The Rich Man and Lazarus

There are many things about today's Gospel that are fascinating: Lazarus is named, the rich man is not (and God knows our names because we are baptized in His name); the rich man's riches cannot help him because Lazarus has something he does not have; the tables are turned after this life, as the rich man desires Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool his tongue. The finger of a king or god is likewise sought for benefit at little cost to the monarch, and it would have been little to the rich man in this life to help our poor Lazarus. Now see who is rich, and who is poor. More than Lazarus, our Lord Jesus was poor and is now seated at the right hand of Power. If He dips His finger in our baptismal water to cool our tongues, we are refreshed with heavenly baptismal blessings in the Gospel and Sacrament. The sermon.