In today’s Gospel reading, we encounter one of Jesus’ most sobering parables: the story of Lazarus and the rich man from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 16:19–31).
The story is simple, yet profound.
A rich man lives a life of luxury, feasting and dressing in fine clothes. At his gate lies a poor man named Lazarus, covered in sores, longing for scraps from the rich man’s table. The rich man ignores him.
Eventually, both men die.
Lazarus is carried by angels to rest with Abraham, while the rich man finds himself in torment. From his suffering, the rich man sees Abraham and Lazarus in the distance and begs for relief.
Just a drop of water.
But the chasm between them cannot be crossed.
Desperate, the rich man makes one final request:
He asks Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his brothers.
Abraham answers with words that echo across centuries:
“If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.
Even the Resurrection Did Not Convince Everyone
In his homily, the deacon made a striking point.
Abraham’s words turned out to be prophetic.
Someone did rise from the dead.
That someone was Jesus Christ.
And yet, many still do not believe.
The Resurrection is the central miracle of Christianity — witnessed by the apostles, recorded in Scripture, and proclaimed for two thousand years.
Still, belief is not automatic.
Miracles alone do not force faith.
The Miracle of the Sun at Fatima
4
History offers another remarkable example.
In 1917, during the apparitions at Fátima, tens of thousands gathered after months of reported visions of the Virgin Mary.
On October 13, after a heavy rainstorm soaked the crowd, the clouds suddenly broke.
Witnesses reported something extraordinary.
The sun appeared to spin, dance, and plunge toward the earth in a dazzling display of light and color.
An estimated 70,000 people saw it.
The event became known as the “Miracle of the Sun.”
And yet — even with thousands of witnesses — some still do not believe.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
4
Another powerful moment occurred in 1531 in what is now Mexico City.
The Virgin Mary appeared to an Indigenous convert named Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac.
She asked that a church be built in her honor.
When the local bishop asked for proof, Mary instructed Juan Diego to gather roses from the hilltop. It was winter — roses did not grow there, especially not in the cold.
Yet when Juan Diego opened his cloak — his tilma — roses spilled out.
And something else appeared.
On the tilma was a miraculous image of Mary herself.
The site is now home to the great Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, visited by millions every year.
Within a decade, historians estimate nine million Indigenous people converted to Christianity.
Still, some people do not believe.
The Real Message of the Parable
The lesson of the parable becomes clearer in light of these stories.
Faith is not only about seeing miracles.
It is about listening to God.
The rich man did not end up in torment because he lacked evidence of God. He had the Scriptures, the prophets, and the poor man at his gate every day.
He simply chose to ignore them.
The danger Jesus warns about is not ignorance.
It is hardness of heart.
Some Will Believe — and Some Will Not
Abraham’s words remain painfully true.
Even if someone rises from the dead…
Even if the sun dances in the sky…
Even if roses bloom in winter and a miraculous image appears on a cloak…
Some will still refuse to believe.
And perhaps the deeper question is not about miracles at all.
It is about trust.
There are people who will trust God.
And there are those who insist on doing things their own way.
The parable of Lazarus and the rich man asks each of us a quiet but serious question:
When God speaks — through Scripture, through the poor, through grace —
will we listen?
If you like this article, please share your feedback and follow me for When Even Miracles Aren’t Enough: Reflections on Lazarus and the Rich Man
Rick Herring
thmjmj@gmail.com
Please leave a commit.
Leave a Reply