For the last few weeks in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus has been speaking about the importance of serving God rather than serving “wealth” or “the world.” He has talked about humility, the cost of discipleship, and using our resources to share God’s love and compassion with those around us. Loving and caring for our neighbors, whoever and wherever they may be, is a crucial part of loving God.

This week’s parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) shows us the eventual result if we consistently choose to serve ourselves and wealth instead of God: we can wind up with a huge, permanent gulf between us and God, and be miserable.

In this parable, a wealthy man lives in luxury while completely ignoring the poor, dying beggar, Lazarus, suffering daily just outside his gate. When both die, Lazarus is comforted in the bosom of Abraham while the rich man is tormented in Hades. An uncrossable chasm separates the two. The rich man is not in trouble because of his wealth, but because he completely fails to follow one of God’s most important commandments: he doesn’t love his neighbor, even though he has ample means to do so. He even maintains his attitude of privilege in Hades, expecting Lazarus to come down and relieve his suffering! Abraham kindly explains this is not possible.

The huge chasm that separates the rich man is directly related to the wall that separated the two men while they were alive – a wall made of indifference and apathy. The rich man had Scripture, laws, and traditions that required him to be compassionate, but he chose not to act. Now this chasm, with God’s justice thrown in, separates him from joy with God.

This story is a challenge for each of us. How we use our resources and respond to the needs of our neighbors has a direct bearing on our relationship with God. I don’t want to wind up with a big chasm between me and my Creator, in this life or in the next! So, I must ask – “Who is Lazarus outside my gate and how am I responding to him?”

I see Lazarus in the homeless in Tulsa, in the poor across the globe, in refugees at the border, in those who suffer in ways we often want to turn away from. Think of Lazarus as the one whose need and suffering you would just rather not see. And we are good at not seeing – sometimes because of despair, sometimes fear, sometimes selfishness, but the result is the same: Lazarus often winds up staying right where he is, poor and begging outside our gate.

I urge us all to consider: Who is Lazarus at YOUR gate right now? What resources do you have – time, talent, treasure—that could help? And most importantly: What action WILL you take? What of your self will you give?

Instead of putting so much energy into our walls, let us focus on the gates, praying for the courage to step outside them and bridge the gaps between us and the rest of God’s people who need us. As Paul reminds us, we are to “do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share… so that we may take hold of the life that really is life” (1 Timothy 6:18–19).

All are welcome at Trinity Episcopal Church each Sunday at 10 a.m., where you will find a warm congregation, uplifting liturgy, and the good news of God’s love shared in word and sacrament. Come and be part of a community that seeks to stand tall together in faith and love.