Luke 16:19-31 16:19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.

16:20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,

16:21 who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores.

16:22 The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.

16:23 In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.

16:24 He called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.'

16:25 But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.

16:26 Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.'

16:27 He said, 'Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house--

16:28 for I have five brothers--that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.'

16:29 Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.'

16:30 He said, 'No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'

16:31 He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

A not-so funny thing happened on the way back into town the other day. I had been on the road for weeks and, after the eight hour drive, decided to pick up some fast food before heading on to a doctor’s appointment I had just enough time to make it. The drive-thru was a long line so I parked and went in. Upon entering I saw Mark emptying the garbage can. He has worked there for many years and his face lit up when he recognized me. Mark has Down’s Syndrome and the world is brighter because of his presence in it. We exchanged greetings and I quickly moved on.

McDonald’s was packed and I got in line. The man ahead of me turned around and we heartily greeted as we had not seen each other in years. Officer Lacey was in the line next to mine and we hugged hello. Sitting by the window was a retired minister friend and we waved. I was feeling graciously welcomed and I thanked God for bringing me back into my community with such a wonderful greeting.

I made small talk with folks in line and after I ordered went back to greet my minister friend. As I had just enough time to get to the doctor, I ran out the door when my food came up. The glow of feeling rich with love stayed with me as I raced to my appointment. The scene had been so cool it began to play back in my mind so I could enjoy it again. (Ever do that?) This time though, the replay brought to my awareness something that I missed while living out the actual event…

Instant replay: When I entered the restaurant, there was Mark. His face brightened as he recognized me. I moved on to the line and the man in front of me turned and greeted me and in hindsight, right behind him was Mark. I hugged Officer Lacy and Mark had moved over to be in the background of my view again. When I got to the counter standing quietly off to the side but in my view was Mark again. Now in replay, I even remembered that when I left my minister friend I had to go past Mark.

There is this amazing parable in Luke where there is this beggar who sits outside the gate of a wealthy man’s house hoping to get the crumbs from the rich man’s table. For years, the rich man passes by him everyday to go in and out of his mansion. The parable goes on to say they both die. The beggar goes to heaven and the rich man to hell. Wiser people than I have interpreted this story told by Jesus to be one that deals with wealth and how we use it. But maybe we need to look at the different kinds of abundance.

The rich man did not go to hell for being financially rich and he did absolutely nothing to harm the beggar, nor did he have him removed. The rich man’s sin was not his actions or his wealth. His sin was that he did nothing.

I left that fast food restaurant feeling so unbelievably rich in love. I was even thanking God for the greeting of abundant love. But when I replayed the scene so I could feel good all over again, I was slammed with the reality that I had lived the parable of the rich man. Mark had put himself in front of me over and over. Never saying a word just there in the background. I was so busy receiving my wealth of love, I did not see him hoping against hope for a crumb of it to come his way.

Makes me wonder how many times a day God puts someone in my path quietly seeking to be recognized and valued? If I had not hit replay in my mind, would I have realized my error? I made it to the appointment and then humbly went back for a diet coke and some conversation with Mark.

Ask God to open your eyes so that you see the world through His eyes. I guarantee you will begin to see Mark’s everywhere seeking a crumb of love.

The Reverend Dee Shaffer, Vicar
Our Savior at Honey Creek
Spiritual Care Director Heartland Hospice