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.
Let's not wait to do the right thing. Let's stop choosing comfort over righteousness. No matter what we have to endure now for the sake of righteousness, no matter what persecution, it is ultimately more than worth it.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
We are invited to a deep and abiding concern for the poor. We should at least make sure that the scraps of our tables aren't going to waste when resources which we casually discard can make a difference to others. This is a little bit uncomfortable because we know how little thought we give this. Many of us aren't living lives of profound luxury. But we do occasionally have leftovers. We do have resources with which to help. Do we consider the difference we can make or do we choose self-indulgence instead?
Concern for the poor doesn't mean that we can never go on vacation or that we should only eat rice and beans and give away all else. We need comfort above the absolute minimum to be effective in the vocations we are given. But all of our decisions should be made knowing that our resources are not our own and that the poor of the world are entitled to have their needs met. A vacation is then an investment in ourselves so that we can in turn be more effective for helping others.
The secret we need to learn is to put the LORD first in all things. If we trust in men we end up like the rich man, having succeeded according to the standards of men, but in a way that is empty and does not have a future. If we trust in the LORD than we can enjoy blessings when they are available and not turn aside even in difficult times.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose hope is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
Let us plug in to the source of life that the poor man now enjoys forever in heaven. Let us drink from the streams of delight that flow from the LORD and his temple. These and these only are true wealth. They make us able to act with prudence and use well the dishonest wealth of the world.
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment