Have you heard of the saying “Be kind–for you will meet the same people climbing up the ladder of success as you will going down”?
Today, we read about a rich man climbing over a poor one and the consequences of doing so. On Earth, poor Lazarus—destitute, starving, and sick—lived in poverty at the very doorstep of the rich man. Yet in the end, it is Lazarus who is rewarded in heaven, and the man who stepped over him on a daily basis is feeling the heat of the netherworld. Call it divine justice? Altitude sickness?
Indeed, our Lazarus is now nestled in “the Bosom of Abraham.” Now where and what exactly is the Bosom of Abraham? In Judaism, this “bosom” is a place of comfort in sheol/hades where the righteous dead await Judgment Day. This bosom also means “chest,” and this idea of resting in another’s bosom can be traced back to the Second Temple period practice of reclining and eating meals in close proximity to other guests, the closest of whom physically was said to lie on the bosom (chest) of the host. Recall one of the disciples resting on Jesus’ chest at the table.
Today’s host is Abraham. He is a fatherly figure—the father of three world religions: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Hence, Abraham’s ample bosom is an imagined yet possible, beautiful place where we can all come together in dialogue in restful repose and in peace.
Today, we are warned to stop stepping over the bodies of real people like Lazarus in countries near and far, AND especially at our own doorstep and in our own news cycle. Can we shift gears and be inspired by this text and example? Oh to “Rock a My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham” and rack our brains and our hearts to work for peace and for the dignity and understanding of all people felled by poverty, violence, and neglect. Our plea today could be “Lord, rock my soul so that we all will rest someday in that great bosom, no matter politics, economics, or religion. Oh, to find that common place of peace and love! It is here at our doorstep!
