The Rich Man and Lazarus

Christ is in our midst!

Many people misinterpret this gospel reading as saying that the rich man went to Hades because he was rich and living a luxurious life, and that Lazarus went to Paradise because he was poor and suffering. This is not the case; our bank account does not determine our afterlife, but rather how we respond to God's call determines it. How we use our God-given gifts, spread His gospel, and spend our money are only a few of the ways in which we respond to God.

This gospel reading paints either a dreary picture of the afterlife, or one of gladness, depending on how you have responded to God. This reading tells us that how we will spend the rest of eternity is decided upon our death, that there is no way to cross from Heaven to Hell, or vice versa. A frightening thought, admittedly. However, until that time comes, God has provided us with all the necessary means by which we may come to know Him.

The question that has been laid before us is this: How do we properly respond to God? Surprisingly enough, or perhaps it is not so unexpected, the answer to this question is also within this reading. The rich man asks that Lazarus be sent to his brothers, to warn them of their imminent torment, and to tell them to repent before it is too late. Abraham tells the rich man that his brothers already have the Old Testament in which to find guidance. The rich man says that that is not enough, but a man who has been raised from the dead shall surely cause them to atone for their sins. Abraham's only response is that if God's Word itself is not enough to cause his brothers to repent, then nothing, not even a dead man walking, will persuade them.

The brothers' presumed unbelief in anything less than that of a man coming back from the dead should be rather startling to any Christian nowadays. However, there are those out there today who believe that they must witness some sort of wondrous miracle, or be struck by lightning, or something else, I don't know, to come to God and ask for forgiveness. If everyone were to follow this train of thought, let me tell you--there would be very few Christians today, and that would be a sad thing, truly, no matter how diehard these few would all be in their faith.

So, we have deduced that we must respond to God's word now, and wait not a second longer, lest...well, you never know when God might come calling. But how are we to come to know God, so that we may ask him for forgiveness? Quite simply, and as Abraham suggests, by learning His Word. It's not an easy task, no, certainly not, but it's not impossible. Christianity is a faith in which God sent his Son to die for us, not the other way around, or anything of the sort; we have the easy end of the bargain.

In closing, I would like to provide you with two quotes that show two different opinions about what Christianity actually is. Oddly enough, this question is a cause for much debate, as well as some frightening answers to the question, "Are you a Christian?", many of which entail, "No, I'm Catholic."

Sam Pascoe, an American scholar, once said, "Christianity started out in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise."

And an anonymous posting to a Christian mailing list reads: "Christianity is not a religion; it is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ."

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.