22nd Sunday after Pentecost, Octoechos; The Holy Apostles Erastus, Olympus, Rodion and those with them
Read
Galatians 6:11-18; Luke 16:19-31
I had to bring somethings to the dump this last weekend and once I had the entire van loaded up and was on the road, sure enough, they were doing construction on the road leading to the entrance to the dump! It seems that whenever we have somewhere to be the construction comes out and hinders us! And of course, it can seem like that as long as me and my convenience are the centre of the universe (I’m also the first to complain about the condition of the roads when they are not fixed by the way).
How often do we go through life seeing other people as traffic pylons to be steered clear of? How often do we look into traffic and actually see other drivers instead of cars which are just the tools they happen to be using. It is so easy to avoid actual community and focus on the self. The rich man in our gospel illustrates how easily this can happen. I don’t think that he legitimately hated the poor man Lazarus at his door, but his riches and comforts had blinded him to the fact that Lazarus was just that, a poor man and not an obstacle to be avoided. The man gorging himself every day and wearing the fanciest clothes prevented him from realizing that there were other people in the world.
What is the solution? Fasting. Being hungry immediately makes you realize that you are not self-sufficient, that you are not in a world all by yourself. It makes you realize that there are others who are hungry. How might this rich man have seen Lazarus differently if he had chosen not to live in the lap of luxury for a single day or meal? Would he have withered away right there on his doorstep? What about us? The rich man knows that his brothers won’t listen to the scriptures but that if someone were to return from the dead they would listen. Brothers and sisters, we have received the good news that this has in fact been realized in the Resurrection of the Lord. Does it change our attitude towards others? Do we see people or traffic pylons?