Lying at his door was a poor man…

Lying at his door was a poor man.  Some theologians believe that few will go to heaven.  Other theologians hold that the mercy of God is so great that many, if not most, will go to heaven.  But no one knows for sure.

Lets look at the story about the relationship between a man who lived in luxury and went to hell and a frail beggar, who went to heaven.  The rich man may have been a good and honest man.  We do not know, and Jesus does not include this detail in his parable.  We do know that he loved his five brothers, but he was also indifferent to poor Lazarus.

The bible has countless references to the poor and forgotten.  The bible teaches us that God expect those who have more to help those who have less.  According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “God blessed those who come to the aid of the poor and rebukes those who turn away from them”.

If we own a piece of property, we have legal title in the eyes of the law.  However, in the eyes of God, we are only his tenants.  We are just stewards of his property.  At the final judgement, God will ask us about our stewardship, especially our care for the poor.

This was the rich man’s problem.  He was God’s caretaker.  He owed his wealth to God.  What he failed to see was that the beggar Lazarus was God’s representative, a person who deserved to be treated much better.  All he could see was a ragged, diseased man.

Scripture tells us to share our clothes and our food and to care for the sick and the lonely.  It tells us that every human being has the right to live in dignity and to not go hungry or homeless.  Today, let us ask, “What sacrifices can my family make so that we can reach out to the poor more fully?”

-word among us