Lazarus and the rich man – Father Gavril Galev
~+~
This Gospel reading (Luke 16:19-31) is one of the most emotionally difficult in the New Testament Scriptures. It talks about two types of extremes. Two opposite human characters, two opposite lifestyles, opposite views of the world, purpose, behaviour, etc., although in essence, only one thing is needed, and that is to gain God and His Kingdom with Its gifts and not this kingdom and these earthly gifts, which are more harm than gifts.
This story, which in all probability is reality, because the name of Lazarus is specifically known, is told by God so that we can be careful about how we live and more precisely what should be our priority in life. Furthermore, that death is the ultimate reality though it is not the end, but a transition from this temporary, physical life to eternity. For those who were good and did good, it is transition into eternal joy, and those who were evil and did bad things, death is transition into eternal torment.
The first man was a very rich man who probably did not earn his fortune but inherited it from his father, which is why he spends it in such way. And the second was a man who was poor, he had nothing to eat and he was happy even for the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. He often begged him for a piece of bread, but the rich man remained insensitive and despised him.
In the rich man we can see enslavement of all three groups of passions: love for pleasures, covetousness and vainglory. First of all the passion of love for pleasures can be recognised as one of the most obvious passions, which simply paralyses man from doing good. Just like when the body delights with too much food and wine, it becomes lazy and clumsy, so does the soul when we do not abstain. In that way we become fat, clumsy, lazy and careless, firstly for our own salvation and then for a clear conscience and care for others.
Then, not only are these people enslaved from that first passion but they are also enslaved from the rest, covetousness, like we said he was rich and he was unapproachable and selfish to give Lazarus food (although he had food in abundance), and last of all, love-of-oneself, that is vanity, pride, high opinion of oneself which in fact is the worst of all.
Enslaved by the passions, we become insensitive thinking only about ourselves and no-one else. We think only of our own needs, for our passions to be always satisfied, and we do not care for the others. It is not in our care if we are tempting or causing bad thoughts in others, if we offend anyone or if we humiliate them. Everyone’s heart would soften when they would see poor Lazarus struggling in the street naked, barefoot and hungry. We become insensitive and in this way in fact we deserve our reward, and that is hell.
Very simply, the habits we have created in this life, to live in abundance and luxuries, to live corporal, to enjoy and delight in the passions, will be all taken away in the perfect order of the absolute spiritual world. Nothing corporal and sinful exists there and if we are used to such a way of life here, then it will be hard, that is hellish there. We can see that for ourselves when we want to free ourselves from a passion and how difficult that goes for us. Let’s take smoking for example, or any other passion. Let alone there, where in fact there is no any material comfort. That is why we need to practice. We need to practice the spiritual way of life.
The poor man had an equal opportunity to be a bad man. Although he is poor, that is not a guarantee that he is good or that he will gain the Kingdom of God. Everyone in their own way has their own dignity, their own ego, which they can nurture, or they can transfigure, that is to glorify God and love their neighbour (fellow man). This man could have also been fierce, he could have put poison in the food of the rich man. He could have been proud and vain, he could envy him, he could have been jealous and hated him, there are many things that he could have done to harm the rich man. However Lazarus has chosen the opposite, he chose to live according to the law of Moses. He chose the path of God. This is why he did not return evil with evil but he was simply meek, humble, lowly, and that is why he received the reward of being in the wing (bosom) of Abraham. To be protected, to be always cared for and comforted. Every good mathematician, when he calculates that this life is nothing when compared to eternity, it is certainly logical to choose eternity. That is why Lazarus and we also have to decide whether to live for this spoiled world which is actually more suffering, than to live for the eternal one which is in the arms of Abraham. To be cared for, warmed and always to feel pleasant.
There is much we can talk about this gospel reading, but one thing should be understood. Every man is given his personal gift of how he will live his life here on earth, whether he is rich, poor, sick, healthy, beautiful, educated or whatever else. However, the life we will live should be according to God’s law, in communion with God, for the glory of God. Because God is the One that has given us our life. He knows what everyone needs in this life in order to gain eternal life, and not to lose eternal life at the expense of this temporary and suffering one. That is why sometimes, and most often it happens, the torments that come are all to get rid of our passions, to get rid of these wrong habits and to think about the eternal world, to think about God. On the other hand, we do not know when we will pass to the other side of existence.
The angels took Lazarus to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man was buried in hell. The rich man was in torment, and Lazarus was comforted in Abraham’s bosom (Lk. 16: 22,23).
Being in such a state, the rich man asked Abraham to send Lazarus to tip his finger in water, in order to cool his tongue, because he was suffering greatly in the flames of hell. Again, overwhelmed by his selfishness, he did not ask for forgiveness, forgetting that he had belittled this same Lazarus for years. But Abraham’s answer should make us all think about how we have treated others and what we have done. Reminding him of his high dignity that Lazarus is also a son of Abraham (God), he answered him: ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great divide fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us’ (Luke 16: 24,25).
That is the truth and there is no escape from it. Death is a crucial reality for each of us, so we should take heed how we live. Let us not fight for riches, fame and pleasures in this world and age, rather fulfilment of God’s commandments and to open our heart to everyone and everything.
In the end, the rich man asked Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers and warn them, who were also living a debauched life just as he was. Apparently if someone from the dead tells them, they will correct themselves. But that is just an excuse. They choose to live in sin and the absence from God, in the gratification of their passions and bodily desires. We all know what is good and what is bad what is a sin and what is a virtue, but we do not want to make an effort in the fight and we delude ourselves into thinking that by doing so we are “clouding” God’s eyes. However, we cannot lie to God, we lie to ourselves, inheriting the eternal fire of apostasy.
God has given us the holy scriptures, and by teaching and guiding ourselves according to them, we may live a life which is pleasing to God. In this way, we harmonize our life with God, we know Him and commune with Him. That is why Abraham points to Moses and the Prophets. This is achieved only in a natural and our own voluntary relationship, and not in some unnatural and magical way, as the rich man imagined.
From the way of how we live, stems whether we will become the likeness of God and together with Him we will inherit eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven, or we will inherit eternal perdition because we have lost God. We achieve that relationship by establishing personal communion with our personal God, and it is in this life that we should perfect that personal communion with Him.
In this life, it is not important at all what we are according to our status, nationality, gender.., but what we are. And from what we are, it is manifested in fact who we are.
May the Lord Jesus Christ, through the prayers of this poor yet rich Lazarus, give us the wisdom to get to know our miserable life and to direct ourselves towards life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.
Father Gavril Galev
Abbot of the Monastery “St. Clement of Ohrid”,
Kinglake, Melbourne, Australia
05 / 11 / 2023
