September 26: Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16
or
Amos 6:1a, 4-7
Psalm 146
Obviously the rich man knew who Lazarus was, for after he died and saw Lazarus with Abraham, the rich man was able to refer to Lazarus by name. Which suggests that yes, the rich man had been aware on some level of Lazarus lying by his gate, hoping for leavings from the rich man’s table. Somehow, the rich man had been able to ignore the needs of Lazarus who had been right under his nose for quite some time.
When the rich man asks Abraham that Lazarus, come back from the dead, be allowed to warn his brothers about the suffering involved in Hades, Abraham refuses, saying they had Moses and the prophets to listen to: if the brothers won’t hear them, why would they listen to someone risen from the dead?
To be open to the truth in front of us implies a softness, an openness, a way of life that is conducive to receiving even that which challenges us to change. The rich man had his purple, his fine linens and his sumptuous feasts to help separate himself from the truth of Lazarus right on his doorstep. What are the barriers we erect around ourselves to close ourselves off from truth, from prophets who have a timely message for us?
Most of us, if not all of us, are pretty good at denial. Most of us are able to go for very long periods of time, maybe even forever, choosing to ignore truth that is right smack dab in front of us, either because we are lazy, or self-serving, or maybe just plain afraid. The problem is that we usually end up hurting someone else, like the rich man hurt Lazarus, by our denial.
We obviously, also like the rich man, hurt ourselves. Sometimes when we ignore the truth in front of us, we might close ourselves off to possibilities of loving we didn’t know exist, because we were too busy ignoring those invitations to love. When we ignore challenges to change, we may close ourselves off to growing and stretching, of becoming fully alive human beings.
What are the issues and people right under our noses that ask us to be more sensitive, that challenge us to change our ways? Are there prophets in our own lives who we are ignoring, because it serves our needs to do so?