By: The Rev. Joanne Mumley
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against thee in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved thee with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we earnestly repent…
The nameless rich man was self-focused. Somehow, he had forgotten to care for his neighbors. The rich man had left basic neighborly kindness undone at the very entrance of his home. He had forgotten to care for Lazarus, the hungry man at his gate. He had no mercy for the neighbor. He had left Lazarus in agony, yet soon he would be the in agony in Hades. His heart was selfish.
No one is beyond the reach of Christ. All sin and fall short of the glory of God. What this rich man needs is a circumcision of the heart. It is only through Jesus Christ that the rich will have the opportunity to hear the Word, repent, and be saved. He needed opportunities to serve, show compassion, and be free of his self-focus.
The thief on the cross asked Christ to remember him when Jesus entered his kingdom.9 He knew the fullness of Jesus and His grace. You can be rich, humble, caring and giving. Or you can be poor, arrogant and uncaring. This rich man was selfish and uncaring. He could have repented and been forgiven. No one has to be greedy, selfish, or uncaring. That is a matter of your own choice, your own character.
Who have you left at the entrance gate? What do you need to confess about being uncaring? Or selfish? Does your heart need to be circumcised? Hades or heaven, which will you choose?
The Almighty and merciful Lord grant you absolution and remission of all your sins, true repentance, amendment of life, and the grace and consolation of His Holy Spirit. Amen.