Scripture Reflection, September 30: Direct Gazes on the Face of Christ

Scripture Readings:
Amos 6: 1, 4-7
Psalm 146
I Timothy 6: 11-16
Luke 16: 19-31

As I was thinking about this Sunday’s Gospel reading this morning, I read a story in the Chicago Tribune about recent Congressional legislation. The article chronicled the vote of the House of Representatives on a bill that would gradually expand a state-federal program for child health care. It is a program directed toward children from families that live above the poverty level but have difficulty affording private health insurance. This bill represents an attempt to address the problem of nine million children in this country who have no health insurance. The future of the legislation is uncertain, since both houses of Congress would need to have enough votes to override a promised a veto by President Bush, who is concerned about federalizing health care, raising the tobacco tax, and instituting an entitlement that might not have sufficient funding in the future. As with all such legislation, the issues are significant and complex. Simplistic analyses do not do justice to the situation. At the same time, one has to wonder how it is that a country that can send space vehicles to the farthest reaches of the solar system is unable to find a way to assure that its children will be covered by health insurance. There is something mind-boggling about that reality.

In the Gospel passage for this Sunday, Jesus tells the famous story about Lazarus and the rich man. If you are anything like me, when you hear this story, you cringe inside. There is something spine-chilling about it. The rich man is depicted a living in opulence and feasting sumptuously every day. Life is one big party in his world. Jesus’ description of Lazarus is stark, almost lurid. He has been dumped at the door of this rich man and thus is probably crippled. His body is covered with sores that are licked by the dogs, animals that were viewed as ritually unclean in Jewish society. He would have gladly eaten even the scraps from the table of the rich man. After death, however, their fortunes are reversed. Lazarus is carried away by angels and rests in the “bosom of Abraham” – the father of the people of Israel. The rich man, by contrast, lies in torment in Hades – the netherworld. And then the conversation between this erstwhile rich man and Abraham begins.

There is one line in this parable that particularly struck me. After the rich man dies and lies in the netherworld, Jesus says that “he raised his eyes.” He raised his eyes and then saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. Only at that moment did the rich man raise his eyes and see Lazarus. Only then did he acknowledge the existence of the poor man who had sat outside his door all these years. Prior to this moment, it seems that Lazarus had been invisible to him. The rich man had been so absorbed in his own opulent lifestyle, so absorbed in himself, that he failed to notice this suffering beggar. In this parable, Jesus does not describe the rich man as a mean or malicious person who actively willed harm to anyone. But he is someone who never raises his eyes. He never pays attention to this man who is so near to him.

We hear something similar from the prophet Amos. Amos never would have won any awards for “political correctness.” He spoke his mind no matter what anyone thought, often in a fierce, uncompromising manner. This Sunday we hear his strong words against the well-off, the complacent people of Israel. They are absorbed in their own comforts, consumed with themselves and their own amusement. Like the rich man in the Gospel story, they are not paying attention to the injustice in their society and to its impending collapse. There is no time to pay attention to a society that is crumbling before their very eyes.

What do we do with Scripture readings like these? We could listen to them and walk out of liturgy with an enormous guilt trip. Each of us is probably well aware that there are a number of “Lazaruses” in our lives. And we may be acutely conscious of the fact that at times we have ignored some of these people. Or, we could hear these readings and be overcome with frustration. There are just so many needs out there – so many people in the world who are in desperate need of attention. And each of us is quite limited; there are just so many things we can do. Or, a third option: we could simply ignore the Scripture readings for this Sunday. We could let them go in one ear and out the other.

None of these three options is very helpful in the long run. I believe that these Scripture readings challenge you and me to be people who continue to raise our eyes – to pay attention. In the section of the First Letter to Timothy that immediately follows this Sunday’s second reading, the author speaks about the rich people in that Christian community; he says, “Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share, thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future, so as to win the life that is true life.” Each of us is limited in what we can do in this life. None of us can “do it all”; none of us can respond to every need that we find before us. But Jesus does invite us to appreciate what we have been given and to use our gifts in a spirit of responsibility and compassion. As a community of disciples who come together at the Eucharist to celebrate his life, death and resurrection, he calls us to pay attention to those around us, especially to those in need. You and I are challenged to transcend our tendency to lead self-absorbed lives.

As we pray together this Sunday, let us ask the Lord to keep our eyes open to the Lazaruses who live outside of our doors, whether they live across the globe, across the street, or even across the hallway in our own homes. Let us pray for the grace to avoid closing our eyes in complacency or indifference. The Gospel reminds us that when we raise our eyes toward people in need we are not looking just at their faces. We are gazing directly upon the face of Christ.

Robin Ryan, CP