Today’s scripture: Luke 16:19-31 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Ernest Disney-Britton):
As I walk the long blocks downtown to my office, a skinny and dirty young man holds a sign that reads, “Can you spare a dollar?” When I exit the highway, there’s a woman with a grocery cart stuffed with old clothing. She holds a sign: “My children need food.” What do I do?
In this electronic age, I never carry any cash anymore, so I have an automatic response. The problem is that in my heart, I know that my honesty is just a cover for not doing something I didn’t want to do anyway. In Luke 16:19-31, “There was a rich man” and at “his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus . . .” and the rich man did nothing to help. The rich man and Lazarus is one of Jesus’s toughest parables. It insists that God’s harshest punishment will fall on anyone who neglects those who are desperately poor.
Living in our big city, we often come face-to-face with the desperately poor, but we have excuses for not helping. Sometimes we say: “I give to the church,” “Pan-handling is against the law,” “I can’t be sure they won’t use it for drugs,” and we have a long list of other justifications. It raises key questions. What does it mean to be rich? Who is Lazarus today? What should I do to avoid the rich man’s fate?
Thought of the Day: None of us have the answer that will end the vast amounts of poverty we face every day, but we can answer one question: What small step did I take to help today?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.