The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus: Reflection

Here's a reflection from Fr. Godwin during the mass last Sunday.

There are two questions drawn from today's Gospel:

1. Why was the rich man led to Hades?

2. Why was Lazaro led to Heaven? 

To answer the first question, we have to reexamine ourselves. How do we look at sin? We have to be reminded that there are two kinds of sins: sin of commission and sin of omission. The latter refers to the good things which we are capable to do but we did not do. In the Confiteor, we say, "I confess to Almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts, and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do; and I ask the Blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you my brothers and sisters to pray for me to the Lord, our God." 

The rich man was led to Hades not because He did something wrong, but because He did not do anything. He was given the opportunity to help his needy brother, Lazarus, but He never showed care. All he thought of was his personal pleasure, his temporary riches. 

To answer the second question, we need to realize that this is the only parable which mentioned a name: Lazarus. It is so because that name is powerful. And it tells us why Lazarus was led to Heaven. Lazarus is a Greek name which translates to Eleazar in Hebrew. Both names mean "God is my help."   

Lazarus, despite his poor condition, never blamed God nor anyone. He was still, confident that God will never forsake him. He put his absolute trust in the Lord. He was completely dependent on his Creator. He totally surrendered his life to the Almighty. Such things made him eligible to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

The reflection in 365 Days with the Lord has a similar message.

•   Use properly your riches. The parable invites us to reflect not so much on hell but on how we use our riches. The warning of Jesus is evident: "Do not focus your attention on the means but on the end. Do not let riches hinder you from becoming more human. Instead, let riches make you more in solidarity with the needy."
• Trust in God, not in your riches. Nothing is said if the rich man has gained his treasures unjustly. The Gospel does not accuse or condemn the fact of merely being rich. It condemns those who are rich yet do not care about the welfare of others. Jesus calls foolish those who put their trust in things that are "passing" and not in God. These could not be their "passport" to life. The rich seem to have everything but come empty-handed before God.
• Sin of omission. The rich man does not do anything evil to Lazarus. He does not hurt Lazarus. But neither does he do anything  good for Lazarus.

This happens not only among rich and poor nations but also among families, ecclesial communities, and concrete persons. Sometimes we forget the finality of the material goods of the earth. We are called to share with others what we have. This is an invitation for both the rich and the poor.