Fresh Dew Media

 26^TH SUNDAY, YEAR C: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: YOU'VE GOT ALL IT TAKES

(Luke 16:19-31)

We are today presented with one of the most popular stories of the Bible. It is the story of the rich man and Lazarus. It is about omission and commission. It is about affluence and poverty; it is about heaven and earth. It is about reasons to do good; it is about no excuse to abandon God; it encourages love of God while playing down on love of wealth. It is about used and missed opportunities; it is about adherence to instructions and disobedience. It is about possession and dispossession. It is about reward after life. It is concerned with death and resurrection.

Jesus tells us in everything that we have all it takes to make heaven. Nothing should stop us. If Lazarus of today's parable can make his way to heaven we too can. Let us cease the opportunity while we live.

 

CEASE THE OPPORTUNITY

Whatever situation we find ourselves in life becomes an opportunity to make heaven. We are invited to accept our states of life as divine opportunities. The rich man had the opportunity to be loving with his wealth, to pay attention to the destitute, to listen to the word of God even (as testified by his request to Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers, perhaps they will listen if someone goes from the land of the dead) but he didn't take the prophets and the Good News seriously while on earth. He was cold to the Divine call. He was not responsive to the demands of love. He focused on earthly possession; he didn't remember that all his possessions came from God. He loved wealth and despised the giver of wealth. His wealth made him indifferent to the realities of the world around him.

The rich man translated as Dives in the Latin Vulgate stands for the pharisees. They hear the word and do not act on it. They know the law and fail to put into practice the demands of the law; love of God and man. They claim to love God but their hearts are far away. They appear rich in grace before men but that is far from the truth in the real sense.

They even forget their covenant with God. They only glory in the fact that they are sons of Abraham and take a lot for granted. Thus, when the rich man asked for Lazarus' help Abraham replied " Son, remember". He was reminded of the broken covenant. Calling him son should have called his attention to his misused opportunity as a son, how late it had become.

While he lived, he forgot death and focused on wealth. He later died. Does pursuit of wealth make it impossible to look around and care? The rich man got all here and lost all hereafter.

What a disaster!

 

LESSONS FROM LAZARUS

The name Lazarus, from same root as Eleazar means God has helped, my God is Helper, God is my help. Lazarus represents all who look upon God as the author and finisher of their faith, One whose hope and trust is in God alone. He may have encountered a lot of misfortunes but he trusts in God. He accepted his plight in faith. He had reasons in our human rating to complain, murmur and despire but he did not. He rather chose God as the only hope when all hope was lost. He did not steal, he did not compare himself unnecessarily, he longed and prayed. He converted the opportunity that was not really a comfortable one to an opportunity to glorify God.

Let neither riches nor poverty stop you from entering heaven.

 

ARE YOU LAZARUS OR THE RICH MAN?

We are rich when we possess anything.  When we place God and love of our neighbours first, they can become opportunities of making heaven. There is at each time what we have that God wants us to use to glorify Him. But we sometimes like the Dives of Today's Gospel misappropriate them and lose our targets.

Like Lazarus too we are often in need of something, no one has it all but when we have the love of God we've got all. When we allow our needs of earthly things to supersede our need for God, then we risk our eternity. We suffer want here and thirst eternally hereafter. God forbid!

Whether rich like Dives or poor as Lazarus, death must strike. The question remains: shall we be taken up or buried? Shall we be carried by angels to Abraham's bosom or to a place of suffering? Shall we enjoy here and weep hereafter?  Where will you wake on resurrection morn?

You've got all it takes to make heaven. May you be raised up in heavenly joy after a faithful life here.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY

Thank You Almighty God for Your word today. Thank You for teaching us how we can make heaven with the things around us and the conditions we find ourselves in. Save us from indifference and giving unnecessary excuses especially when we should show love to You through our fellow human beings. Help us by Your grace not to miss our heavenly target through Christ our Lord Amen

Happy Sunday to you (26th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr. C)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh