The most popular show on television today? "Duck Dynasty." After that there are the programs about "The Kardashians," "Housewives," of various postal and zip codes, and "Hoarders." Reality Television programs have taught us that we like to watch the inner-workings of the lives of others. The interesting - and yet tragic thing - about it is that while we follow and know the happenings in the homes of characters on these shows - well - we don’t know our own neighbor.
The Rich Man and Lazarus in today’s Gospel (Luke 16.19-31)were neighbors, you know. They saw each other every day. Oh, not socially you understand, but there was contact. Every day the Rich Man saw this beggar at his front gate - yet they did not know each other. Who were these men?
To put it into the context of our present time. The Rich Man was a progressive kind of a guy. He was self-indulgent. He was a connoisseur, a lover of the arts, one who knows and appreciates fine living, four star restaurants.
The other man in the story is Lazarus. How can we describe Lazarus? Lazarus is homeless. We are told in vs. 20 that he was a cripple. Lazarus barely made it from day to day, living off the leftovers thrown to him by the Rich Man as he daily passed him. He is just a survivor, that's all you can say of him.
It is easy to read about a rich, self-absorbed, politically important man who is so involved in his own life, so busy orchestrating his own pleasures and perks, that he completely ignores the plight of Lazarus, a man who falls inside his gate, but far outside his pay-grade.
It is easy to turn it into a reality show and speak of it as something that occurs elsewhere. But that is not the shock-treatment that Jesus' parable is administering. Instead - Jesus is asking - do you know your who your neighbour is?
Now an easy way to answer that and then move on is simply to look at it as the physical neighbour who lives in the home or apartment unit next to us. But that approach would not be a Christian one.
• Are you aware - instead - of the people you interact with each day ?
• Are you aware of what they endure?
• Are you sensitive to what they are going thru?
• Are you seeing them not as someone on the side of the road of your life or someone who sits at the gate of your conversation - but are you seeing them as your neighbor ?
It is very easy to just become so absorbed in our issues and our world - our reality program!
• the economic news which has put us in a tail spin
• the medical diagnosis which has made us re evaluate things
• the family issue which is causing us to loose sleep
• the school related problem which is making us question life
These our realities - realities which we in faith turn over to the Lord each day - but there is still the danger that they become our show! These concerns, as serious as they are, must not take possession of our life in such a way that they make us less aware of our neighbor
The Rich Man allowed his reality to take possession of his life so much so that it became his show, his focus, his total reality. He lost sight of Lazarus who needed the reality of being recognized, of being shown dignity, of being understood.
There is no doubt that all of us - no matter, race, status, position, occupation, vocation, inheritance or poverty carry realities in our lives - some amazing, others challenging - but they can’t become our show. We can not loose sight of our neighbour and their reality. For if we do; then they become nothing more to us than beggars that we pass by each day and offer them what falls from our table
The Rich Man and Lazarus in today’s Gospel (Luke 16.19-31)were neighbors, you know. They saw each other every day. Oh, not socially you understand, but there was contact. Every day the Rich Man saw this beggar at his front gate - yet they did not know each other. Who were these men?
To put it into the context of our present time. The Rich Man was a progressive kind of a guy. He was self-indulgent. He was a connoisseur, a lover of the arts, one who knows and appreciates fine living, four star restaurants.
The other man in the story is Lazarus. How can we describe Lazarus? Lazarus is homeless. We are told in vs. 20 that he was a cripple. Lazarus barely made it from day to day, living off the leftovers thrown to him by the Rich Man as he daily passed him. He is just a survivor, that's all you can say of him.
It is easy to read about a rich, self-absorbed, politically important man who is so involved in his own life, so busy orchestrating his own pleasures and perks, that he completely ignores the plight of Lazarus, a man who falls inside his gate, but far outside his pay-grade.
It is easy to turn it into a reality show and speak of it as something that occurs elsewhere. But that is not the shock-treatment that Jesus' parable is administering. Instead - Jesus is asking - do you know your who your neighbour is?
Now an easy way to answer that and then move on is simply to look at it as the physical neighbour who lives in the home or apartment unit next to us. But that approach would not be a Christian one.
• Are you aware - instead - of the people you interact with each day ?
• Are you aware of what they endure?
• Are you sensitive to what they are going thru?
• Are you seeing them not as someone on the side of the road of your life or someone who sits at the gate of your conversation - but are you seeing them as your neighbor ?
It is very easy to just become so absorbed in our issues and our world - our reality program!
• the economic news which has put us in a tail spin
• the medical diagnosis which has made us re evaluate things
• the family issue which is causing us to loose sleep
• the school related problem which is making us question life
These our realities - realities which we in faith turn over to the Lord each day - but there is still the danger that they become our show! These concerns, as serious as they are, must not take possession of our life in such a way that they make us less aware of our neighbor
The Rich Man allowed his reality to take possession of his life so much so that it became his show, his focus, his total reality. He lost sight of Lazarus who needed the reality of being recognized, of being shown dignity, of being understood.
There is no doubt that all of us - no matter, race, status, position, occupation, vocation, inheritance or poverty carry realities in our lives - some amazing, others challenging - but they can’t become our show. We can not loose sight of our neighbour and their reality. For if we do; then they become nothing more to us than beggars that we pass by each day and offer them what falls from our table