26th Sunday of Ordinary Time [C]

 

26TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [C]


It goes from bad to worse for the Rich Man. Not only is he stranded in the netherworld, he subsequently hears that his family members are on a trajectory to follow him. As Abraham points out: If your brothers have been tuning out Moses and the prophets, then it stands to reason that they will remain tuned out, even in the event that someone should be brought back from the dead (Luke 16:31). In other words, the pattern of resistance has been reinforced so thoroughly that now it serves as a type of “default” setting. They don’t know how to do anything else. For that matter, they don’t know how to be anything else. The clay has solidified. 


By way of illustration, consider Lucy’s method of tormenting Charlie Brown. She offers to steady the football so that he can kick it. He gets an impressive running start. However, she pulls the ball away at the last possible second. He’s kicking nothing but air. His feet go out from under him, and he lands with a resounding thud. As his head clears, he finds himself wondering if she will ever give him a legitimate chance? We know how Abraham would answer that question.  Clearly Lucy’s pattern has been reinforced to the extent that it will never change. The clay has solidified. It’s all she knows how to do. It’s all she knows how to be. 


Likewise with the Rich Man: every time he turns a blind eye to the plight of Lazarus, this represents a further instance of solidification. Take note of the transition: Initially he was a person who practiced complacency. Now, the complacency has overtaken him. He is actually being characterized by the behavior. He is  a person of complacency. He exemplifies the notion of complacency. And it sounds like his brothers have fallen into the same cycle. It’s reinforcement followed by more reinforcement. It’s also a pattern that has been around for a long time. All we have to do is listen in, as the Old Testament prophet Amos directs his message to the people of Israel. 


Complacency is more than an issue or a feature for the Israelites; rather, it’s fundamental to who they are. It’s who and what they are (see Amos 6:1-7). They are characterized by the behavior, due to the fact that it has been reinforced so consistently. It’s a complacency that can be traced to the very core of their being. Essentially, we have a foreshadowing of what will be described in the New Testament Gospel of Luke. It’s all about negative examples; what NOT to do. At least, that’s what we’re encountering in Amos and in Luke. Meanwhile, what about our second reading? 


With Timothy, we’re being treated to a positive example—something worth imitating. It can be said that he wants to be reshaped. He hungers for the mentoring that Paul has been providing. Timothy is ready to apply himself so that the good fight can in fact be fought (First Tim. 6:12). We can’t say that about the Israelites. We can’t say that about the Rich Man or those who make up his extended family. They’re not hungry for mentoring or for conversion. Instead, they hunger for luxury. They hunger for an undisturbed way of life—a life of ease. They have given themselves over to a spirit of complacency. And this means exile, as far as Amos is concerned. He announces that they are on the fast track to exile (6:7). 


The Rich Man faces another form of exile: the “ultimate” exile. The Israelites will eventually be permitted to return from their exile. For the Rich Man, there is no possibility of a return. It’s a chasm that cannot be crossed (Luke 16:26). He is being confronted with a fate that we would like very much to avoid. We avoid it by putting ourselves into play—just as Timothy puts himself into play. Allow yourself to be reshaped. Do so before the clay has a chance to harden. Your negative patterns don’t have to be reinforced. They can be kicked clean out of view. Issue an invitation to the Lord. Invite him onto the field. He’s lining up to do his part. Are you going to do your part? Will you let him make contact? Or…are you committed to being a Lucy? 

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