18 June | Youth
«The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.» Proverbs 22:9, NIV
I was raised in an environment of great financial need. Still, we never had to beg for bread. My mother was a very sick woman who spent the last 25 years of her life in bed. Even in this condition, she raised and educated three children all by herself. I know what it is like to want clothes and not be able to buy them; to be left out of school celebrations because I did not have the money to participate. However, we never lacked what we needed to survive.
My life is a story of miracles and overcoming difficulties. However, because of everything I have been through to get here, sometimes I am tempted to have an insensitive heart to the needs of people who have smaller problems than those I faced. When this comes to mind, I try to remember that people and opportunities are different. I have been asking God to give me a more sensitive, supportive and generous heart.
Generosity is a fundamental theme in Christianity. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), Jesus tells the story of a rich man who is lost and a poor man who is saved.
The rich man loved money, lived in luxury and thought that, because he was Abraham’s descendant, eternity was guaranteed. Lazarus lived in total poverty. His body was covered in wounds. Hunger was his constant companion, and he longed for the scraps of food that fell from the rich man's table. While the rich man seemed to have everything, Lazarus had nothing. However, his name has a suggestive meaning: “God helps.”
Two completely different life stories, which death leveled. Jesus told the parable to teach that no men will be judged based on their possessions, but on their character. He emphasized that we should use what the Lord has given us to bless those who need our help. He also taught that, after death, there will be no more opportunity for salvation.
In this story, Jesus used tradition to show the inconsistency of the Pharisees who, in their pride, despised the poor. Pride and lack of love always go hand in hand. I am trying to learn the lesson.