The Poor and the Gate of Blessings

Reflection for 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
(Amos 6:1, 4-7; 1Tim 6:11-16; Lk 16:19-31)
1.0. Prelude
The prophet of Social justice, Amos, comes again this Sunday. This time he criticizes not those who oppress the poor but ‘those who are at ease in Zion, who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with finest oils but are not grieved over the ruins of Joseph!’ Indifference in the face of hardship, either collective or individual, is what Prophet Amos spoke against today. St Paul writes to Timothy about eternal wealth one should acquire, while Jesus presents the pathetic story of the rich man and Lazarus.

2.0. The Man on Fine Linen
The rich man enjoyed his  wealth lavishly. He was so protective of himself that he wanted to savour all the pleasures in his earnings. He secured himself with dogs! But he lived in internal insecurity since he felt sharing his food would reduce his enjoyment. Thus he hardened his heart, locked himself up in his world of affluence, and would never notice the wretched Lazarus at his gate. He denied God as His provider, made himself the giver and sole user of his wealth. His indifference to God played out in His neglect of poor Lazarus. Though he dressed in fine linen, the sore-ridden body of Lazarus exposed his naked heart. He denied himself the link he had with Lazarus as neighbour, and created an artificial barrier for his advantage. At last, this rich man died, left all the wealth behind, and landed in hell.

3.0. The Man at the Gate
“And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores...” The situation of this poor man is scary! No one would ever desire to be in his shoe. It was as if he was abandoned by both God and man; his only companions were dogs, which increased his agony. Still he was at the Gate of his blessings! All that Lazarus prayed for were abundantly in the rich man's house. However, since he was God's friend, why didn't heaven intervene directly, at least to heal his sores? Here lies the mystery...

Yes, God answered his prayer. All that Lazarus desired, God gave him through the rich neighbour. So he came to the Gate of his blessing, the rich man locked him out with the key of indifference. However, Lazarus accepted all these with patience  as his lot. His self resignation to the will of God in his suffering was a heroic virtue, which earned him a place in Abraham's bosom. Being poor in itself is not an automatic ticket to heaven.

4.0. Wealth for the Rich and Poor
Now we see in Lazarus the image of Jesus, who accepted suffering as the will of God. But the rich man, in his arrogance and pride, scorned God the giver of every good gift, and there was not the image of Christ Jesus in Him. Hence, St Paul in the second reading speaks of eternal virtues, which all should acquire in order to take hold of the eternal life to which we were called. “O man of God, aim righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.” It was because the rich man was poor in these virtues that he landed in hell, while the poor man Lazarus was rich in these virtues that he rested in heaven.

5.0. The Man from the Dead
The rich man had five brothers who inherited his life of indifference to the needy. From his hell of pain he got no comforter, and he begged, “If someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” Like Lazarus, all that the rich man asked for in Hades were given to him on earth but he neglected them. He placed barriers between him and Lazarus, and this became impassable chasm in the next world. He denied Lazarus food and drink, and he got no water to quench his throat. He requested for preachers of conversion from the dead, and now, Jesus, the first born from the Dead, fulfils every prophecy and inspires contrition of heart.

These series of complaint and requests from the rich man contrasts with the silence of Lazarus. The poor and lowly are usually the voiceless in every society but Heaven speaks for them and defends their course. The One Man from the Dead, Jesus Christ, brings good news to the poor, which includes those that are poor in virtue. In fact the real calamity is lack of love. Such virtue become a sort of “gate of blessing” where the rich come down to, and the poor go up to. Here both the rich and poor enjoy well-being, and have place in Abraham's bosom.

Fr Jude Chinwe Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church,
Ira-Nla, Lekki, Lagos.
Sunday, September 29th, 2019.