***Learning from a Parable***

        Today's Gospel reading from Luke 19 is on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. It is a beautiful but poignant one. I am going to reproduce it in its entirety below and share some of my thoughts' 

         Jesus said to the Pharisees: "There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.' Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, 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.' He said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'"

       My thoughts: (1) Being rich and enjoying all the pleasures of the world won't make it any easier for you to get into heaven. If fact, it can make it even a lot harder. (2) Sufferings in this world as undergone by Lazarus are not necessarily meant to punish us. It can be part of our purgatory or a great blessing when we accept it for the Lord's sake. (3) Receiving what's good in this lifetime and what's bad after we die is so much worse than having it the other way around. (4) The eternal separation from God after we die is so terrible that everyone should take it most seriously and prevent it from ever happening. Losing our soul for betraying the Lord who has died for us is the most horrible thing that could ever happen to us. (5) That the rich man still asked Abraham to warn his brothers showed that he still had a heart. It seems that he was not really a bad person; he simply lacked compassion—a lesson for us here. (6) Abraham was right. People who did not listen to Moses and the prophets were not likely to listen to someone from the dead. Those who do not listen to the risen Christ the Lord today also are not likely to wake up to the whole truth right under their nose. Prayers that can change their hearts are urgently needed, for the Lord can change all things.