September
29, 2019
Readings:
First
Reading: Amos 6: 1a, 4-7
Psalm
146 “Praise the Lord, my soul.”
Second
Reading: 1Timothy 6: 11-16
Gospel
reading according to Luke 16: 19-31
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Homily:
This time Jesus encountered the
Pharisees and talked to them.
But before we go on and proceed to our
homily, it is proper to know first who are these Pharisees, why they are
following Jesus wherever he goes, and why they are attacking Jesus with human
laws rather than God’s Laws? In the
Bible, there are many groups we can find with their own purposes, functions,
duties and responsibilities, and rules and laws; they are the Levites and
priests in the Temple, Sadducees, Pharisees, Zealots, Essence, Maccabean, and
the Sanhedrin, and many others to name but a few. Among these groups, the Pharisees are very
often mentioned in the Bible. Who are
these Pharisees? The Pharisees were members of a religious group or party who
frequently clashed with Jesus
Christ over his interpretation of the Law. The name Pharisee
means “the separated one.” They
separated themselves from society to study and teach the Law of Moses, but they
also separated themselves from the common people because they considered them
religiously unclean while they themselves were clean, meaning they were not
contaminated by pagan religions of their neighboring kingdoms and of the Roman
gods and goddesses and teachings, they were pure so to say. It also made them proud. They despised others Jews, especially the
illiterate, simple and ordinary ones for they do not study and know the Books
of Moses (Torah) and the prophets as compared with them that they studied thoroughly
the Scriptures. But the question is, do
they apply what they studied and learned in their lives, in dealing with their
neighbors, especially the poor and the uneducated ones? Or they used their
knowledge to manipulate and rob their unschooled Jewish neighbors? In any case,
we can also ask what do the Pharisees believe in and teach? Among the
Pharisees' beliefs was life
after death, resurrection
of the body, angels and demons, heaven and hell
and purgatory, keeping of the rituals, and the need to convert pagans and/or
gentiles. The Pharisees, many of them
are rich for they owned large and vast vineyards and wheat fields they acquired
from the poor through their teachings; they gave loans with high interest rate,
and many businesses in the marketplaces and traders; also they controlled the
synagogues, the meeting places that served for local worship, reading the
Scroll/Scriptures, and education/teaching what is read from the scroll. They also put great importance on oral
tradition, making it equal with the laws written in the Old Testament.
Jesus gave them a story of the rich man
(known today as Dives) and the poor man, Lazarus. “Jesus
said to the Pharisees: ‘There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and
fine linen and dined sumptuously each day’.” (Luke 16: 19). He started with the daily life of the rich
man, named Dives, wearing beautiful dress and eating delicious food every day. He was always full stomach and
satisfied. Yet, he had no concern with
his poor, uneducated neighbors. He lived
his life and wealth to its fullest and luxuriously. He enjoyed life as if there is no other kind
of life that is why he did not care or share what he had to others. Sometimes,
we too are like this rich man (Dives) who enjoys life without thinking of
others. As long as we live we have to
spend our life in enjoyable living, eating, drinking, merrymaking, etc. but
sometimes we forget our neighbor’s needs.
When we are high up thee we look down others, especially those who are
poor. We did not remember (amnesia) where we came from – down there
also.
The other character in the story, named
Lazarus, was poor, marginalized, excluded, deprived and sickly. Nobody took care of him even dressing his wounds
and sores in his body. “’And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus,
covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that
fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs
even used to come and lick his sores’.”
(Luke 16: 20-21). .He was hungry, (and if so happens there were other
beggars at the door), so every day he was waiting for whatever food the rich
man disliked and thrown to him or them.
Although it was like feasting for there are many sumptuous food on the
table, but only one person eats them all.
So whatever food he did not like, he threw it away; and the poor at the
door were catching and fighting (nag-uunahan
at nag-aagawan) to get that piece
of meat or bread he used to wipe his hands.
There are many Lazarus’s in our society.
They are poor not because they are lazy but because they are victims of
corrupt system of government, and those who make laws. They are robbed by those “prudent stewards,”
(last week gospel), taking their houses and lots, lands, fields, and other
properties due to unpaid loans and ongoing interest from loan sharks, like this
rich man who stole the properties of his neighbors, na nagkabaon-baon sa utang, no employments created by the
government and private sectors for the young people as well as old, high
taxation, lower price of wheat (or palay), nobody supports the farmers,
fishermen, laborers, the urban poor, migration due to wars and famine, ejected
from their ancestral lands and big companies are entering to mine their
mountains and forests, the educational system is poor and unintelligent, and
many other social cancers of society. In
the above condition and scenario of the underprivileged, truly the dogs licked
the wounds of the poor Lazarus’s.
Now, Jesus played with the game the Pharisees
knew; what they believed in. He used
death, angels and Father Abraham, the Father of the Faith, the Pharisees
inclined. “’When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of
Abraham’.” (Luke 16: 22). Lazarus
died and because of his patience, kindness, gentleness and understanding as
well as accepting his condition while he was still alive, he was rewarded of
new life in heaven. The angels took his
body and spirit and brought it to Father Abraham’s bosom. Now he is enjoying eternal bliss, where there
is no more hunger, sickness, poverty, and corruption, panlalamang at pang-iisa, no more sin and second death. The Pharisees knew about these teachings – on
death, angels, heaven, and Abraham, unfortunately they did not apply them to
themselves; they do not have fear also in their future.
Nobody can live longer and stay on earth
despite of his wealth and power, nothing is indispensable; nothing remains all
dies. So, to make the story short, the
rich man died. He was not saved of his
fancy clothing, sumptuous food, his money and power. They went to nothing. “’The
rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in
torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side’.”
(Luke 16: 23). His dead body was buried
and his soul went to hell where he is now tormented, suffering, paining,
grieving, and we can say punish, the final judgment by the justice of God the
merciful and loving Father, for all his sins (of omission, indifference, lukewarmness,
selfishness, insensibility) to others he has done while he was still alive.
What is amazing, those in hell can see
those in heaven, and those in heaven can see those in hell and they can
communicate. “’And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in
water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames’.”
(Luke 16: 24). Here comes again the
attitude and pride of the rich, he can give command to the poor to serve him
though he is in hell. He asked Father Abraham to send Lazarus to bring water to
him to satisfy his thirst and cool his tongue.
He has no shame to demand despite his condition, being tormented in
flames of fire. These also understood by
the Pharisees, they knew about flames of fire, hell, torment, but again they
did not change their attitude. They
follow what they believed in.
The reality of heaven and of hell was
told by Father Abraham. There is no way
that those in hell can go to heaven like walking in the park, and those in
heaven visit hell like walking in mud or filth.
“’Abraham replied, ‘My child,
remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus
likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are
tormented. Moreover, between us and you
a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to
go from our side to yours or from your side to ours’.” (Luke 16: 25-26). Again, Dives, the rich man, was reminded by
Father Abraham while he was still alive, how he spent his life with good and
happy independent life, without care or sharing whatever good he had to his
poor neighbors. While Lazarus, the poor
man, still alive he suffered hunger and wants, with lots of sores in his body
and dogs licked his wounds. (Side note: Maybe Lazarus died due to rabies).
This time he realizes his condition and
now he is worrying about his five other brothers with the same attitudes like his. “’He said,
‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers,
so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment’.”
(Luke 16: 27-28). Here comes again, his
demanding attitude towards the poor whom he thought his servants and
slaves. He cannot escape his attitude as
rich and the ways he looks the poor. He
requested Father Abraham to command Lazarus to go to his father’s house for he
has five more brothers with the same attitudes, to warn them of what will
happen to them if they continue their lifestyle.
Like the Pharisees who studied the Laws
of Moses and the prophets, his brothers can learn from Moses (Torah) and the
prophets, as what Father Abraham said to the rich man. “’But
Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them’.” (Luke 16: 29). In attending the synagogue services and in
listening in the Books read day to day, and in sin offering once in a while in
the Temple in Jerusalem, his brothers can change their lifestyle, if they
listen and do what is said and required by Moses and the prophets.
He applied to himself what he said with
regards to his brothers, they would not listen to Moses and the prophets. If he did not listen and do what Moses and
the prophets said and commanded, how much more his brothers to listen to Moses
and the prophets. “’He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to
them, they will repent’.” (Luke 16: 30).
They lived on their own, they enjoyed their wealth, they did not like to
be bothered by the poor and the needed, and truly they enjoyed life without God
and neighbors’ concern. The rich man was
thinking if someone from the dead would come and appear to them and tell them
if they will not change their lifestyle and attitude, they would go where their
brother was, in hell.
So, Jesus enlightened the Pharisees of
how wrong they were in whatever they read and studied, knew and understood, and
taught about the Law of Moses and the prophets to their Jewish neighbors who
are poor, innocent but not ignorant, deprived and marginalized. Because of their wrong teachings they misled
others. “’Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead’.”
(Luke 16: 31). It is not because we read
and study the Books of Moses and the prophets we are better than the rest. We thought we are saved by our own
doing. If we do not apply what we
learned for the good of others, we are like the Pharisees who taught Moses and
the prophet but did not listen to them, and live honorable life, for even the
dead that raise to life it is nothing and cannot do anything.
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