Lazarus and the Rich Man

In St. Luke's Gospel we hear Jesus tell the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man.  The Rich Man lived high on the hog with a fine home, great meals, stylish clothes and great friends.  Outside his door lived Lazarus, poor, ill, alone and cold.  Both die and Lazarus rests at Abraham's side and the Rich Man lies in torment.  The Rich Man asks for Lazarus to give him a drop of water.  Abraham says "no".  The Rich Man pleads for his family and is told that Moses and the prophets are all they need.  The Rich Man asks Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers thinking that someone coming from the dead would get them to change their ways.  Abraham says "no".

I got to thinking about the Rich Man this week.  He knew Abraham so he must have been a believer.  He had a family that he cared about.  He knew success.  What made him ignore the poor Lazarus encamped outside of his door.  Initially, the Rich Man may have tried to shoo Lazarus away.  Perhaps he stepped over or around him.  I think that after a while he just didn't see him any more.  Lazarus just blended into the background out was out of the Rich Man's sight.  He became like a spot on your living room carpet that after a while you no longer see it.  Only when someone points it out do you see the spot.

It can happen that we just don't see things any more and that can be so sad.  Many years ago a couple came to see me about their marriage problems.  They were a successful, suburban couple with three children and all that money can buy. During our visit the wife said "I have not been happy for two years."  Her husband, in all honesty, said, "Honey I didn't know that."  He just didn't see it.  Her sadness had faded from his vision.  Work, soccer practice, music lessons and school had so filled them both that they became blind to each other.  They faded from each others view.  Like Lazarus, whom the Rich Man no longer saw outside his door, their mutual sadness lived in a blind spot in their heart.

What is it that we fail to see?  Is it the poor or the homeless?  Is it our own faults?  Is it the pain, or joy, that our beloved feels?  Is it the quiet goodness of people around us?  Is it the Lord who comes in so many ways throughout our days?  We need to look harder at what is around us.  He need to eliminate the blind spots.  We need hearts filled a yearning to see more clearly.

We need to polish our Glass Darkly.