Luke 16, versus 19-31, Jesus tell us the story of a rich man and a poor man who lived near each other. The rich man lived a life of luxury with the best of everything and poor Lazarus, dumped at the gate of the rich man had nothing. He would have loved the leftovers and discarded pieces of the rich man's life but received not of it. He couldn't even keep the dogs from harassing him.
We may look at this story and think it is a warning about the sin of living lavishly and having great wealth, but it really isn't. If we take a moment to look at the rich man's behavior we begin to see a picture of his heart as well. While he was prosperous by society's standards, his soul was desolate and empty of love. See if you don't agree. He wore purple, a color extremely expensive to produce until only recent times usually only worn by royalty or the very wealthy. Fine linen was delicate and couldn't stand up to the rough abuse of everyday people. The Amplified Bible says he "[habitually] clothed himself in purple and fine linen and reveled and feasted and made merry in splendor every day." Growing up we would have called that, 'livin' high on the hog'. (I have no idea why my parents would say that, but that's what they said.) What this tells me, is that he enjoyed spending his money on himself and he enjoyed showing off his money. His love was focused only on himself. He loved himself! He loved himself to the point that he thought nothing of those around him. He lacked compassion for his fellow man. Then he died...
He finds himself in Hades being tormented, he is hot and he is thirsty. We know this because he is begging for just a drop of water to "cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame." Now here is where we see a little more about the rich man. While we may think he was oblivious to those around him, he knows the name of Lazarus. This means that all that time Lazarus laid at his front gate, the rich man knew he was there and even knew him well enough to know his name, yet did nothing to ease the distress of his life. If he had been a man of love, he could have used his money to cover Lazarus with something so the dogs wouldn't have access to his wounds, they might have had an opportunity to heal. It would have been very easy for the rich man to tell one of his servants to take the left overs from one of his big parties out to Lazarus. I wonder why none of the servants did this on their own? Did the rich man forbid them from helping? He saw Lazarus everything he looked out his gate, yet did nothing. I think that would take a very cold personality.
The point here is to remember that money is not the problem, but the love of money is. We should be showing our love for one another and be willing to give of ourselves, our money, our time and our talents to help those around us. We can do this by partnering with an organization designed to help our fellow man. But beware! God is love and love is God. so if the organization is not founded on love or God if can easily develop a love of the funding they are receiving. Take the government. It is a large organization and those in control are not necessarily grounded in love. That often means that the help they offer is not as productive as is may seem on the surface. Look at the individual giving of the people in the organization. If they are wealthy and expect the government to supply the needs of the poor, they are simply looking for someone else to help so they can keep what they have.
Here is the story in the King James Version. See what you think. All quotes above were from the Amplified Bible. If you don't have access to your own Bible, try YouVersion The Bible App, available in the app store.
"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom; the rich man also died, and was buried; An in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of this finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. but Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime received good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now his is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed; so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come form thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou would send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, they have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham; but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."
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