12/24/2022 0 Comments Book of sophia jesus![]() Now, however, he is convinced that “if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.” Abraham knew better: “If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.” These are prophetic words, of course. Let them listen to them.” Had the rich man simply lived the law of love of God and neighbor, the heart of the covenant God had made with His people through Moses and preached by all the prophets sent to them when they didn’t, he would have found himself in the bosom of Abraham, too. It was only that they avoid torment.Ībraham wisely answered: “They have Moses and the prophets. Notice that his concern was not that his brothers learn to love God and live charitably with their neighbors, as instructed by the Law of Moses. Most likely it was pride in his family’s name and reputation that made him want his brothers to avoid torment. The rich man then pleads for Lazarus to warn his brothers to avoid “this place of torment.” Because the rich man is in the place of the wicked, we must presume that this request doesn’t come from mercy, because he had none. It is separated from the abode of the righteous by a permanent, unbridgeable gulf that permits no traffic to pass between them (see CCC 633).” The sinners languish in the grip of torment. Here it stands opposite Abraham’s presence, where the righteous souls of the Old Testament era waited patiently for Christ to open the gates of heaven (Eph. “Hades (the netherworld or realm of the dead) refers to a waiting place where the deceased souls of the wicked are retained until the Last Judgment (Rev 20:13). The rich man found himself in Hades, not because he was rich, but because he had lost this perspective.Ībraham explains why he can’t grant the rich man’s request for help: “Between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.” What does this mean? A note from the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (pgs 138-139) will help: In each of them, Jesus makes clear how foolish it is to live for only what we can see and grasp in this life our time here is really a preparation for eternity (i.e., “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”). Recall that the Sermon on the Mount begins with the beatitudes (see Mt 5:1-12). Of course, this kind of reversal is one of the bedrock truths about human existence that Jesus taught the crowds who followed Him at the very beginning of His ministry. Lazarus had received “what was bad” (and had never lost his faith in God). Abraham reminded him that he had “received what was good” in his lifetime (and had never shared it). ![]() The rich man, seeing Abraham and Lazarus by his side, cried out for the kind of mercy he had never been willing to show the poor man on his doorstep. How surprised the Pharisees listening to Jesus must have been to hear this reversal in the story. The rich man died, too, but he went to the netherworld, a place of torment. “When the poor man died, he was carried away by the angels to the bosom of Abraham.” His faith in God, Who was his help, was well rewarded. His fate did not depend on this indifferent rich man. ![]() No, Lazarus knew that God was his true help in life, and He could be trusted. There is no resentful demand for justice and redistribution of wealth. Perhaps this is why Lazarus is described as one “who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.” We do not find him bitterly ranting against the rich man. ![]() They trust Him to save them even in all their terrible adversity. He is an icon of all the poor of human history who have chosen to put their faith in God. In Hebrew, his name means “God is my help.” What a name! He is poor and sick, but he has the dignity of a name. He is the only person in any of Jesus’ parables to be named. It is worth noting that this poor, sick man has a name-Lazarus. Why was he lying there? Was he too sick and weak to do anything else? Was he hoping that by positioning himself in such an obvious spot-the door-he would stand a much better chance of being seen by the rich man and receiving some help from him? ![]() There was a poor, sick man, Lazarus, who lay at the rich man’s door. The rich man lived like a king, with fine clothing and sumptuous feasting “every day.” We should remember that in Jesus’ day, the Jews thought that wealth was a sign of God’s blessing likewise, poverty and adversity must be a sign of God’s disapproval. Jesus begins His story with, “There was a rich man.” There can be no missing that this parable is intended for men who were “lovers of money.” They should be all ears. ![]()
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