Sermon 113B

Sermon 113/B

TRACT ON LAZARUS THE POOR MAN AND THE RICH MAN
He was clothed in purple and fine linen.

The Gospel terrifies many, but few are changed.

If the holy reading in this life healthily terrifies us, after this life, no one terrifies us; the fruit of fear is correction: for I did not say merely, if the divine reading terrifies us, but if it healthily terrifies us; for many know how to fear, but do not know how to change. But what is more sterile than unfruitful fear? How all our hearts tremble and quake when we hear that proud rich man, the despiser of the poor lying at his door, being so tormented in the underworld that even beseeching prayers could not avail him anything; and he received an answer, not cruelly but justly, that he could not be helped! At that time, when the mercy of God would have helped him if he had turned, he neglected impunity and deserved punishment. He was spared when he was proud and rejoiced in the boastings of his wealth, not thinking of the torments to come, which in that pride he neither knew how to believe nor fear. Yet, they came to him eventually. And what is: eventually? For how long was the delay of his dignity and pride? How long is the life of the flower of the grass, as you have just heard, when the epistle of the Apostle Peter was read, verified by the testimony of prophecy: All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass: the grass withers, and the flower falls; but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

"Our hay taken up by the Word of God."

However much this flesh is clothed in purple and fine linen, what is it more than flesh and blood, and grass that withers? And however much dignity and honor people may bestow upon this flesh, it is indeed a flower, but a flower of the grass; for when the grass withers, the flower of the grass cannot remain, but as the grass withers, so the flower falls. We therefore have something to hold on to so that we do not fall, because the Word of the Lord remains forever. Did the Word of God, brothers, despise us? Did it scorn our frailty and mortality, and say: It is flesh, it is grass; let the grass wither, and the flower of the grass fall, without offering it any help? On the contrary, it took on our grass to make us gold: For the Word of the Lord, which remains forever, did not disdain to be grass for a while, not to change the Word itself, but to bestow a better change upon the grass. For the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us; and the Lord suffered for us, was buried, and rose again, and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father, no longer grass, but gold, incorrupt and incorruptible. Thus, a change is promised to us, beloved brothers; yet while we come to that change, this grass will pass away, that is, all the dignity of the flesh passes away with the age, all this frailty grows old. In that rich man, the grass had passed away, and the flower of the grass had passed away; but if at the time of his grass, and at the time of his flower of the grass, he had understood the Word of the Lord which remains forever, and having laid aside all the arrogance, he had humbled himself before God, and if he did not wish to cast away his riches, yet gave something of them to the lying poor, he would be refreshed after the time of this grass; he would not seek mercy in vain, who when he could have, did not show mercy.

In the arena of this life, either we conquer or we are conquered.

Therefore, my brothers, when it was read, and we heard the voice in the Gospel: Father Abraham, send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame; how we were all struck to the heart, lest something like this should happen to us after this life, and we should beg in vain! For there is no place of correction once this life has passed. This life is like a stadium; either we conquer here, or we are conquered. Does the one who is defeated in the stadium seek to wrestle outside the stadium, in order to reclaim the crown he lost? What then? If we were fearful, if we shuddered, if our innermost parts trembled, let us change ourselves while there is time; this is the fruitful fear. For, my brothers, no one can change without fear, without tribulation, without trepidation. We beat our breasts when our conscience is pricked by our sins; what we beat is something inside, some evil conception; let it burst forth in confession, and perhaps there will no longer be anything to prick; let all sins burst forth in confession. For that rich man, swollen in fine linen, had something inside that would have burst forth when he lived; perhaps perpetual flame would not have been applied to him; but because he was then proud, that moisture caused swelling, not eruption. But poor Lazarus lay at the gate full of sores. Therefore, let no one be ashamed, brothers, to confess their sins; lying down pertains to humility. However, see how their fortunes change. When the tribulation of confessions has passed, the refreshment of merits comes; for the angels will come, will carry this sore-covered one, and place him in the bosom of Abraham, that is, in eternal rest, in the secret of the great Father; for "bosom" signifies a secret place where the weary rest.

When you give to the needy, you give to Christ.

He lay, therefore, at the door full of sores, but the rich man despised him; he longed to be satisfied with the crumbs that fell from his table, and he fed the dogs with his sores, but he was not fed by the rich man. Attend, brothers, for the poor man is in need: "Blessed," he says, "is he who understands the poor and needy"; attend, and do not despise him who lies at the door as full of sores. Give to the poor, for He receives, who also willed to be in need on earth and to enrich from heaven. For the Lord says: "I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in," etc. And they: "When did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or naked, or a stranger?" And He: "When you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me." In his least servants laboring on earth, He wished mercifully to represent His own person, aiding from heaven all who labor. Therefore, you give to Christ when you give to the needy; do you fear that such a keeper might lose something, or that such a rich one might not repay? God is almighty; Christ is almighty; you cannot lose anything: entrust to Him, and you lose nothing. When do you commend? When you give to the poor. Such riches do not pass away, though the flesh passes away like grass, and the glory of man like the flower of grass. Therefore, brothers, if we are frightened lest we suffer such punishments and the torments of burning flame after this life as the proud and unmerciful rich man endured, let us now correct ourselves while there is time; for then there is no place for relief, because there is no place for correction; each one is helped then when he is corrected. This life is for correction, this life is for help and aid. Turned to the Lord.

[Explicit treatise on the rich man and the poor Lazarus.]