Twenty-Sixth Sunday of Year C
Acting to Ease the Sufferings
of others/ the Poor
Fr. Udoekpo, Michael Ufok
§ Amos 6:1a, 4-7
§ Ps 146:7-10
§ 1 Tim 6:11-16,
§ Luke 16:19-31
Today we live in a
world of “you are on your own attitude,” what Pope Francis would call
“globalization of Indifference.” There are recorded violent on the street,
political corruption in many political capitals, religious abuses in some
worship centers, the poor, and the weak, “the Lazaruses,” the voiceless and
family values neglected. Today’s readings is a reminder of what each of us,
political class and religious people, must do to ease the sufferings of
our neighbors, of our family members, of my colleague, of my spouse, of my
friend and of the poor- “the Lazaruses” of our towns and neighborhood.
These were the
concerns of the Prophet of today’s 1st reading. A lay man, a famer,
a cattle breeder, Amos responded to God’s call from Tekoa, south of
Jerusalem to preach to the kings, and the priests – the political and corrupt
religious establishment in the north, who were complacent and indifferent to
the plight of their poor brothers and sisters, of their time- the 8th
century BC.
Amos says, 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,”
when the majority poor were staffing. They also waste drinks. The wealthy
drank, not from ordinarily wine glasses, but from bowls, when others were
suffocated by thirstiness. They, the rich, anoint themselves with oil,
when the rest of the house of Joseph/Ephraim/Israel were suffering. The word of
God is ever alive. Many of us can relate to this from various nation capitals-
where the gap between the rich political and religious leaders, and the poor is
daily expanding.
In the time of
Saint Paul, as noted in the 2nd reading, 1 Timothy 6, - false
teachings were floated, to the disadvantage of poor members of the community.
As in the time of Amos there were rivalries, insults, evil suspicions and
mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, deprived of the truth, and
who thought religion was a means for material gains ( 1 Tim 6:3-6). Paul
says to Timothy, “you man of God,” referring to religious leaders, “pursue
righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience and gentleness,’ (vv.11-16),
essential qualities of biblical spirituality: righteousness ( sadeqah),
justice( misphat), truth ( emet), kindness (chesed), steadfastness
(emunah), needed not only by selected preachers, but by every man
and woman of God!
But, remember,
this is not the first time the expression “man of God “is used in the Bible. We
heard of “the man of God,” in Deut 33:1 with reference to Moses, as Israel’s
prophet. In 1 Sam 2:27 God sent a man of God to speak to Eli, when his
children were abusing the temple. In 1 Kings 12-13, an unknown man of God is
sent from Judah, to address the sins of Jeroboam- corruption, idolatry and
disobedience to the Lord. A man of God, is God’s prophet, and messenger! A
woman of God, a child of God, is God’s prophetess and messenger.
How often, or easy
is it, sometimes for us to blame the neglect of the poor only on the political
establishment. We are all, in our own capacities, called to be prophets
and prophetess, men and women of God, who assist in easing the burden and
the suffering of the poor our society, today- in various ways, no matter how
little, show that little kindness, especially to the poor- and the “Lazaruses”.
This is what Jesus
truly meant to communicate in today’s Gospel parable of the rich man and
Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). Notice, in this parable, how many times did the rich
man not ignore the poor man, Lazarus. Notice, the clothing, the behavior, the food,
the wine of the rich man. He was like the rich of the time of Amos. These
things are not new, Corruption has always been there. But, on the judgment day,
Lazarus is saved while the rich man is condemned.
Each of us, men,
women of God, political elites, religious people, can easily inherit
eternal life through the means in which we respond to the needs of one another;
through the way in which we actively act daily to alleviate the sufferings of
our neighbors, and the “Lazaruses” of our communities!
Reflection
Questions
1.
What have we learned from the scripture readings of
today, especially the parable of the rich man and Lazarus?
2.
What can we do in order not to act indifferently towards
the plight of our neighbors, the poor in particular?
3.
What have we learned from Pope Francis, and his
predecessors, thus far?
Twenty-Sixth Sunday Year C
Solidarity with the Poor/Lazarus and Dives/Rich
§ Amos 6:1a, 4-7;
§ Ps 146:7, 8-10;
§ 1 Tim 6:11-16;
§ Luke 16:19-31
Last Sunday we
began reflecting on the issue of solidarity with the poor. This same issue is
insisted upon in today’s Bible readings: Amos, Paul and Luke. It reechoes part
of what we have heard before from Saint Francis of Assisi, and from theologians
such as, Leonardo Boff, Gustavo Gutierrez, John Sobrino, Dorr and even from
Mother Theresa of Calcutta and currently Pope Francis. It’s a message that
challenges the Pharisees, those who think that they are entitle to power, money
and wealth. It challenges, the faithless, those without conscience and
compassion, the unrighteous, and those who are impatience with the poor and
refuses to secure justice for them ( Ps 146).
All that we
have comes from God and must be shared, since there is always reversal of fortunes.
The first could become the last. Those who have big names in this world may end
up faceless before God, like the rich man, whose name is not recorded in the
Bible, while the name of the faceless-poor, like Lazarus may be boldly printed
in God’ dairy. Those who dominate big “gates” in this world may end up
“gate-less” in the kingdom of heaven.
Unfortunately this
is an age long issue since the time of Amos, middle of the 8th
century BC. The reigning kings, politicians and priests were not only proud of
their gates, but delighted in maltreating the poor (8:4-7). They preferred to
lie on expensive beds, couches made from ivory, and “they eat lambs taken from
the flock, and calves from the stall!’ They listen to good music, drink good
wines and showered themselves with best perfumes. All these to the expenses of
the poor- tax- payers. It is to those who have such an “I don’t care attitude”
toward the poor, that Amos says, “woe to the complacent in Zion.”
Ordinary citizen
in most part of the world today including United States can imagine the quality
of beds, furniture, meals, wine, and couches that homes, hotels, offices, cars
and jets of their high ranking elected officials and politicians are decorated
with. Ironically, policies from these furnished homes and offices, State
Capitals, do not seem to take the plight of ordinary poor- citizen into
account. Many have no health insurance, jobs, food, clothing and roof
over their heads. Currently, many in the States are waiting at the “gate” of
the wealthy, even with the threat of a government shut –down!
Jesus uses this
parable of the poor Lazarus waiting at this metaphorical gate of the rich,
nameless man to address issues of neglect of the poor and abuse of money and
wealth. In this parable Jesus is not condemning all the rich while suggesting
that all the poor will all go to heaven. Each parable teaches only one point.
Jesus does not question how the rich man got his money or that he has it. Jesus
does not condemn hard work. The rich man is not even necessarily a bad man
because he worked very hard to earn his wealth legitimately. Remember there are
many rich people out there in different parts of the world who are deeply
caring persons. They are saddened and dismayed by the high rate of
unemployment, student’s loans, broken education system, and inflation figures
in our government and society. In fact some of them say rosary, they receive
Holy Communion and visit with the sick.
Also some of our
rich people may have been very generous donor to charitable causes and
orphanages. But the rich in this gospel parable, whatever else he was, or
charity he may have given, he is blind to the person in need who is sitting
outside his gate. He is impatient with him. He does not show that he loves him,
he cares for him. He is not kind to him. Therefore, he is condemned for his
casual indifference to the very person right at his door.
It is quite
possible that we have great compassion for the human race while we ignore
somebody, some neighbor next door, down the street, or in the office. And
I think one of the lessons of these parables is that if you have the resources
to help and choose not to, you are judged. The poor are judged as well.
Are you grateful when you received? Are you thankful for the little you
have? Remember, those who are faithful, thankful, and grateful for the little
things will be given more. The poor are to be stewards of what they have as
much as the rich or middle class.
The poor can of
course be extended from nation to nation. Reading this parable in the light of
the events in the United Nations, a friend once said to me, Africa, and other
“Third World’ countries or non-industrialized nations could be “Lazarus” at the
gate of industrialized “First World,’ nations.
In fact, arrogance
can also accompany wealth and power. We see this in the rich man’s encounter
with Abraham and Lazarus in heaven. He thinks he is still behind his mansion
with big gate, where he stays to issue orders. Seeing the poor Lazarus in
heaven, in the bosom of Abraham he cries out, “Send Lazarus to dip the tip of
his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am suffering torment in these
flames.” Nowhere are we told in the text that the poor man complained while
suffering in the world, nor does he show off because he is now in heaven! The
poor man whether on earth, in front of that rich man’s gate, or in heaven at
the bosom of Abraham accepted everything- relying always on God’s providence.
It is this divine
providence and trust that we must rely upon. All that we have comes from God-
are given to be shared, including the good news of Christ; the message of hope,
peace, justice, forgiveness, repentance, kindness and righteousness which saint
Paul talks about in today’s Second reading. Paul like Amos and Christ,
recommend, that in all circumstances, social, political and religious we must
“pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience and gentleness” (1 Tim
6:11-16).
Reflection
Questions
1.
What have we learned from the scripture readings of
today, especially the parable of the rich man and Lazarus?
2.
What can we do in order not to act indifferently towards
the plight of our neighbors, the poor in particular?
3.
What have we learned from Pope Francis, and his
predecessors, thus far?
