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Listening
Today
Fr.
George Smiga
September
29/30, 2007
Luke
16:19-31
There
are many things we could discuss about this long and difficult
parable about the rich man and Lazarus. But today I would
like to focus on its stark and some what disturbing ending.
I believe that the ending has something important to say about
the way that we live.
You
remember how the parable unfolds. There was a rich man who
feasted sumptuously every day, not a care in the world, as
happy as he could be. But then he died and he discovered to
his dismay that he should have lived differently. He was in
torment, whereas the blind beggar who once sat at his gate
was in glory with Abraham. The rich man realized all too late
that there was nothing he could do about his situation. But
he begs Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers so that
they could change and avoid his cruel fate. Abraham says,
“They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.”
The rich man says, “No, they don't listen to Moses and the
prophets. But they would listen, if someone were to rise from
the dead.” And here comes the disturbing ending. Abraham says,
“If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither
will they be convinced even if someone were to rise from the
dead.” Abraham's statement is a warning, a warning to us.
We should listen today or be sorry tomorrow.
What
should we listen to? To Moses and the prophets. Who are Moses
and the prophets? To the Jewish people and to Jesus they represented
all that God had revealed, all that God had told us throughout
the scriptures and throughout history. The same is true for
us. Moses and the prophets are for us is all that we find
revealed in the Bible and all that the spirit reveals in our
hearts as we live our lives. God is speaking to us. God is
trying to get our attention. God is speaking through the scriptures
and through the events of our life. We should listen today
or be sorry tomorrow.
What
should we listen to? It varies with each one of us. I cannot
tell you what God is speaking to you today, but here are some
possibilities: God might be saying that there are issues in
your marriage which you need to face; that there is someone
who has hurt you and you need to reconcile and forgive; that
you are unhappy in your job and it might be time to change;
that you are spending your time in the wrong places, and you
need more time with your children and grandchildren; that
there is someone in your life who needs help and is waiting
for your assistance; that there are people who care for you,
and you need to celebrate their love. Each one of us must
ask, what is God speaking to me? What is God telling me I
need to do? We must listen and we must to listen today.
Why
is it that we don't listen? There are two principle reasons:
time and fear.
We
often do not listen to what God is saying because we presume
there will always be more time. We say to ourselves, “I know
what God wants me to do but I'll face that tomorrow. Today,
I'm doing what I want to do. I'll get around to God wants
me to do.” The problem with the excuse of time is that it
often betrays us. What is possible today might not be possible
tomorrow. The opportunity we can seize now could evaporate
with a change in ourselves or in someone else. The window
of opportunity can all too quickly close. That is why we need
to listen today.
The
other excuse is fear. We know that if we listen to what God
is asking us to do, it might be difficult. We might be afraid
to face it. Here is where faith is important. If we really
believe that what is being asked of us comes from God, then
we need to believe that God will be trustworthy. God will
not ask us to do something and then lead us out into the desert
to die. If a direction really comes from God, then we can
follow it with confidence. We do not need to be afraid.
We
believe that God is speaking to us all the time, that God
is communicating things to our heart. Therefore, we need to
listen. We need to listen now; we need to listen without fear.
The only danger is to go on with our lives as if everything
is fine. We must not be like the rich man in the parable,
feasting, moving along without a care in the world, when in
fact, something needs to change. We cannot presume that God
will send an angel to tap us on the shoulder. We cannot presume
that God will raise up someone from the dead to tell us what
we must do. God is already telling us what to do.
Listen
and respond today.
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