But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.’” vs. 25
Luke 16:19-25
If we are at all alert to the world around us, it’s hard not to notice that there is an intrinsic unfairness built into the systems we have constructed for ourselves. Some people get their share and more of good things while others reap nothing but misery. We see those differences on a lot of levels, but Jesus in his parable focuses on the rich and the poor, and we observe what he saw everywhere we look. We know that it’s not fair, but we’re baffled as to what should be done. On the surface Jesus doesn’t give us a clear answer, but he does imply that after death there will be a great reversal and the tables will be turned, the rich will be tormented and the poor will be comforted. The problem is that most people don’t believe that, at least the rich folks don’t. If they did, we’d see people avoiding riches in this world at all costs, and that’s just not happening. More than anything Jesus wants people to think about the prevailing injustice. And it’s not that the rich people should stop enjoying good things–what they should do is welcome the poor to their table. There’s plenty of stuff in this world for us all–richness abounds. And some day, maybe, we’ll figure out how to share!
Thought for the Day: If there’s not a “great reversal,” what will there be?
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