Reflection on the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]

September 29, 2019

Luke 16:19-31

Once again, we listen to one of Jesus’s most remarkable stories. There is a rich man, and this guy is insanely wealthy. He is described as someone clothed with purple and fine linen. In ancient time, fine purple linen is an utmost luxury, and usually only nobilities could afford to buy this kind of cloth. Before the coming of synthetic coloring, purple dye is coming from snails of Mediterranean Sea, and it takes thousands of snails just to dye one ordinary garment. This rich guy is also throwing party every night. At the time of Jesus, where majority must toil to earn a little and to have something to eat, to enjoy feast every night is madly extravagant. At that time, fork, knife, and napkins were not common; thus, people are eating with their hands. In very wealthy houses, they will cleanse their hands by wiping them on hunks of bread that will be thrown away. These are pieces of bread Lazarus longs to receive.

Lazarus is a Latinized form of Eleazar, meaning “God is my help.” Yet, it seems that he does not get much help from the Lord during his lifetime. He is a beggar, and as one living with terrible hygiene, skin diseases come and plague his body. Even the dogs are licking his wounds. He is now no different from a dog! However, God is just and gives His help to Lazarus in his death. He is brought by the angels to Abraham’s bosom to receive comfort, while the superrich guy is thrown to hell.

This is a powerful story that reminds us that apathy can send us to hell. The rich guy possesses tremendous amount of wealth, and yet he closes his eyes on his brother who is greatly in distress. A deeper root of apathy is just our selfishness. We only care about ourselves. We notice how the rich guy in hell asks Lazarus to quench his thirst, his immediate need. Then, the rich guy suddenly remembers that he has other brothers and he wants Lazarus to warn them. It might be a hint of empathy, but it can be the sign of deeper selfishness. He wants only those close to him are saved. He never utters any single word of sorry to Lazarus, for being too cruel. Fr. Richard Rohr, a Franciscan spiritual writer, once says, “The ego hates losing – even to God.”

God hates apathy because apathy is directly opposed to His mercy. The word Mercy in Latin is Misericordia, and it means the heart of those who are suffering. In the Bible, if there is one thing that always moves God, it is when someone begs for mercy. Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that God is mercy, and He cannot be but merciful. Thus, apathy is simply against God; it is a rejection of heaven.

Surely, we do not have to solve all the problem of the world; neither do we have to become the wealthiest guy in the world to care for others. We just need to look outside ourselves, outside our gadgets, outside our social media, outside places and people that give us comfort. Perhaps, our kids need someone to talk with, someone who can listen without judging. Maybe, the person beside us is having a bad day, and our little smile may help significantly. After all, Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.”

Let us make our mission today to say a kind word and do a kind deed to someone who needs it. As Mother Teresa once again says, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP