Luke 16:19-24

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table;” vss. 19-21a

Jesus was a master storyteller and in this familiar parable changes the usual pattern by giving a name to the poor man while the rich man goes nameless. Lazarus represents the countless millions of anonymous poor, all of whom are named and loved by their creator God. The rich man stands in for the wealthy of every age, those named and admired by their peers, but of not much account in the eyes of God. Jesus contrasts the lives of these two by briefly describing their daily experience. We are familiar with those he describes. Many of  know what it’s like to wear fine clothes and dine sumptuously at fine restaurants. And all of us have seen the homeless with their signs on street-corners and the beggars waiting as we’ve come out from our feasts. Jesus doesn’t offer solutions here and tell us what to do about the massive differences between the rich and poor. All he wants to do is offer a glimpse of God’s preferences and indicate which of the two stands closest to God’s heart. He just tells us a story…and hopes it will change the way we live.

Thought for the Day: How do I feel when encountering beggars?