Concrete Love: Serving the Poor with Compassion

Devotional

Day 1: Caring for the Poor Means Seeing the Person in Front of You

The parable of Lazarus and the rich man reminds us that God calls us not just to a general concern for the poor, but to a concrete, personal care for those in need whom we encounter in our daily lives. The rich man’s failure was not simply his wealth, but his neglect of Lazarus—a specific, suffering person at his own gate. In a world where we are often overwhelmed by distant tragedies, Jesus invites us to notice and respond to the needs of those right before us, making our love tangible and real. [01:02]

Luke 16:19-21 (ESV)
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.”

Reflection: Who is a “Lazarus” in your life—someone you see regularly but may have overlooked? What is one concrete way you can show them care this week?

Day 2: The Power and Priority of Concrete Acts of Mercy

Christian love is not abstract; it is embodied in specific actions known as the corporal works of mercy—feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, visiting the imprisoned, clothing the naked, burying the dead, and visiting the sick. These works are not just ideals but practical ways to serve Christ in others, focusing our energy on real people and real needs rather than being paralyzed by the vastness of suffering in the world. [04:36]

Matthew 25:35-36 (ESV)
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”

Reflection: Which corporal work of mercy is God prompting you to practice this week, and what specific step can you take to live it out?

Day 3: Love of God Fuels Love of Neighbor

The two great commandments—love God and love your neighbor—are inseparable, but the order matters. True love for neighbor flows from a deep love for God; without this foundation, our acts of charity risk becoming empty gestures. When we are rooted in God’s love, we are empowered to love others as Christ loves us, giving not just material help but also the gift of Christ’s presence through us. [05:47]

Mark 12:30-31 (ESV)
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Reflection: How can you intentionally nurture your love for God this week so that your care for others is an overflow of His love?

Day 4: Avoiding Distraction by Distant Suffering

It is easy to become preoccupied or even obsessed with tragedies and needs far away, especially in the age of social media. While prayer and concern for the world are important, we must guard against letting distant problems distract us from the real, immediate needs of those around us. God calls us to focus our energy on the people and situations He has placed directly in our path, trusting that our faithful action in the small sphere we inhabit truly matters. [03:37]

Philippians 2:4 (ESV)
“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Reflection: In what ways have you been distracted by distant concerns? What is one way you can shift your focus to serve someone near you today?

Day 5: Our Salvation Is Bound Up in Loving the Poor

Jesus’ parable is a wake-up call: our response to the poor and suffering is not optional, but central to our faith and even our salvation. This is not meant to fill us with dread, but to inspire us to take seriously the call to be Christ to those in need, knowing that in serving them, we encounter Christ Himself. [06:46]

James 2:14-17 (ESV)
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

Reflection: What is one way you can move from good intentions to concrete action for someone in need, trusting that your response matters to God?

Sermon Summary

The story of Lazarus and the rich man, or Dives, invites us to reflect deeply on God’s special concern for the poor and what it means to truly care for those in need. While it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the suffering we see in the world—especially in the age of social media, where tragedies from every corner of the globe are constantly before us—Jesus calls us to a more focused, concrete love. The rich man’s failure was not a general lack of compassion, but his neglect of the specific, suffering person right at his own gate. This parable challenges us to move beyond abstract concern and to recognize the faces and names of those in need around us.

We are reminded that Christian love is not just a feeling or a vague intention, but is embodied in real, tangible actions. The corporal works of mercy—feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, visiting the imprisoned, clothing the naked, burying the dead, and visiting the sick—are practical ways to live out this call. These works are not meant to be performed in the abstract, but for real people, in real situations, right in our own communities. When we focus on the needs that are right in front of us, we become the hands and feet of Christ to our neighbors.

It’s important to remember that our love for neighbor flows from our love for God. If we are not rooted in God’s love, our efforts risk becoming empty gestures. But when we love God first, we are empowered to love others as Christ loves us. The parable leaves the rich man unnamed so that we might see ourselves in his place—a sober reminder that our response to those in need is not just a matter of charity, but is intimately connected to our own salvation. This is not meant to fill us with dread, but to awaken us to the urgency and privilege of serving Christ in the poor.

Key Takeaways

1. Concrete Compassion Over Abstract Concern It is easy to be consumed by the suffering we see in the world at large, but Christ calls us to focus on the specific needs of those right in front of us. True Christian compassion is not just about feeling bad for suffering in the abstract, but about taking real, embodied action for the people we encounter daily. This shift from general anxiety to concrete love transforms both us and our communities. [01:02]
2. The Power of the Corporal Works of Mercy The corporal works of mercy are not just a checklist, but a way of life that grounds our faith in practical action. Each work—feeding, clothing, visiting, sheltering—requires us to see and respond to the unique dignity of each person. By practicing these works, we participate in God’s ongoing care for the world in a deeply personal way. [04:36]
3. The Danger of Distraction and the Call to Presence Social media and constant news can distract us from the real needs around us, leaving us anxious but inactive. Christ’s call is to be present to those in our immediate context, to notice and respond to the suffering at our own gates. This presence is a spiritual discipline that keeps our love from becoming diluted or ineffective. [03:37]
4. Love of God as the Foundation for Love of Neighbor Our ability to love others well is rooted in our love for God. Without this foundation, our acts of service risk becoming hollow or self-serving. When we love God first, we are drawn into His love for the world, and our care for others becomes a true reflection of Christ’s own compassion. [05:47]
5. Salvation and the Urgency of Mercy Jesus’ parable is a wake-up call: our response to the poor is not optional, but central to our life with God. The rich man’s anonymity is an invitation to see ourselves in his story and to recognize that our salvation is intertwined with our willingness to serve those in need. This is not meant to induce fear, but to inspire us to embrace the privilege and responsibility of mercy. [06:46]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:20] - Introducing the Parable of Lazarus and Dives
[01:02] - The Rich Man’s Failure: Neglecting the Specific Poor
[02:16] - The Limits of Abstract Concern
[03:37] - The Distraction of Distant Suffering
[04:36] - The Corporal Works of Mercy Explained
[05:47] - Prioritizing Local Need
[06:10] - Love of God and Love of Neighbor
[06:46] - The Parable as a Wake-Up Call
[07:10] - The Stakes: Salvation and Mercy
[07:40] - Moving from Anxiety to Action
[08:00] - Embracing the Call to Concrete Love
[08:20] - Final Encouragement and Sending Forth

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 16:19-31 (ESV) — > “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house—for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

Observation Questions

In the parable, what specific details are given about Lazarus and the rich man’s daily lives?
According to the sermon, what was the rich man’s main failure regarding Lazarus? [01:02]
What are the corporal works of mercy listed in the sermon, and how are they described as “concrete”? [04:36]
How does the sermon describe the effect of being overwhelmed by distant suffering or social media on our ability to help those nearby? [03:37]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus give Lazarus a name in the parable, but not the rich man? What might this mean for how we see ourselves in the story? [06:46]
The sermon says that Christian love is not just a feeling but is shown in real actions. Why is it important that our compassion is “concrete” and directed toward specific people? [04:36]
How does the order of the two great commandments—love God and love neighbor—shape the way we serve others? What happens if we reverse the order or neglect one? [05:47]
The sermon mentions that our salvation is “in the balance” when it comes to caring for the poor. How does this challenge or encourage your understanding of mercy and faith? [06:46]

Application Questions

Who is someone in your life or community that you see regularly but may have overlooked, like Lazarus at the rich man’s gate? What is one concrete thing you could do for them this week? [01:02]
The sermon warns about being distracted by suffering far away and missing the needs right in front of us. Is there a way that social media or the news has distracted you from helping someone nearby? How can you refocus your attention? [03:37]
Of the corporal works of mercy (feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, visiting the imprisoned, clothing the naked, burying the dead, visiting the sick), which one feels most accessible for you to practice this month? What step could you take? [04:36]
The sermon says our love for neighbor should flow from our love for God. Are there ways you can deepen your relationship with God so that your acts of service are more genuine and less like “empty gestures”? [05:47]
The parable is described as a “wake-up call” and not meant to fill us with dread, but to inspire us. What motivates you more: fear of missing out on salvation, or the privilege of serving Christ in the poor? How can you move from anxiety to action? [06:46]
Think about a time when you felt overwhelmed by the needs of the world. How did you respond? What could you do differently next time to focus on “concrete compassion” instead of just feeling anxious?
The rich man’s story is left open so we can see ourselves in his place. What would it look like for you to respond differently if you were in his shoes today?

Sermon Clips

But what if we all took a special concern and care for the poor and the needy that are right in front of us, right here in our own community of St. Peter's and right here in Geneva? Because there are those who are in need here even in Geneva. [00:02:39] (21 seconds) #CareStartsInOurCommunity

But the problem is if the poor and the suffering remain in the general and the abstract, then we're not gonna do something concrete about it. We're just gonna fret and we're gonna worry, or, God forbid, we become some keyboard warrior that just sort of spreads our anxiety around and not really solving the problem either. [00:03:28] (24 seconds) #FromAbstractToAction

But what our Lord is asking of us is not to, you know, you know, save the world, but to care for the poor and the needy right in front of us. Lazarus was a man that Dives saw every day. He was by his gate. He knew his face, and hopefully he knew his name. [00:03:52] (23 seconds) #LoveTheNeighborBeforeTheWorld

Those are the corporal works of mercy, and they're called corporal works because they are embodied, they are enfleshed, they are specific, and they're concrete. And they're also directed towards concrete and specific persons. [00:05:11] (18 seconds) #EmbodiedMercyInAction

And so that's the concern that we should have for those in need. And not to not care about those things happening elsewhere in the world, but to take a special preoccupation and priority on those who are in need right in front of us. [00:05:47] (18 seconds) #PrioritizeLocalLove

Because the two great commandments from the Lord are love God and love our neighbor. We should do both. And it is in that order, too. If we don't love God first and properly love the Lord first, then what can we give to those in need, other than stuff and things and nice words? [00:06:13] (21 seconds) #LoveGodThenNeighbor

If we aren't properly in love with the Lord, how can we follow the perfect model of love that Christ gives us for others? So it is in that order, but we do do both. And we should do both. Our love of the Lord should lead us to love our neighbor. [00:06:35] (18 seconds) #SeeYourselfInTheStory

And so as we remember this parable that the Lord has told us about Lazarus and Dives, we should remember, too, that part of the reason Dives is not really named is because we should be able to put ourself in his place. [00:06:53] (16 seconds) #SalvationThroughService

As a warning call, as a wake -up call, to care for those, because there isn't really a delicate way to put this, there isn't a softer, more pastoral way to say this, that our Lord puts such a priority on care of the poor, so much so that our salvation is in the balance. [00:07:09] (21 seconds) #InspiredToBeChrist

That's what this parable is about. Not to fill us with an anxiety or dread, but to inspire us and motivate us to do the Christian thing and to be Christ to those in need. [00:07:30] (17 seconds) #SpecificCareMattersMost

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Transcript

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