![]() ![]() ( B) 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair, ( C) and it was her brother Lazarus who was sick. But we ought to have learned by now that the kingdom of God is not a prisoner to our expectations.11 Now a man was sickem-Lazarus from Bethany, ( A) the village of Mary and her sister Martha. We don't expect it to show up in the offer of the ability to see that gap and move from seeing to active compassion before it is too late. We don't expect it to show up in the gap between the bearable, even pleasant, or luxurious living conditions of some and the unbearable, inhumane living conditions of others. What is it that causes some people to have something or someone in their line of vision and yet not really see them? And what causes others to both have someone or something in their line of vision and to really see them? What makes the difference between not really seeing and seeing? We have said that this parable is one of several in Luke that shows us that the kingdom of God shows up when and where we least expect it. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham" (3:8). John the Baptist tells the crowds, "Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Living a life characterized by active compassion to others is a sign that we are responding to God's covenant. The rich man calls Abraham his "Father." Earlier in Luke (3:8) we get the message that claiming a religious heritage cannot by itself gain us salvation. 16:21) are reminiscent of the younger son's famished, desperate condition in Luke 15:16. Lazarus's hunger and willingness to eat whatever was at hand (Lk. The third act depicts the rich man's request to Father Abraham for a sign so that those still living can avoid his torment, a request that Abraham refuses.Īs for Lazarus, we aren't told he was pious but his name means "God helps," which implies righteousness. ![]() The second act describes the reversal of their conditions in the afterlife. The first act portrays the earthly contrast between the wealthy man and Lazarus. ![]() God has "put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree." The story is a three-act play. It underscores a theme expressed earlier in the Gospel (Lk. Lazarus is a poor beggar (16:20) he returns to Abraham's bosom, and the rich man requests that Abraham send him as an emissary to his brothers (Lk. Some rabbinic tales feature Eliezer (Greek Lazaros) walking in disguise on the earth and reporting back to Abraham on how his children are observing the Torah's prescriptions regarding the treatment of the widow, the orphan, and the poor. In Greek the name Lazaros has the same root consonants as the name Eliezer who, Genesis 15:2 tells us, was a servant of Abraham. It also has connections to rabbinic stories. The background of this parable is a tale from Egyptian folklore about the reversal of fates after death. The story reflects the ancient belief that the righteous and the wicked can see each other after death. It is strange in that the reversal of fortunes it depicts contradicts the widespread belief that wealth was a sign of God's favor and poverty a sign of sin. The phenomenon of the poor waiting for crumbs at the doors of the rich is a detail taken straight from first-century life. It is realistic in its portrayal of the vast gap between rich and poor. Unlike other parables, this onedoes not stay in the realm of first-century village life. ![]()
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