The Gospel for Thursday of the second week in Lent is taken from Luke 16:19 31st verse. Jesus said to the Pharisees, there was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen, and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, and who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
And from the nether world where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames. Abraham replied, my child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime, while Lazarus likewise received what was bad. But now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you, a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.
He said, then I beg you, Father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them lest they too come to this place of torment. But Abraham replied, they have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them. He said, oh, no, Father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent. And Abraham said, if you will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will you be persuaded. And if someone should rise from the dead, the scribes and the Pharisees had to re examine after listening to this story what Jesus was really trying to get across.
It seems clear that he was chipping away at a misunderstanding of life’s sufferings. It seems like the Pharisees thought that if you were suffering, that was because you did something wrong and you were being punished. The truth is not that. The truth is that we’re here on this earth to live and to love and to accept our condition, whatever it is. And that God is not simply a God who doles out riches to people who do what they’re told. Please pause and reflect upon these images, and then I will close with a prayer.
The closing prayer, Father. Nothing is more important. And we accept. Embrace the life that you’ve given us. You have chosen it, you have guided it. You have empowered us to deal with whatever we need to deal with.
And there is always the promise of peace, no matter what the circumstances are. Bless us with that kind of awareness and that gift of peace. And we ask this in Jesus name, amen.