{"id":206,"date":"2025-09-22T22:28:38","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T22:28:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iglesiatodoslossantos.org\/en\/?p=206"},"modified":"2025-09-26T23:10:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T23:10:09","slug":"love-does-not-tolerate-indifference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iglesiatodoslossantos.org\/en\/love-does-not-tolerate-indifference\/","title":{"rendered":"Love does not tolerate indifference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jerem\u00edas 32:1-3, 6-15; Salmo 91:1-6, 14-16; 1 Timoteo 6:6-19; Lucas 16:19-31<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decimosexto Domingo despu\u00e9s de Pentecost\u00e9s – Propio 21 – 28 de septiembre de 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

En la historia de Jes\u00fas en Lucas 16:19-31, L\u00e1zaro es un ser pobre. Hab\u00eda un hombre rico que vest\u00eda de p\u00farpura y lino fino y festejaba espl\u00e9ndidamente todos los d\u00edas, y luego estaba L\u00e1zaro. L\u00e1zaro no deber\u00eda sorprendernos en absoluto. Vemos a L\u00e1zaro todos los d\u00edas. L\u00e1zaro estaba enfermo, cubierto de llagas, probablemente por desnutrici\u00f3n. L\u00e1zaro ansiaba comer lo que ca\u00eda de la mesa del hombre rico. En otras palabras, L\u00e1zaro ni siquiera recib\u00eda las migajas, y hasta los perros ven\u00edan a lamerle las llagas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dos seres humanos, unidos por una historia. El hombre rico pudo haber intentado aislarse, pero no pod\u00eda entrar ni salir de su casa sin pasar junto a L\u00e1zaro, quien yac\u00eda, por falta de fuerzas para sentarse o estar de pie, a la puerta del rico. L\u00e1zaro estaba unido al hombre rico por su necesidad y su deseo de tener algo de lo que ca\u00eda de su mesa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seg\u00fan Lucas, Jes\u00fas cont\u00f3 esta historia a quienes amaban el dinero y todo lo que este pod\u00eda comprar. Pero ni siquiera los muros que el dinero puede comprar y construir nos separan de las personas pobres de este mundo. As\u00ed es, dije separarnos de las personas pobres. Ya ven, les guste o no, esta historia trata sobre nosotr@s. Somos las personas ricas. S\u00e9 que no nos gusta pensar en nosor@s mism@s como ric@s; nos gusta mirar a las personas millonarias y multimillonarias, se\u00f1alarles y decir que son ellas; ellas son las personas ricas, no nosotras. Somos personas ricas: ricas m\u00e1s all\u00e1 de los sue\u00f1os m\u00e1s descabellados de la mayor\u00eda de la gente de este planeta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Love does not tolerate indifference.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeremiah 32:1-3, 6-15; Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 21 – September 28, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Jesus’ story in Luke 16:19-31, Lazarus is a poor man. There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted lavishly every day, and then there was Lazarus. Lazarus should not surprise us at all. We see Lazarus every day. Lazarus was sick, covered with sores, probably from malnutrition. Lazarus craved what fell from the rich man’s table. In other words, Lazarus didn’t even receive the crumbs, and even the dogs came to lick his sores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two human beings, united by a story. The rich man could have tried to isolate himself, but he couldn’t enter or leave his house without passing by Lazarus, who lay, lacking the strength to sit or stand, at the rich man’s door. Lazarus was united to the rich man by his need and his desire to have some of the things that fell from his table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Luke, Jesus told this story to those who loved money and everything it could buy. But not even the walls that money can buy and build separate us from the poor people of this world. That’s right, I said separate us from the poor. You see, like it or not, this story is about us. We are the rich people. I know we don’t like to think of ourselves as rich; we like to look at millionaires and billionaires, point, and say they are them. They are the rich people, not us. We are rich people: rich beyond the wildest dreams of most people on this planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

El infierno no es un lugar al que vamos en el m\u00e1s all\u00e1. El infierno est\u00e1 aqu\u00ed en la tierra. Creo que si ignoramos a quienes necesitan de nuestra ayuda, terminamos en el infierno. A pesar de cada muro que construimos, aqu\u00ed mismo estamos conectados con las personas pobres de nuestro mundo. No hay excusa para la indiferencia. Cada vez que compramos un pl\u00e1tano, una camisa o una libra de caf\u00e9, participamos en una relaci\u00f3n con las personas pobres. Podemos cerrar nuestras comunidades, establecer controles fronterizos m\u00e1s estrictos y devolver a todos los solicitantes de refugio; la salvaci\u00f3n, o la plenitud no incluye fronteras que imperializan a nuestros semejantes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hay millones de L\u00e1zaros ah\u00ed fuera, a nuestras puertas, ahora mismo, y la mayor\u00eda anhela comer las migajas de nuestras mesas. El hombre rico de la historia de Jes\u00fas no es lo que llamar\u00edamos malvado. No hay evidencia de que haya hecho algo que llamar\u00edamos crueldad con el hombre pobre. Simplemente lo ignor\u00f3. El hombre rico se hab\u00eda acostumbrado tanto a ver al hombre pobre en su puerta, que ya no lo notaba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hell is not a place we go to in the afterlife. Hell is here on Earth. I believe that if we ignore those who need our help, we end up in hell. Despite every wall we build, right here we are connected to the poor people of our world. There is no excuse for indifference. Every time we buy a banana, a shirt, or a pound of coffee, we participate in a relationship with poor people. We can close our communities, establish stricter border controls, and turn away all refugee claimants; salvation, or wholeness, does not include borders that imperialize our fellow human beings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are millions of Lazaruses out there, at our doorsteps, right now, and most of them long to eat the crumbs from our tables. The rich man in Jesus’ story is not what we would call evil. There is no evidence that he did anything we would call cruelty to the poor man. He simply ignored him. The rich man had grown so accustomed to seeing the poor man at his doorstep that he no longer noticed him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

El mensaje principal de esta par\u00e1bola es muy claro, dolorosamente claro, incluso aterradoramente claro. Ignorar las necesidades de las dem\u00e1s personas nos lleva a un desastre infernal, si no al infierno mismo. Hay consecuencias destructivas y dolorosas, no solo por hacer las malas acciones que no debimos haber hecho, sino tambi\u00e9n por no hacer las buenas acciones que debimos haber hecho. El hombre rico se encontr\u00f3 atrapado en el infierno no por el mal que hab\u00eda hecho intencionalmente, sino por el bien que no hab\u00eda hecho debido a la insensibilidad que surgi\u00f3 de su egocentrismo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Si queremos evitar que nuestras vidas se conviertan en un infierno, necesitamos abrir los ojos para ver las necesidades que nos acechan. Para que haya algo que se acerque a una paz duradera en el mundo, nosotr@s, como personas y como naciones, debemos preocuparnos por algo m\u00e1s que solo “yo”, “m\u00edo”, “nosotr@s” y “nuestro”. El mundo se ha convertido en un lugar peligroso, pero me parece que las personas ricas debemos asumir cierta responsabilidad por la creaci\u00f3n de esos peligros. Hemos ignorado a las personas pobres durante demasiado tiempo. Hemos ignorado a quienes sufren; como esos hermanos y hermanas en Palestina y Gaza que enfrentan un genocidio por parte de los gobiernos de Israel y Estados Unidos; a quienes est\u00e1n en prisi\u00f3n; a quienes viven en las calles. Hemos hecho la vista gorda e insistido en que no es nuestra responsabilidad, o nos hemos desorientado tanto por la gran cantidad de personas que viven en la pobreza que nos hemos alejado. Las personas pobres de este mundo se est\u00e1n cansando de nuestra negligencia y est\u00e1n listas para arremeter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main message of this parable is very clear, painfully clear, even frighteningly clear. Ignoring the needs of other people leads us to hellish disaster, if not hell itself. There are destructive and painful consequences not only for doing the evil deeds we shouldn’t have done, but also for not doing the good deeds we should have done. The rich man found himself trapped in hell not because of the evil he had intentionally done, but because of the good he hadn’t done because of the insensitivity that arose from his self-centeredness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we want to prevent our lives from becoming hell, we need to open our eyes to the needs that lie ahead. For there to be anything approaching lasting peace in the world, we, as individuals and as nations, must care about more than just “me,” “mine,” “us,” and “ours.” The world has become a dangerous place, but it seems to me that we rich people must take some responsibility for creating those dangers. We have ignored poor people for too long. We have ignored those who are suffering; like those brothers and sisters in Palestine and Gaza facing genocide by the governments of Israel and the United States; those in prison; those living on the streets. We have turned a blind eye and insisted it is not our responsibility, or we have become so disoriented by the large number of people living in poverty that we have turned away. The poor people of this world are growing tired of our neglect and are ready to lash out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creo que Jes\u00fas cont\u00f3 esta historia no para condenarnos, sino para salvarnos; para restaurar nuestra salud sanando nuestras relaciones. El mundo est\u00e1 sumido en un caos infernal. Pero no todo est\u00e1 perdido. En CRISTO, quien encarna el AMOR que ES Dios, podemos cerrar la brecha entre ricos y pobres. Podemos salir a nuestras puertas y ver qui\u00e9n est\u00e1 all\u00ed y qu\u00e9 necesita, y con la abundancia de dones que el AMOR nos ha derramado, podemos suplir las necesidades de quienes anhelan que extendamos nuestros brazos para salvar ese abismo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe Jesus told this story not to condemn us, but to save us; to restore our health by healing our relationships. The world is in hellish chaos. But all is not lost. In Christ, who embodies the Love that is God, we can bridge the gap between rich and poor. We can go to our doors and see who is there and what they need, and with the abundance of gifts that Love has showered upon us, we can meet the needs of those who long for us to reach out to bridge that gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En la lectura de Jerem\u00edas 32:1-3, 6-15<\/strong> aprendemos que cuando otras personas abandonan la esperanza o se comprometen con el mal, Jerem\u00edas puede imaginar las escenas m\u00e1s esperanzadoras de sus profec\u00edas anteriores. Aqu\u00ed, Jerem\u00edas alza la vista hacia una posibilidad futura que surge de las cenizas de un presente que se desmorona. El verdadero poder de este mensaje para hoy reside en que muchas personas quiz\u00e1 no est\u00e9n dispuestas a reconocer su pecado ni siquiera a comprender el desastre inminente que la desobediencia y el rechazo a Dios traen a sus vidas, quiz\u00e1s inmerecidamente o como consecuencia del pecado de otra persona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En su carta a Timoteo 6:6-19,<\/strong> el ap\u00f3stol Pablo destaca la importancia de vivir una vida centrada en la piedad y el contentamiento. Nos recuerda que las posesiones materiales y las riquezas no definen qui\u00e9nes somos ni nuestro valor. En cambio, la verdadera riqueza se encuentra en nuestra relaci\u00f3n con Dios y en vivir una vida que refleje sus valores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the reading of Jeremiah 32:1-3, 6-15<\/strong>, we learn that when others abandon hope or compromise with evil, Jeremiah can imagine the more hopeful scenes from his previous prophecies. Here, Jeremiah looks forward to a future possibility rising from the ashes of a crumbling present. The true power of this message for today lies in the fact that many people may be unwilling to acknowledge their sin or even comprehend the impending disaster that disobedience and rejection of God bring into their lives, perhaps undeservedly or as a consequence of someone else’s sin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his letter to Timothy 6:6-19,<\/strong> the apostle Paul emphasizes the importance of living a life centered on godliness and contentment. He reminds us that material possessions and riches do not define who we are or our worth. Instead, true wealth is found in our relationship with God and in living a life that reflects His values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muchas personas que leen esta historia del hombre rico y L\u00e1zaro en Lucas 16:19-31 asumen que el cuadro que Jes\u00fas est\u00e1 pintando es el infierno. Pero esta par\u00e1bola no es principalmente una ense\u00f1anza sobre el infierno. M\u00e1s bien una ense\u00f1anza sobre las consecuencias de nuestros actos hacia las dem\u00e1s personas. En la historia de Jes\u00fas, el hombre rico no fue arrojado al infierno porque no crey\u00f3. Se encontr\u00f3 en un lugar de tormento por la forma en que trataba a las dem\u00e1s personas, espec\u00edficamente a L\u00e1zaro. En esta historia, Jes\u00fas deja claro que el hombre est\u00e1 encerrado en su lugar de tormento. Pero la cerradura est\u00e1 por dentro. El hombre se niega a salir. Preferir\u00eda reinar en tormento que ser un siervo en el reino de Dios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people who read this story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 assume that the picture Jesus is painting is hell. But this parable is not primarily a teaching about hell. Rather, it is a teaching about the consequences of our actions toward other people. In Jesus’ story, the rich man was not cast into hell because he did not believe. He found himself in a place of torment because of the way he treated other people, specifically Lazarus. In this story, Jesus makes it clear that the man is locked in his place of torment. But the lock is on the inside. The man refuses to come out. He would rather reign in torment than be a servant in God’s kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Esta par\u00e1bola es a la vez una denuncia contra el liderato religioso, algo as\u00ed como del nacionalismo cristiano, que ense\u00f1a que Estados Unidos se fund\u00f3 como una naci\u00f3n cristiana y buscan retornar a este pasado ficticio. El nacionalismo cristiano busca fusionar las identidades cristiana y estadounidense, distorsionando tanto la fe cristiana como la democracia constitucional estadounidense mediante la negaci\u00f3n de la separaci\u00f3n de la Iglesia y el Estado. Este es el disparate del movimiento MAGA que produce un Evangelio de las personas espectadoras y un Evangelio de sentirnos bien. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This parable is also a denunciation of religious leadership, something like Christian nationalism, which teaches that the United States was founded as a Christian nation and seeks to return to this fictitious past. Christian nationalism seeks to merge Christian and American identities, distorting both the Christian faith and American constitutional democracy by denying the separation of church and state. This is the folly of the MAGA movement, which produces a bystander gospel and a feel-good gospel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pero es a su vez una esperanza para las personas oprimidas. El significado del hombre rico y L\u00e1zaro es una advertencia para quienes no prestan atenci\u00f3n a las necesidades de las dem\u00e1s personas. Esa actitud no tiene cabida en el reino-comunidad de Dios. Hasta que no se arrepientan y cambien su comportamiento, vivir\u00e1n en un estado de auto atormento. As\u00ed debe ser: la verdadera felicidad no se encuentra a expensas de las dem\u00e1s personas. Hay muchas y muchos L\u00e1zaros ah\u00ed fuera esperando que dejemos de ignorarles y les echemos una mano. Estas son las personas necesitadas, como la gente de Palestina y Gaza; los que est\u00e1n en prisi\u00f3n; los que viven en las calles; los que cruzan la frontera en busca de esperanza; los que mendigan comida, atenci\u00f3n m\u00e9dica y un hogar. No sigamos d\u00e1ndoles religi\u00f3n al pueblo para oprimirle, sino para liberarle. Recuerden, el amor no tolera la indiferencia. Am\u00e9n y Ash\u00e9.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it is also hope for the oppressed. The meaning of the rich man and Lazarus is a warning to those who are inattentive to the needs of others. Such an attitude has no place in God’s kingdom-community. Until they repent and change their behavior, they will live in a state of self-torment. This is as it should be: true happiness is not found at the expense of others. There are many Lazaruses out there waiting for us to stop ignoring them and lend a hand. These are the people in need, like the people of Palestine and Gaza; those in prison; those living on the streets; those crossing the border in search of hope; those begging for food, medical care, and a home. Let us not continue to give the people religion to oppress them, but to liberate them. Remember, love does not tolerate indifference. Amen and Ashe.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Jesus’ story in Luke 16:19-31, Lazarus is a poor man. There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted lavishly every day, and then there was Lazarus. Lazarus should not surprise us at all. We see Lazarus every day. Lazarus was sick, covered with sores, probably from malnutrition. Lazarus craved what fell from the rich man’s table. In other words, Lazarus didn’t even receive the crumbs, and even the dogs came to lick his sores.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":239,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sermons"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iglesiatodoslossantos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iglesiatodoslossantos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iglesiatodoslossantos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iglesiatodoslossantos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iglesiatodoslossantos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=206"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/iglesiatodoslossantos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":208,"href":"https:\/\/iglesiatodoslossantos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206\/revisions\/208"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iglesiatodoslossantos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iglesiatodoslossantos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iglesiatodoslossantos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iglesiatodoslossantos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}