The gospel reading for this Sunday is a familiar parable. It has a rich man and a poor man. You know the story. The rich man dresses in fine clothes and eats sumptously everyday. The poor man is covered in sores and would be satisfied with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.

“When we consider the rich man in fine linen, it is easy to picture the super rich elites who are so visible in the public eye. However, when we truly consider the global economy, most of the people [we know, probably] have far more in common with the rich man than with Lazarus. Many would be surprised to learn that a family of four in the US earning $60,000 per year is in the richest 8 percent of the global population.”

[The gospel lesson] “also echoes a common theme: the pursuit of wealth in this world can lead us into idolatry and away from faith in Christ. Instead, as the reading from 1 Timothy reminds us, we should pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness, so that there is no ‘poor man named Lazarus’ dying at our gates. After all, the greatest treasure—our eternal salvation?has already been procured for us through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Knowing this, we can share all we have with our neighbors, even our very place and salvation, confident that God will continue to provide for our needs.”

Commentary quotations from “Sundays and Seasons” copyright 2022 Augsburg Fortress.