A Poem a Sunday

Pentecost 19 – C

September 25, 2016
St. Luke 16:19-31 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The prophetic imagination of Jesus tells a tale about God’s kind of justice. We should not be surprised since Luke begins his Gospel with Mary’s Magnificat.  'The rich will be sent empty away.’  The Kingdom of God turns things upside down and calls us to open our eyes and see.  Can the Church see through the eyes of Jesus and see how God sees this world?

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. ²⁰ And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, ²¹ who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. ²² The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham.^[a] The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.^{[b] 24} He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. ²⁶ Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ ²⁷ He said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— ²⁸ for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ ²⁹ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ ³⁰ He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Footnotes:

1. Luke 16:22 Gk to Abraham’s bosom
2. Luke 16:23 Gk in his bosom

A Poem a Sunday

Pentecost 10-C

September 25, 2016

Chasm

 Out of sight

out of mind

the Lazarus

of our time.

Unseen,

unheard,

seldom,

if ever, a word.

Passed by,

at our feet,

everyday people

we could greet:

the lonely child

walking the street,

the silent senior

sad and meek.

Then the Lazarus

who is found

on a beach

of Syrian sand.

And one child

calls to mind

300,000 that

we are blind;

unable to see

atrocities

we repeat

and with disdain

we prevent

Lazarus, the immigrant,

from our tables

rich with food.

Hades will disclose,

dear friends,

their plight

in the end.

Justice to the least

will come and

God will welcome

all of them home.

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