Day 16: Sharing IS caring
1 March, Day 16: Luke 16:19-31
Today, I struggled with putting down my reflections for verse of the day, as for a long time I couldn't go beyond the obvious explanation of the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus.
It is one of those parables which most Christians have heard dozens of times. The singular interpretation which has been explained to us basically is that rich man goes to hell, poor man goes to heaven. So, wealth = evil.
Now this was imprinted in my child-like mind, that it is not good to be a material or wordly person. The pursuit of money leads you to doom-dom, it is the root of all evils and all that.
Reading it this time around, I tried to look beyond my simplistic takeaway to see if there was anything else I needed to pay attention to.
The verse is from Luke 16: 19-31
Thoughts: The parable goes like this. There's a rich man who lives in luxury, and a poor beggar man who suffers through his life right outside his doorstep. When both die, the poor man ends up in the Good Place, and the rich man in the Bad. In torment, the rich man sees Abraham and Lazarus in heaven and begs for a little respite (a drop of water on his tongue please?)
Abe says nothing doing, its too late, you had fun on earth, so suffer now. But this guy Lazarus, had a horrible time on earth, so he's in heaven now. Besides, he adds, there's a huge chasm between our worlds, so you can't get out of there even if you wanted to.
A couple of things that jumped at me from this response is:
1. God's sense of fairness and justice
If you are blessed with a good life, it is up to you use it wisely and well (don't ignore the Lazaruses at your doorstep, help them). He asks us to be poor in spirit. If you don't, then the Bad place awaits you in the end.
As for all the starving, poor, tortured, broken people we hear about in the world today - they will be rewarded in the after life for their suffering on earth. (This gives me hope when I think about all the terrible happenings and injustice in the world.)
2. The indication that eternal damnation is eternal indeed.
Self-explanatory. Do what you have to do when you have the opportunity to do it and before it is too late. Harsh! But fair?
Takeaway: Share your "riches" with those who don't have what you do. (Riches = talent, ability, good fortune, anything good you are born into).
Today, I struggled with putting down my reflections for verse of the day, as for a long time I couldn't go beyond the obvious explanation of the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus.
It is one of those parables which most Christians have heard dozens of times. The singular interpretation which has been explained to us basically is that rich man goes to hell, poor man goes to heaven. So, wealth = evil.
Now this was imprinted in my child-like mind, that it is not good to be a material or wordly person. The pursuit of money leads you to doom-dom, it is the root of all evils and all that.
Reading it this time around, I tried to look beyond my simplistic takeaway to see if there was anything else I needed to pay attention to.
The verse is from Luke 16: 19-31
Thoughts: The parable goes like this. There's a rich man who lives in luxury, and a poor beggar man who suffers through his life right outside his doorstep. When both die, the poor man ends up in the Good Place, and the rich man in the Bad. In torment, the rich man sees Abraham and Lazarus in heaven and begs for a little respite (a drop of water on his tongue please?)
Abe says nothing doing, its too late, you had fun on earth, so suffer now. But this guy Lazarus, had a horrible time on earth, so he's in heaven now. Besides, he adds, there's a huge chasm between our worlds, so you can't get out of there even if you wanted to.
A couple of things that jumped at me from this response is:
1. God's sense of fairness and justice
If you are blessed with a good life, it is up to you use it wisely and well (don't ignore the Lazaruses at your doorstep, help them). He asks us to be poor in spirit. If you don't, then the Bad place awaits you in the end.
As for all the starving, poor, tortured, broken people we hear about in the world today - they will be rewarded in the after life for their suffering on earth. (This gives me hope when I think about all the terrible happenings and injustice in the world.)
2. The indication that eternal damnation is eternal indeed.
Self-explanatory. Do what you have to do when you have the opportunity to do it and before it is too late. Harsh! But fair?
Takeaway: Share your "riches" with those who don't have what you do. (Riches = talent, ability, good fortune, anything good you are born into).
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