Rich man, poor man
Asked whether we would want to be rich or poor most of us would probably choose rich but today’s gospel reading (Luke 16:19-31) offers us another biblical warning about the dangers of being rich in material terms but poor in terms of our concern for others… We’re told “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.” It’s a hugely unpleasant contrast - I think we’d all agree, we’d rather be the rich man in this story. This man had the best clothes, he ate the best food and he lived in a place of luxury. He lived in a “gated community.” The gate served its purpose of keeping out the less desirable elements of society. And there are one of those less desirables lying there right at his gate. That’s the poor man in the story, and the rich man doesn’t want to