Lazarus and the Rich Man.

Luke 16:19-31
19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'
25 "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
27 "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
30 " 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

This passage says it all and I think it's pretty easy to understand. The beggar sat at the rich man's gate each and everyday. However, the rich man didn't do anything to eliminate some of the beggar's suffering. The beggar was left to search for food. The rich man knew the beggar was there. The problem was that he was so focused on his greed and self-satisfaction that he couldn't muster to pour some of his heart to the beggar.

Even in eternal life, the rich man wasn't fond of Lazarus the beggar at all. The rich man essentially enslaved Lazarus to do some of his duties. This portrays the selfish being of the rich man.

I'm not generalizing here saying that people who are well-off financially are always selfish, but I am using this as an example for all of us. This is a parable, anyway. Lazarus, the beggar, was a representation of the common Jewish population hated by the Pharisees who later looked past this situation and became believers and followers of Christ. The point is that we should all be kind and compassionate to others for this is how Jesus would be.

There are so many unfortunate cases out there; many people are probably begging for food while we're thinking about our next meal. What's keeping you from expressing a compassionate heart? God, I pray today that you fill our hearts with compassion. May we look beyond our selfishness and be willing to serve and help others.