![]() ![]() And they will go away into eternal punishment (25:41, 46). They are the goats gathered at Jesus’ left hand, who hear a radically different pronouncement: “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” …. The unrighteous, however, are those who refused to provide for the poor. At the final judgement, they hear these words: “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (25:34). The righteous who provided for the poor find that, in doing so, they served Jesus. In Matthew 25, Jesus himself identifies with the poor. Those who trample them underfoot will not escape receiving their just desserts. Undeniably, the poor have a special place in the heart of God. The Bible repeatedly gives preference to the poor. There’s a great chasm preventing him from crossing over into Paradise. How he wishes he could go back and offer Lazarus a few scraps from his table. The parable makes it clear that his condition will never change. When the rich man dies, he finds himself trapped in the netherworld, the place of the damned, where he cries out in torment, pleading with Abraham to send Lazarus with a drop of water to cool his tongue. Although he suffered in this life, he is now forever fulfilled and happy. When Lazarus dies, he is carried away by angels to Abraham’s bosom, a representation of Paradise. I can imagine the rich man stepping over him, as he goes in to feast. The unnamed rich man in fine linen and purple garments, who dines sumptuously each day, ignores the needs of the poor man Lazarus, lying at his door. The parable our Lord tells us in today’s gospel (Lk 16:19-31) is particularly troubling. The bottom line is, they’re scheduled for divine judgment. It’s hard to imagine anything much worse. It means being taken over, forced into slavery. (6:1, 4-7)Īmos warns these people, lying on their beds of ivory and drinking wine from bowls, that they will be the first to go into exile. They drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the best oils yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph! Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile, and their wanton revelry shall be done away with. ![]() Woe to the complacent in Zion! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches, they eat lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall! …. His severe rebuke comes at a time when many of the people Israel were at a material highpoint in their lives: Our first reading in the Holy Mass today is from Amos, often considered the great “social justice prophet.” Amos abrades the rich, comfortable, and complacent. I don’t know about you, but readings like these always put a chill on my spirit, because I know I’ve been selfish. Maybe that’s why our readings today are so disturbing. American culture tends to unrelentingly send this message: Gather and gather and gather for yourself, you deserve it. It’s easy to fall into the trap of constantly laboring for a bigger harvest, then tear down the barns and build larger ones to store it for yourself, so that you may sit back, eat, drink, and be merry. Will we use it to serve the poor? Or, on the other hand, will we horde it to serve only ourselves? Perhaps living in America is a trail because God waits to see what we will do with our wealth. We tell ourselves we need everything on a grand scale. Supersizing everything has become a way of life, and I’m not just talking about food. It’s so common to have a solid roof over our heads, cozy warm beds, ample food and a variety of clothes, along with all the surplus wants and desires, that we might not notice when we’ve spiraled into selfish hedonism. We’re blessed in many ways, one of which is financial wealth, at least for many of us. However, if we’re immersed in biblical principles, we ought to recognize that living in America is actually a trial. If we reject helping those in need, we might find ourselves permanently residing in the netherworld, pleading for a drop of water to cool our tongue.ĭid you ever wonder if living in America, with all its opportunity, wealth, and affluence is really a blessing? What do I mean by that? Of course, America is a great nation-setting aside the serious moral issues plaguing it for a moment-and we’re blessed to be a part of it. The parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man reminds us that hell is a real danger. ![]()
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