I’ll use Psalms 8:1, 16:2 and 31:1-3 for Temple worship today.

My Shepherd met me weary, bleary eyed and unable to hold my thoughts to a topic, much less explore the Scripture for some “handfuls of purpose” He faithfully drops into His green pastures for me to find (Ruth 2:16).

As I browsed about the green pastures, listless, and sleepy, my Shepherd shined the light of His countenance on a patch of green grass that caught my eye. I moved to it, and I was surprised at the insight He put in my mind.

It was Luke 16, and the light shone on the story of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31). Thoughts that arose as I read verses 19-21 intrigued me:

Luke 16:19 ¶ There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

Luke 16:20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

Luke 16:21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

Here is a rich man in fine array feeding himself on the bounty of his wealth. There was Lazarus, a beggar, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the rich man’s crumbs. Although the rich man did not come to feed Lazarus, the dogs came, and licked his sores. The beggars laid at the rich man’s gate.

Along the still waters, I wondered who laid Lazarus at the rich man’s gate. A question occurred to me that never had before: who laid him at the rich man’s gate, and why? We are not told.

It is natural to draw the following typical assumptions from this story: the rich man was bad, and Lazarus was good; the rich man went to hell because he failed to relieve the poor; the poor beggar went to heaven because God is generous to the humble poor. All who know the Gospel know better than to accept any of these common errors.

People sometimes pass off to the rich their personal responsibility to minister to the needy. Love thy neighbor is not a rule made for the rich; it is a governing law of God incumbent upon all. Whoever laid Lazarus at the rich man’s gate might have had a crumb or two to share with him. Even if they are right, and the rich man was in a better position to help the poor than themselves, that does not excuse their responsibility to extend what help they can to his relief. It’s an error to presume on the rich, and always an error to pass our responsibilities to help a neighbor onto another.

The responsibility to share our wealth with others in need is incumbent upon each of us. The friends who laid Lazarus at the rich man’s gate might have considered themselves good, and righteous, assuming doing so discharged any responsibility they had for his care. Like any communist, they say, “let the rich guy take care of it.” I have noticed that communities who operate on that attitude are full of very selfish, and greedy people. The rich are not the only beings controlled by greed.

Abraham’s response to the petition of the rich man for Lazarus to come minister to his relief was punishing, or guilt tripping. He did not say, you ignored your duty to minister to those less blessed, or, you were so greedy, you would not even send a servant to Lazarus with a plate of crumbs from your table. Instead, he appealed to a universal principle of fairness: You have enjoyed your good things, and Lazarus endured hard things, and now he is comforted and you are grieved. The rich man was challenged to think in terms of justice. He did not suggest to the rich man that if only he had shared his good with Lazarus, then, when their roles were reversed, Lazarus would have shared his good with him.

Another matter of concern arose as I contemplated this story. Lazarus is described as “desiring to be fed from the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table.” I thought: did Lazarus petition his friends, or family, to lay him at the rich man’s gate? Why would he assume any claim on the crumbs that fell from another man’s table? He would have done better to ask his friends to help him to the corners of the rich man’s fields where he could have found the provision made for him by God in the Law of Moses: “And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 23:22).

If someone says, he cannot work, he is sick, then perhaps his friends or family, would do him the favor of gathering on his behalf. And if they are so poor that cannot spare a crumb or two to bless a needy friend, perhaps they too would benefit from such a labor of love.

In the valley, kneeling in the shadow of His Cross, where I contemplated what is the reason Lazarus entered paradise and the rich man hell. God knew Lazarus’ name, He did not acknowledge the name of the rich man (Luke 10:20). God knows the names of many rich men: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Daniel: the list is very long. What gains the entry of our name into His book? There is no merit in poverty, nor of riches, He regards the person of neither (Leviticus 19:15). Christ’s righteousness put to our account through faith (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23): that’s the difference between Lazarus and the rich man. Their respective works do follow them (Revelation 14:13; see 2 Corinthians 5:9-11).

Jesus spoke: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

At the table of my rich Shepherd, He anointed my head with His oil, and filled my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy followed me as I followed Him into His harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏

Going live asap:

https://rumble.com/v7ffpgy-shepherds-pasture-jesus-communist-parable.html