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Blind to neighbor is blind to God
Dear brothers and sisters,
Once a man complained saying God does not exist. If God existed there would not have been any poverty, suffering, sickness. Someone then told him that God exists and he has created us so that we are there to help such people on behalf of God. The Gospel of the day is about the rich man and Lazarus. One lived a rich wealthy life and the other lived a very pathetic life. The rich man apparently did not do any harm to Lazarus. He lived his life. He was happy, peaceful, perhaps even religious too. While the life of Lazarus became worse day by day. But at the end of their life Lazarus received heaven while the rich man did not. Why was he not in heaven even though he did not do any harm? Sin was this that he was not concerned about the poor. St. John Crysostom says there was this vice of cruelty and inhumanity in a degree that could not be exceeded. For it is not the same thing for one living in poverty not to assist those who are in need, as for one who enjoys such luxury to neglect others who are wasting away through hunger. And it is not the same thing for one who is in difficulties and anxiety, and troubled in soul, not to help his neighbour, as for one enjoying such good fortune and unbroken prosperity, to neglect others who are perishing from hunger. The rich man remained blind to the needs of Lazarus. And when he remained blind to his neighbor he in fact remained blind to God himself. If the rich man were to ask Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you? The Lord would reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. Amen.
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