GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY?
Thursday in the 2nd Week of Lent
Luke 16: 19-31
Guilty or not guilty? How do we plead?
The rich man in the parable today, was he guilty or not guilty? How should he plead?
The parable neither categorically states nor implies that the rich man amassed his wealth unjustly. It does not also mention the rich man being uncharitable to Lazarus who sits by his door. On the contrary, he was even kind enough to allow Lazarus, and his miserable sight, to stay at his door so that Lazarus could eat the scraps that fell from his table. The rich man was not guilty of anything against Lazarus. He was innocent but it was precisely his innocence that brought him to hell.
It does not mean that because we are not guilty of anything wrong done to others, we are safe from damnation. There are many times when our own innocence itself pleads our guilt. We are guilty not because of anything evil we did but because of something good we refused, or at least failed, to do. It is not only our guilt that judges us; our innocence may also condemn us.
When we think of our sins against our neighbor, do we focus only on the evil we have committed and neglect the good we have omitted? When we examine our conscience, do we consider as sins only the wrong we have done to others and brush aside the good we have withheld from them? When we are sorry for our sins, are we sorry because we have hurt others but not as sorry because we were indifferent to them? Do we mean what we say when we pray, “I confess to Almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, for I have sinned through my own fault in what I have done and IN WHAT I HAVE FAILED TO DO?”
What have we failed to do? We have failed to work against poverty even as we have given dole outs to the poor. We have failed to place our lives on the line even as we have been vocal against injustice done to the poor. We have failed to use our influence and resources to ease the pain of the suffering even as we have been praying for them. We have failed to listen to the marginalized even as we have always been ready to speak for them. We have failed to support the Church in her needs even as we have always professed faith in her. We have failed in many aspects, though we may have not been guilty on several counts.
Do we need Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn us and convince us that our innocence is precisely our guilt? But if we do not listen to the living, are we sure we will listen to the dead? And if someone rises from the dead, will that someone not rise to convict us instead?
Someone already came back from the dead. His name is Jesus. But have we already seriously considered His warning?
Luke 16: 19-31
Guilty or not guilty? How do we plead?
The rich man in the parable today, was he guilty or not guilty? How should he plead?
The parable neither categorically states nor implies that the rich man amassed his wealth unjustly. It does not also mention the rich man being uncharitable to Lazarus who sits by his door. On the contrary, he was even kind enough to allow Lazarus, and his miserable sight, to stay at his door so that Lazarus could eat the scraps that fell from his table. The rich man was not guilty of anything against Lazarus. He was innocent but it was precisely his innocence that brought him to hell.
It does not mean that because we are not guilty of anything wrong done to others, we are safe from damnation. There are many times when our own innocence itself pleads our guilt. We are guilty not because of anything evil we did but because of something good we refused, or at least failed, to do. It is not only our guilt that judges us; our innocence may also condemn us.
When we think of our sins against our neighbor, do we focus only on the evil we have committed and neglect the good we have omitted? When we examine our conscience, do we consider as sins only the wrong we have done to others and brush aside the good we have withheld from them? When we are sorry for our sins, are we sorry because we have hurt others but not as sorry because we were indifferent to them? Do we mean what we say when we pray, “I confess to Almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, for I have sinned through my own fault in what I have done and IN WHAT I HAVE FAILED TO DO?”
What have we failed to do? We have failed to work against poverty even as we have given dole outs to the poor. We have failed to place our lives on the line even as we have been vocal against injustice done to the poor. We have failed to use our influence and resources to ease the pain of the suffering even as we have been praying for them. We have failed to listen to the marginalized even as we have always been ready to speak for them. We have failed to support the Church in her needs even as we have always professed faith in her. We have failed in many aspects, though we may have not been guilty on several counts.
Do we need Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn us and convince us that our innocence is precisely our guilt? But if we do not listen to the living, are we sure we will listen to the dead? And if someone rises from the dead, will that someone not rise to convict us instead?
Someone already came back from the dead. His name is Jesus. But have we already seriously considered His warning?
posted by Fr. Bobby @ 4:00 PM
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