Thursday of the Second Week in Lent
(Jeremiah 17:5-10, Luke 16:19-31)
“The line between good and evil,” the great Russian novelist Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn once said, “is not drawn between nations or parties, but through every human heart.” He means that every one of us has a partly corrupted heart waiting renewal. Executing that renewal is precisely our Lenten project. And every one of us has in part a heart palpitating with goodness. Experiencing the growth of that vibrant heart is our cause for Easter rejoicing. In the first reading the prophet Jeremiah laments a heart so rotten that it is beyond remedy. In the gospel Jesus gives us an example – the rich man who ignores the beggar at his door.
Certainly the rich man is not punished just for having wealth. That would be like condemning the healthy person for not making herself sick in caring for others. But wealth (and health as well) has responsibilities attached. The rich must share some of their resources so that the needy may not lose their human dignity. Some might object, “What if the rich man never saw poor Lazarus at his door?” Yes, it is true that riches often bloat the face so that one’s eyes are shut to the needs of those around him or her. But surely this is not an excuse after all that Jesus and other prophets have said about compassion.
Donating to the poor carries some risks. A beggar may squander our gift on liquor. Even some highly regarded charities have misused contributors’ donations. But these concerns must not trump the call to generosity. Prudence indicates who deserves our offerings and how much is appropriate to give. We must respond accordingly. Failure to do so will only nudge our heart more to the side of corruption.
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