But Abraham replied, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.” Luke 16:25-26
“The rich man [Luke 16:19-31] has not committed a sin of injustice against Lazarus, since he did not rob him of his possessions. His sin consisted rather in not giving part of his own possessions. Now if the one who does not give part of his possessions is prosecuted by the one whom he did not pity, what forgiveness can he obtain who steals possessions of others, since those whom he has oppressed will encircle him on all sides? He will need no witnesses, no prosecutors, no proofs, no evidence – but the facts themselves, as they appear before our eyes… Thus, not giving part of one’s possessions to others is already a kind of robbery. If what I am telling you sounds rather odd, do not be surprised… A robbery is taking and keeping what is not one’s own.”
John Chyrsostom (c. 349-407) in “Homilies on the Rich Man and Lazarus” based on the translation by Peter C. Phan in Social Thought (Wilmington: Glazier, 1984), revised and expanded by Helen Rhee in Wealth and Poverty in Early Christianity (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2017) 87-88.
Rhee adds these helpful thoughts (xxxviii): “The essence of riches is its usefulness to the common good and use – the alleviation of the sufferings of the poor of the society. Thus, a sin of omission (not sharing or giving alms in proportion to one’s wealth) is just as wicked as a sin of commission (robbery or usury); both form a crime of inhumanity as they destroy the human bond of solidarity and interdependence.”
While I have read the rich man and Lazarus story in Luke’s Gospel many times, Chrysostom reminded me today that my actions reveal my beliefs. If my actions reveal that I am either taking from others (sin of commission) or keeping the fruit of my work for myself (sin of omission), I reveal that I am not a disciple of Jesus and destined to join the rich man. Our actions reveal our beliefs and shape our eternal destiny.
Consider the actions of John Chyrsostom. Rhee notes (xxxvii): “John also led churches to organize relief efforts for widows, orphans, virgins, beggars, homeless immigrants, the sick, and the poor through church-administrated orphanages, hostels, and hospitals.” What we do shows whom we serve. John Chrysostom, in his homilies and his humble service, showed that he was not a robber; he was rich toward God. What do our actions show?