Lazarus And The Call To Be A Dog To Our LGBTQ+ Friends
In Luke 16 Jesus told a parable about a poor man named Lazarus and a rich man who he doesn’t name. Maybe his name was Bob or Bill or Leroy or Matt or Tim or Hector.
Who knows.
And the parable takes place in 2 parts, really:
Part 1 happens while they are still alive;
AND.
Part 2 happens after they die.
I’ve been reading up on this parable for the last couple of months as I brainstorm a bit for sharing about it in the next installment of the “Parables” series that we’re doing for our Patreon supporters (hint, hint: sign up here), but I wanted to take a moment to share an interesting insight that I recently learned about PART 1 of the story (the part that takes place while Lazarus and the rich man are still alive).
Jesus says that Lazarus (the poor man) was covered in sores and was placed outside the gates of the rich man who apparently had plenty of resources to help him (or at the very least feed him!), but did nothing for him so much so that dogs came to lick his sores.
Gross.
Ironically, Lazarus could not get so much as a crumb from the household of the rich man, but Lazarus’ body was able to provide the dogs a meal of some sort because the sores that they licked caused his body to become a source of food that grotesquely satisfied their hunger.
(Disgusting, I know, but hang with me.)
The irony, you see, is that Lazarus provided for the dogs the very thing that he was unable to get from the rich man – food.
Not only that, but the dogs provided Lazarus what the rich man refused to give – comfort and healing. Ancient Jewish writings tell us that even in the times of Jesus it was believed and understood that the saliva of dogs contained healing properties that could aid in the soothing and healing of wounds, sores, and the like. And so as the dogs licked the wounds of Lazarus and provided him with comfort, Lazarus received from the dogs more comfort than he received from the rich man.
The dogs gave Lazarus more than the rich man.
The dogs provided Lazarus with what the rich man refused to provide.
The dogs unknowingly gave Lazarus what the rich man knowingly withheld.
And so in letting the dogs lick his wounds, Lazarus provided the dogs with food, a gesture that the dogs returned by using their saliva to bring him comfort in the midst of his pain and anguish.
And so I wonder, who do you need to be a dog to today?
Weird question, but think about it: who in your life is being mistreated by … the rich? I’m not necessarily talking “rich” in terms of finances, either, but “rich” in terms of having more of a certain thing than anyone else has of that thing.
Like, I know some LGBTQ people who are being mistreated by the theologically rich.
The theologically rich are …
Rich with knowledge.
Have a wealth of bible verses stored up in their minds.
Are full of reasons why they believe LGBTQ is a sin.
They can argue and argue and argue as to why they are right and you’re wrong.
And so LGBTQ people are met by these theological rich men and women and hit with and abused by random Bible passages that are ripped from their context and used to shame and ridicule and outcast. These verses and passages are used against them to place them outside of heaven’s gates where they are left to feel alone, misunderstood, hated, sore, and shamed by those who elevate themselves as rich and full of knowledge and correctness and pride..
These LGBTQ people have so much love to give and so I often challenge myself to be a dog that licks their wounds.
How can I give to them what the church so often refuses to?
How can I show them the love that the church withholds?
How can I do for them what the theologically rich jade neglected to do?
And as I lick their wounds, what beautiful (and perhaps unexpected) sustenance will they give to me?
And so again: who in your life is being mistreated by a group that is “rich” in some way and how can you be a dog that gives them what that rich group is withholding?
Peace.