Posts Tagged ‘Rewarding Good Deeds’

Following the Law With Our Hearts (U)

Thursday, March 21st, 2019

Thursday of Second Week in Lent

Jer 17:5-10; Lk 16: 19-31

Deacon Larry Brockman

So, the Lord rewards everyone according to the merits of his deeds.  Such are Jeremiah’s words today.   

And Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and the rich man seems to echo that promise by the Lord.  Did you notice that the rich man knows who Lazarus is?  That tells us that although the rich man saw Lazarus during his lifetime, he did nothing to help him.  But he felt familiar enough with Lazarus to ask the favor of a drop of water. 

How’s that for indifference!  After his passing from this world, and finding himself in a tormented state, he still regards himself as superior to Lazarus.  So, he has the boldness to ask Lazarus to do him a favor.  This rich man is oblivious to the reality of his situation.   

Now, there’s no mention of any deeds by the rich man at all.  He doesn’t present any defense for the charge against him- he just asks for relief of his pain.  Rather, the rich man just enjoyed the gifts that God gave him in life, dining sumptuously each day.  His wealth was his security; it allowed him to comfortably practice his faith.  He probably considered himself a good practicing Jew- keeping all the ritual laws; avoiding the unclean like Lazarus with those dreadful sores; tithing comfortably from his wealth; following the rules for the Passover explicitly.  He just was living life happily, just enjoying the gifts God gave him; perhaps he regarded his good station in life as a reward for his literal compliance to the law.   

But Jesus makes it clear that because he was indifferent to the suffering that was going on around him; unwilling to share what he had, and perhaps even unaware that anything else was expected of him, his life after death was going to be a miserable one.   

You know, we all learn that the core of our faith is the belief that Jesus Christ is our Lord and savior, and that he sacrificed himself for our sins.  We are told that if we believe, and follow his commandments, we will be saved.  We are told that we cannot gain our place in the heavenly Kingdom by our good works.  I am certain the rich man thought he was doing that.   

And yet, this parable sheds a unique light on the salvation process, doesn’t it?  You see, we have been saved by Christ- salvation is there for all of us.  But it is there to lose if…    In fact, it’s there to lose If a whole lot of things, isn’t it?  If we don’t love God with our whole heart; if we don’t love our neighbor as ourselves; if we are not meek and humble of heart; if we don’t follow the rest of the beatitudes; if we don’t follow his law with our heart.   

Jeremiah says it best.  “Cursed is the man who… seeks his strength in the flesh, …whose heart turns away from the Lord.”  It is the heart that the Lord looks to in order to determine if we really believe.  And all of us only reflect the image and likeness of God if our hearts all full of love for all of God’s people, even the unclean person in the street covered with sores.   

These readings are presented in Lent for a good reason.  They challenge us to reflect on our own lives.  Do we follow the law to the letter of the law only?  Do we follow the law only as long as it is comfortable for us?  Or do we follow the law in our Hearts?