of God among us.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, open our eyes to see our suffering brothers and sisters around us and give us the courage to share all we have with them, so that they also might experience your love through us. Amen.