Luke 16:19-31
Today's gospel is one of those great short stories from Luke, "the Rich Man and Lazarus." I have read recently that this parable was actually based on a true story. Seemingly about 15-20 years before this time a very similar incident had happened not far from Jerusalem where a rich Pharisee had been particularly cruel to his servants and an old beggar.
The Pharisees, who saw wealth as a gift from God and as proof of their personal goodness in God's eyes as well as seeing poverty and sickness as punishment for sins, would have taken this story personally. Worse, the claim of Jesus to have seen Lazarus in heaven and the rich man in hell meant Jesus was claiming to be from the "next world." This claim of Jesus was blasphemy to them. He was making himself out as equal to God. In their eyes, this was the greatest sin of all. No wonder they hated him!
Today's gospel is one of those great short stories from Luke, "the Rich Man and Lazarus." I have read recently that this parable was actually based on a true story. Seemingly about 15-20 years before this time a very similar incident had happened not far from Jerusalem where a rich Pharisee had been particularly cruel to his servants and an old beggar.
The Pharisees, who saw wealth as a gift from God and as proof of their personal goodness in God's eyes as well as seeing poverty and sickness as punishment for sins, would have taken this story personally. Worse, the claim of Jesus to have seen Lazarus in heaven and the rich man in hell meant Jesus was claiming to be from the "next world." This claim of Jesus was blasphemy to them. He was making himself out as equal to God. In their eyes, this was the greatest sin of all. No wonder they hated him!
