The parable reveals how blind the rich man is to reality. And in reading it, Jesus hopes we won’t continue to share the same delusion.
Lazarus and the rich man: a parable of hope
Proper 21C
Luke 16:19-31
By Rev. Drew Downs
A rich man, a poor man, and a chasm between them.
It’s an evocative image and exceedingly relatable.
We know money divides us. That money brings power and that power is the greatest vehicle of division.
We know it and yet that is still novel to us. We hear about the corrupting influence of money over and over and we nod along. Yes, yes. Money corrupts.
And yet we fall for its corruption. Over and over. Then we have the audacity to say Wow! I don’t know what happened.
It’s like their’s a veil which blinds us. Or, more deceivingly, it creates an illusion, a mirage. That looks just like a chasm between us.
The full text may be found here.
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