Today is March 20, Thursday of the Second Week of Lent.
In today’s readings, we are invited to contemplate the things we love. In the first reading, we hear: “More tortuous than all else is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it?” (Jer 17:9). God reserves the right to test the mind and probe the heart of man. The just man is the one whose heart is planted in trustful surrender to the Lord.
But this does not always seem enticing in this life. In the Gospel, we are given a stark image of what the just man may look like, even as he is helped by the Lord. Jesus tells us a parable: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. 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” (Lk 16:19-21).
Lazarus, derived from the Hebrew “Eleazar” or “helped by God,” is a just man. He is carried away by angels at his death and sits with Abraham in glory. We can assume that, although his lot is not one that he would have chosen for himself, his heart is anchored in the Lord. Life may be bleak but he is helped by God and trusts in his love.
Trusting in God
The rich man remains nameless. He does not need a name, for he stands in place for the common state of humanity. It is much easier for us to plant our hearts in the comforts and security of this world. The rich man built a life for himself and had plenty. What else could he want? Who else would he need?
In the end, the reversal of fortunes takes effect as all is made manifest. God tested the rich man and found him wanting. He tested Lazarus and brought him into his glory in the eternal banquet of heaven.
If we were to choose a place in this parable, we’d be tempted to choose to sit at the table. The rich man has food and is healthy. But things are not always as they seem. Lazarus’s heart is rooted in God. Lazarus is not deceived by the comfort of the rich man. Neither should we be deceived by the security of this world.
Let us pray,
O God, who delight in innocence and restore it, direct the hearts of your servants to yourself, that, caught up in the fire of your Spirit, we may be found steadfast in faith and effective in works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
