Daily Devotional for Friday, April 3

The Two Persons

“And there was a certain beggar names Lazarus, which was laid at his gate,  full of sores,” Luke 16:20.

In the beginning of this narrative, a clear and stark contrast is made between two individuals. The rich man is covered in expensive purple and fine linen while Lazarus is covered in sores. The rich man ate in a very luxurious way every day while Lazarus was hoping for crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. The rich man stood safely inside the gate while Lazarus laid outside the gate and the dogs licked his sores. One man is known only by his multitude of earthly possessions the other is known by the name Lazarus which means “God is my helper.”

The Scripture does not say that the rich man did not give any crumbs to Lazarus although it might be implied. Neither is there anything inherently sinful in being wealthy nor being poor. However, there was a gate between them. The Jews would have been very aware that this beggar, lying on the ground, with sores, being licked by dogs would have been according to the Law ceremonially unclean. The rich man would not want to be made unclean by him. In Jewish Law, an unclean person could not enter a Jewish household without causing defilement, requiring purification rituals for the house and the person. This sheds important light on this story seeing the ceremonially clean man went to hell and the ceremonially unclean man went to Heaven.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Do not allow a person’s wealth or a person’s poverty to be how you estimate one’s value or relationship with God today. Make an intentional effort to be like Jesus and do not become a respecter of persons.

Jonathon D. Smith