The poor heart of the rich man

The Pharisees were not happy hearing the parable of the insincere steward. Because, the text itself says, they loved money. The parable of the rich man and the Lazarus was also addressed to the Pharisees. The purple and linen clothes of the rich man resembles the status dresses of the Pharisees praying in market places. Both the rich man and the Pharisees neglected the poor. The rich man enjoyed his meals being blind to the hunger of others, and the Pharisees celebrated their righteous condemning the 'sinners.'

For the Gospel preached by Jesus, these were foolish. They never found peace in themselves nor with God. The Rich Fool collected everything and stored them in locked rooms. The steward mishandled money cannot get through into the the peace of the kingdom through his shrewdness. The Pharisee did not go home justified even after listing all his 'holy' acts. The rich man is more significant today than any other. The richness possessed by the rich is legally owned and they have no obligation to be mindful of the poor. The question is why the poor cannot grow and why they are oppressed under the powerful. Storing, spending, consuming, and judging here in these cases can be seen totally against the will of God and function as oppressive and unjust mode of living. In a time we speak of largest economies what are we to boast about when people are threatened by their own future and daily realities.

Dogs licking the sores of Lazarus shows the kindness the dogs showed in contrast to the neglect from the rich man, or the pathetic and helpless condition of Lazarus? However, the rich man had his own comfort world just like the Priest and the Levite in the Good Samaritan. They knew the Law and the Prophets, but somehow the law seemed saying to them that it is the punishment from God that people like Lazarus had to suffer. The good things he enjoyed is rightfully given by God for his righteousness. What is the use if the Gospel of the risen one is proclaimed to such closed people? They will not listen. 

Generosity cannot be there if our hearts are not filled with gratitude. Only if we can break ourselves out of our chains we can approach the freedom and nourishment of life. Greed in storing, social acceptability created by crooked and unfaithful ways, being blind to the needy, judging with holiness code, all are due to lack of life within. Once life enters, it will shine as mercy and kindness.