Devotion by: Susan and Bill Canis
Luke 16:19-31
‘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; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”
As we prepare for Easter, it’s Christmas we should be thinking of right now. That’s when Americans collectively spend billions of dollars showering themselves and their families with gifts of all types. Meanwhile, we read that U.S. food pantries for the unfortunate have bare shelves; many elderly shut-ins are alone; and, overseas, millions wait daily for a decent meal.
This parable in Luke should be a wake-up call to all Christians throughout the year. Its message is that we have a personal responsibility, like the rich man’s brothers who still have time to change their ways. This is not only about the church’s mission work, but also about what we do for others individually, by ourselves.
Several years ago, we decided that we could do better than exchange gifts at Christmas. We volunteered as a family at a homeless shelter on Christmas morning. It wasn’t in an inner city area. It was in Chantilly, a stone’s throw from Dulles airport, where over 80 or 90 men, women and children had slept overnight on the floor in sleeping bags. These current-day Lazaruses are just like us but have stumbled on hard times or unemployment. We cooked them breakfast and talked with them and exchanged all kinds of personal stories. We ate, laughed and prayed with them. This year, we did a similar service in Arlington. We feel we are living truer to Luke’s words with this service, and we’d encourage more Christians to find the spirit of Christ in this way. Let this kind of Christmas service and compassion be our guide at Christmas, Easter and throughout the year.
PRAYER: Lord, as we seek constructive change in our world, keep our attention on the path you have shown us with your Word. Amen.
Luke 16:19-31
‘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; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”
As we prepare for Easter, it’s Christmas we should be thinking of right now. That’s when Americans collectively spend billions of dollars showering themselves and their families with gifts of all types. Meanwhile, we read that U.S. food pantries for the unfortunate have bare shelves; many elderly shut-ins are alone; and, overseas, millions wait daily for a decent meal.
This parable in Luke should be a wake-up call to all Christians throughout the year. Its message is that we have a personal responsibility, like the rich man’s brothers who still have time to change their ways. This is not only about the church’s mission work, but also about what we do for others individually, by ourselves.
Several years ago, we decided that we could do better than exchange gifts at Christmas. We volunteered as a family at a homeless shelter on Christmas morning. It wasn’t in an inner city area. It was in Chantilly, a stone’s throw from Dulles airport, where over 80 or 90 men, women and children had slept overnight on the floor in sleeping bags. These current-day Lazaruses are just like us but have stumbled on hard times or unemployment. We cooked them breakfast and talked with them and exchanged all kinds of personal stories. We ate, laughed and prayed with them. This year, we did a similar service in Arlington. We feel we are living truer to Luke’s words with this service, and we’d encourage more Christians to find the spirit of Christ in this way. Let this kind of Christmas service and compassion be our guide at Christmas, Easter and throughout the year.
PRAYER: Lord, as we seek constructive change in our world, keep our attention on the path you have shown us with your Word. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment