There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores. Luke 16:19-20
“The name Lazarus, which is the Greek form of the Hebrew “God has helped,” enables us to understand the meaning of the passage a little clearer. The reason that the poor man (Lazarus) went to Abraham’s side is not because he was poor but because he relied on God and therefore, “God helped him.”
The reason that the rich man went to hell is not because he was rich, but rather he saw himself as self-sufficient and therefore not needing God’s help. It is a parable about a rich man who was self-centered, concerned only about himself and his luxurious lifestyle, and a person who relied on God, for “God has helped” him.”
John Gore in A New Look at the Last Things (Eugene: Resource, 2011) 22.
Who are you in this story? Are you the rich, self-sufficient character or the poor person who experiences the help of God?
The nefarious thing about riches is that when we possess them, we are tempted to trust in them. With cryptic clarity, Jesus warns His hearers that money can’t save anyone, but it can destroy them. This reveals yet another reason to be generous with money.
Those who hold on to money and focus on preserving a luxurious lifestyle should not worry about it burning a hole in their pockets, but fear that it may burn a hole in their hearts.
One aspect of Lent, almsgiving or giving to the poor, is designed to open our eyes and hearts to the people in need around us like Lazarus who lived in close proximity to the rich man in the parable in Luke 16:19-31.
It’s also a wake-up call to the rich not to trust in riches but to use them to help others even as God helped Lazarus. Even as God sees, hears, and helps those who depend on Him, may He give us eyes to see, hear, and help those in need around us.
And lest we fear that our generosity will leave us empty, we can take confidence that even as God has helped Lazarus, He too will enrich us and help us.