26th.Sunday
(Year C)
(Amos 6: 1,
4-7; 1 Timothy 6: 11-16; Luke 16: 19-31)
The rich man – let us give him the traditional name Dives
which is simply Latin for ‘rich’ – was a family man, he cared about his
brothers; nevertheless he was in hell because he cared only for his
family. He could have helped Lazarus in
his most dire need, but never did; perhaps he never thought of it; however,
that would not have excused him because he should
have given some thought to Lazarus’ great need, at his very gate. Perhaps he ignored Lazarus because he was simply
impervious to and unaware of him, being totally wrapped up in himself and in
the present enjoyment and future anticipation of his own pleasures and plenty;
if so, that would have greatly increased his guilt.
However, Dives’ lack of charity is not the point I wish to
dwell on today, for I think the answer Abraham gave to Dives’ concern for his
brothers has much that can be of profit to us who are seeking to become better
disciples of Jesus.
If they will not listen to Moses
and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from
the dead.
We should recognize, of course, that Jesus is speaking
though Abraham’s name is used in the parable, and so, the ‘someone rising from
the dead’ is ultimately Jesus Himself; and thus, the parable gives us a
remarkable instance of the continuity between the old and the new in God’s
dealings with His chosen people.
Moses and the Prophets were sent to the Chosen People of
Israel to convict them of their
sinfulness by the offer of worldly salvation -- originally from the slavery of
Egypt, and then, through subsequent ages, from the belligerent opposition and
persecutions of surrounding nations and ‘world’ powers – subject to their
humble acknowledgement of, and faithful response to, not only the formative
justice of God’s Law in their regard but also to the paternal warmth and
sympathetic awareness expressed in the human words of God’s chosen prophets.
Jesus, however, came not to convict, but to invite and to save. He called for
disciples in the name of His Father, the God of Israel; inviting them -- as Son
-- by the very beauty and goodness of His Person and His truth, to love and
learn repentance, as did Peter (Luke 5:8) when, making a remarkable catch of
fish:
He fell at Jesus’ knees, saying,
‘Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.’
Thus were they to find and share, in their heavenly Father’s
home, an eternal salvation, to be won by the power of Jesus’ self-sacrificing love for God and man.
‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets’ ... Why
should they not listen to them? In so
far as they would not accept their conviction as sinners, they could not
listen to, that is, embrace and respond aright to, Moses and the Prophets; with
the result that, through indifference they ignored, or else, through pride and
self-love, they rejected, such admonitions and warnings as were given them.
How then could they possibly accept even the most loving
invitation and call of Jesus, a self-sacrificing
(how they hated such a thought!) Son of Man and of God; One willing to die
(though, indeed, on their behalf and for their sins) before taking up His life
again in accordance with His Father’s command?
Neither will they be persuaded if
someone should rise from the dead.
In the history of the Church there have been many who have welcomed
or sought extraordinary ‘spiritual’ experiences; not necessarily experiences of
someone rising from the dead, but certainly something out of the ordinary and
something they could experience and perhaps lead or induce others to
experience it (or seek to experience it) too.
That is how so many of the religious sects which abound in the world
today first began. Finding the
traditional Church too boring, having too little devotion and too much
formality, being too institutionalised, or whatever the fault or the criticism
might have been, they sought new and ‘spiritual’ experiences outside the
Church. And then that sect, in its turn,
became, inevitably, more of an institution, with greater organization and less
spontaneity in the eyes of critics, who were dissatisfied thereat and once more
went off, on their own, in search of, or following after, personal experiences;
and soon, another sect, an offshoot this time from a previous sect, was
born. There are literally hundreds and
possibly thousands of such Christian sects (and no doubt Muslim, Hindu etc.
sects) in the world today.
One could say, perhaps, that the indifference of the many
who refused (or just failed) to listen to Moses and the Prophets in old Israel,
and of the many ‘nominal only’ Catholics and Christians in the world today, is really
the popular, ordinary, manifestation of perennial and pervading
dissatisfaction; not only with religion, but also with whatever is considered
as institutionalised; indeed with life itself.
Dissatisfaction, however, can be found a great blessing
rather than a great temptation or subtle sickness; but, if it is to turn out as
God’s work, the true nature of such dissatisfaction must be closely observed
and humbly recognized. Dissatisfaction with oneself can be the source of
untold blessings from God; dissatisfaction directed against the Church and
ones’ brothers and sisters in the Faith is the devil’s work; dissatisfaction
with ‘institutions’ and/or with life itself is probably incipient or rampant
sickness, unless it is the result of sufferings endured, indeed, but not in any
way humbly accepted or positively ‘absorbed’.
God-given dissatisfaction with one’s own self in the
Church, whilst recognizing that the Church herself is God’s gift, guided and
protected by His Spirit, can force us to seek to delve deeper into that
Spirit-guided teaching which the Church proclaims, can constrain us to approach
more seriously and sincerely the Sacraments whereby the Spirit flows into our
lives, and in so doing can lead us to change our own attitudes, overcome our
own lassitude and half-heartedness, and enable us to see more and more of the
true beauty and glory of God’s wisdom in the Church’s teaching and learn
something of the presence and power of the Spirit Who alone can raise us up to
more intimate life in and with Christ.
In the Church we have indeed Moses and the Prophets, but we
have more, much more: we have Jesus, the Christ and the beloved, only-begotten,
Son of God, Who, through His Apostles and in the power of His Holy Spirit,
still speaks to us today. If we do not
listen to Him and learn from His Spirit, no miracle, no extraordinary
‘spiritual’ experience can be of any help.
Do you feel dissatisfied, unfulfilled, in your life as a
Christian in Mother Church at times? Let
that feeling be a blessing from God by recognizing it as dissatisfaction with
yourself, and as a call from the Father for you to turn, away from yourself, to
Christ, His Son, your Saviour:
In Whom (Colossians 2:3) are
hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge;
a call to seek a deeper personal relationship with Him, to
understand and love ever more and more, His words brought to mind in their
integrity by the Spirit in Mother Church’s teaching; for that has always been
the prayer of Paul and the Apostles:
I pray that the eyes of your
heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling (of
you),
what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (showing
what He can make of you), and what is the surpassing greatness of
His power (to protect and prosper you) toward us who believe. (Ephesians 1:18-19)
Beloved, knowing this beforehand,
be on you guard lest, being carried away the error of unprincipled men, you
fall from you own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be
the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:17-18)
