Today’s Community Scripture – 3/25/2025

“There once was a rich man, expensively dressed in the latest fashions, wasting his days in conspicuous consumption. A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, had been dumped on his doorstep. All he lived for was to get a meal from scraps off the rich man’s table. His best friends were the dogs who came and licked his sores. “Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the lap of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his lap. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I’m in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things. It’s not like that here. Here he’s consoled and you’re tormented. Besides, in all these matters there is a huge chasm set between us so that no one can go from us to you even if he wanted to, nor can anyone cross over from you to us.’ “The rich man said, ‘Then let me ask you, Father: Send him to the house of my father where I have five brothers, so he can tell them the score and warn them so they won’t end up here in this place of torment.’ “Abraham answered, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets to tell them the score. Let them listen to them.’ “ ‘I know, Father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but they’re not listening. If someone came back to them from the dead, they would change their ways.’ “Abraham replied, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, they’re not going to be convinced by someone who rises from the dead.’ ”

Luke 16:19–31 (MSG)

– Reflection:

The Rich Man and Lazarus

In all of the parables Jesus told, only one character has a name. Lazarus, the poor hungry man who lay outside the gate of the rich man. There is no obvious connection with Lazarus, the friend of Jesus who dies and is raised from the dead in John 11. But maybe the name is intended to evoke that mental connection for us. The name “Lazarus” means “God helps.” However the Lazarus laying outside of the rich man’s gate seems to never receive any help from the living. It was a shame that in his entire life while lying outside a rich man’s gate no one ever gave him any help. My heart wouldn’t allow for that to happen. It makes sense to me to give help where it is needed allowing someone to lie out in the elements and not help is a harsh thing to do to another human. Jesus came and gave us his life, God sent his only son to die for us and all our sins that we placed in this world. How can we not give a meal, a jacket, a pair of shoes, or just a kind word to someone who is in desperate need of it?

– Where do we go from here?

Who are the unnamed “nobodies” in your world? Introduce yourself and learn their names. Look at them and truly see them. Treat them like the “king of the hill, the top of the heap.” Let us follow Jesus in the way he leads us. Allow genuine kindness to become part of who you are every day. Become a blessing to your community and those around you.

– Our Prayer for Today

Father, give us the courage to step outside our imaginary gates and give us eyes to see who is there. Give us strength to serve each of them in ways that honor you. Through Christ, we can pray. Amen.