A Great Longing
And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from
the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Luke 16:21
Read Philippians 2:1-4
The rich man had but one desire, namely, to take it easy and enjoy life to the
full. The poor man also had a wish, to be able to assuage his hunger with
the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. He did not seek a nice piece
of grilled chicken or something like that. This man was faced with constant
hunger. This meant that the rich man, who fared sumptuously, must have
been aware of Lazarus’ plight, but did nothing to relieve him. He did not
even think him worthy of a cursory glance.
Just picture the situation sketched before us. The rich man and his entourage
regularly passed this poor beggar as if he did not even exist. The poor
man lay with open sores which the dogs licked, bringing even greater pain.
Oh, what suffering was this man called to endure! Those who passed by him
simply moved on, turning their heads away, trying not to notice him.
Maybe we should linger for a moment at a similar gate. Just imagine for a
moment; there lies a poor mother with a child at her breast. She is little
more than a skeleton. The child sucks but receives nothing. On the other
side lies a desperate, despairing man who has lost his wife and all his children
due to great calamity. What misery! Shall we look around a little more
or shall we just hurry on home and try to forget what we just saw? How
confrontational the teaching of the Lord Jesus truly is! And He has every
right to do so; He left His eternal home, leaving heaven’s gate to enter into
the gate of our misery. Whoever begins to see something of this reality will
also begin to look at his personal life.
Thought: When our eyes are opened we begin to truly see the needs of
those around us.
Psalter 351: 1 (based on Psalm 123)
To Thee, O Lord, I lift my eyes,
O Thou enthroned above the skies;
As servants watch their master’s hand,
Or maidens by their mistress stand.
So to the Lord our eyes we raise,
Until His mercy He displays.
To Thee, O Lord, I lift my eyes,
O Thou enthroned above the skies.
