Respond with compassion

In today's gospel passage, Jesus speaks to the Pharisees, and especially to those among them who loved money and physical possessions.  He was particularly concerned with this group of people because he loved them as much as he loved all others and wanted them to understand the true meaning of wealth.  You see, the danger exists in those who set their sights only on physical possessions, because earthly riches can weaken our ability to understand the sufferings of others.

The story includes a rich man who is very proud of his achievements, but his pride blinds him to the needs of the poor man Lazarus.  This rich man has become comfortable, surrounded with a life of ease.  He may still have been a really good man, but his love of money disoriented his good intentions and made him unresponsive to the needs of those around him.

Jesus makes it clear that we already have the help we need in order to resist the temptation of pride.  The prophet Amos warns that wealth tempts people to think only of themselves (cf Amos 6:1) and the Ten Commandments instruct us to respond to the needs of others, especially those who are poor (cf Ex 20:12-17).  It is not surprising then that Abraham rebukes the rich man with powerful words: remember that during your lifetime, you received good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here and you are in agony (Lk 16:25).

Jesus wanted everyone to fight the good fight of the faith; to take hold of the eternal life to which we are called (1 Tim 6:12).  This is the reason why he chose to offer a parable that shows all of us that being merciful and loving can help us overcome temptation.  Mercy and love are at the heart of God's divine love for each one of us.  If we have recognized these gifts in our own lives, we ourselves can respond by striving to reduce the suffering of others through our acts of compassion and love.