"Poor Lazarus" - A Lenten Minute for Feb. 25

"Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames." - Luke 16:24

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is about much more than just a metaphor of the dire consequences facing those who refuse to share their good fortune with those less fortunate.  It is a grim reminder that if we choose hell before we die, we cannot "change our minds" afterwards because the blind eye we show to others during our life time doesn't go away when we die.  It's not that we might not regret our choices, but if we deliberately turn away from the opportunities to learn how to love while we live and only focus inward on ourselves, we will remain focused on ourselves for all eternity. The rich man, whose name is not written into the Book of Life and therefore becomes nameless, cannot see beyond his own personal needs in spite of the torment he is experiencing.  To him, Lazarus is still nothing more than a servant, meant to do the bidding of others.  The opportunities he had while alive to "see" and "love" Lazarus are gone, and there's no going back.