September 28, 2025 As I am away for some vacation, this homily will not be delivered.
Amos 6: 1, 4-7 + Psalm 146 + 1 Timothy 6: 11-16 + Luke 16: 19-31
We hear a powerful and what should be a deeply troubling Parable/story this weekend. In Luke’s Gospel, repentance and amendment of life among the rich occur only rarely, but they can happen. There are several people of means who do become disciples. Yet, this parable, spoken to us today, is a great challenge for us about how we use our resources. To make sure that we do not think this Gospel story is about someone else, that rich man has no name. This is a common way for Gospel writers to make sure we cannot and do not shift the message toward others. While the rich man has no name, the poor man does, and it helps our reflection to know that his name is a form of Elazar, meaning “God has helped.” It is, in a way, a prophesy that is fulfilled when he dies and is taken by angels to a place of honor.
The “Good News” of this Gospel is only for the poor and suffering, as it illustrates what Pope Leo has recently spoken of, the vast gap between the rich and the poor. There is no way to overlook the clear call for justice and compassion by claiming that this is just an imagined exaggeration. It is real. It does not reflect something from the past. It describes life in this world today as executives and CEOs reap huge profits from the people who are denied the right to organize and share in the profits gained from their labor.
There is something about knowledge that can change the actions of those who control the world’s wealth and power. It can compel people to action, and all of us know that from our own experience. Yet, there is always the danger of rationalization for not acting or helping. Often the excuse is ignorance when in fact, deliberate denial or blame is often the case. We cannot pretend that ignorance, denial, or resistance to the truth of injustice is anything but immoral. We cannot say that we didn’t know the truth.
What that rich man fails to admit is that he is partly to blame for the suffering of Lazarus. Not once does it dawn on him to speak to Lazarus directly as a human being. It does not happen when they are alive, and it does not happen when they are in another world. He will not speak to Lazarus! He operates on the assumption that Lazarus is beneath him, a mooch sprawled on his doorstep covered in sores. Even when he sees Lazarus now in the comfort of Abraham he still does not understand. There is no way he could have come and gone from his comfortable home without stepping over Lazarus. He knew Lazarus was there.
There is great temptation these days from the preachers of the “Prosperity Gospel” that promises material wealth for those who have the right beliefs or obey certain rules of living. That rich man’s house is a gated community where outside there are growing numbers of the homeless and hungry who too often end up looting and stealing to stay alive. We have Moses and the Prophets. We even have Jesus Christ, someone risen from the dead. We have this Gospel to remind us all about our responsibility toward them, and they are waiting.