Seeing and Serving: The Call to Compassion

Devotional

Day 1: Noticing Those at Our Gate

It is easy to become so focused on our own lives and comforts that we fail to notice those in need right outside our doors. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus challenges us to open our eyes to the suffering and dignity of those whom society often overlooks. Jesus names Lazarus, giving him identity and worth, while the rich man remains nameless, defined only by his wealth. We are called to see the “Lazarus” at our own gates, to recognize their humanity, and to respond with compassion rather than indifference. [34:44]

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.’”

Reflection: Who is the “Lazarus” at your own gate—someone you tend to overlook or avoid? What is one concrete way you can acknowledge their dignity and presence this week?

Day 2: The Danger of Clinging to Wealth

Holding tightly to what we have may give us a sense of security, but it can also prevent us from receiving greater blessings and from sharing with others. When we close ourselves off, we not only miss opportunities to give, but also to receive the abundance God longs to pour into our lives. True security is found not in hoarding, but in open-handed generosity that trusts God to provide and replenish. [23:37]

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (ESV)
“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”

Reflection: In what area of your life are you holding on too tightly—time, resources, or even affection? What would it look like to open your hands and trust God to provide as you share with others?

Day 3: The Great Reversal of God’s Kingdom

God’s kingdom turns the world’s values upside down, lifting up the lowly and humbling the powerful. What seems like success and stability in this life may actually be a warning that we are missing deeper blessings. Jesus’ teaching and the witness of Mary’s Magnificat remind us that God fills the hungry and sends the rich away empty, calling us to align our lives with his priorities of justice, mercy, and humility. [35:44]

Luke 6:20, 24 (ESV)
“And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God… But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.’”

Reflection: Where in your life do you see God’s values challenging the world’s values? How might you embrace the “great reversal” by seeking to lift up those who are overlooked?

Day 4: Crossing the Boundaries of Indifference

The call of Christ is to cross boundaries—of comfort, indifference, and self-interest—so that compassion and justice may flourish. Just as God in Christ crossed the greatest divide to reach us, we are invited to move from apathy into action, from noticing needs to meeting them, and from isolation into community. The parable is not just a warning, but an invitation to participate in God’s work of bridging divides and drawing near to those in need. [44:21]

Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV)
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Reflection: What is one boundary—of comfort, habit, or prejudice—that you can intentionally cross this week to show compassion to someone in need?

Day 5: Sharing God’s Abundance

God’s blessings are meant to flow through us, not stop with us. When we share what we have—whether it is food, time, resources, or love—we participate in God’s abundance and help to narrow the gap between those who have much and those who have little. Even small acts of generosity, offered in love, can make a real difference and draw us closer to God’s vision for the world. [46:41]

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (ESV)
“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

Reflection: What is one specific way you can share God’s abundance with someone this week—through a gift, a meal, a listening ear, or an act of service?

Sermon Summary

This morning, we explored the story of the rich man and Lazarus, a parable that challenges us to see those whom the world often overlooks. Using a simple cup and pitcher, we considered how tightly holding onto what we have can keep us from both sharing and receiving blessings. Just as a cup with a lid cannot be filled, a heart closed off in self-protection cannot receive the abundance God longs to pour out. The parable in Luke 16 draws a stark contrast between a nameless rich man, defined by his wealth, and Lazarus, a poor man given dignity and identity by Jesus. While the world remembers the names of the powerful, Jesus names the one at the gate, reminding us that God sees and values those whom society ignores.

The story is not just about wealth, but about noticing—about who is at our own gates, in our neighborhoods, and in our lives. The rich man’s sin was not overt cruelty, but a failure to see and respond to the suffering right in front of him. Even in the afterlife, his sense of entitlement persists, revealing how privilege can blind us to the humanity of others. Jesus’s parable is a call to cross boundaries, to move from indifference to compassion, and to act before the chasms between us become unbridgeable.

We reflected on how, from a global perspective, most of us are among the wealthy, and the question of “who is our Lazarus?” becomes deeply personal. The needs at our own gates—whether in our town or across the world—are real and pressing. Yet, there is hope: when we open our eyes and hands, when we support ministries and share what we have, God’s kingdom draws near. The invitation is to notice, to invite, to act, and to embody the compassion of Christ, who crossed the greatest divide to bring us into God’s eternal banquet. May we not wait, but choose to see and serve now, trusting that God’s abundance flows through open hearts and hands.

Key Takeaways

1. True generosity requires vulnerability. Like the cup with its lid, we often protect what we have out of fear, but in doing so, we block both the flow of blessings to others and the possibility of receiving more ourselves. God invites us to open our hands, trusting that as we give, we will also be filled anew. This is the paradox of grace: abundance comes through release, not hoarding. [23:37]
2. The world names and remembers the powerful, but God names the forgotten. In Jesus’s parable, the rich man remains nameless while the poor man, Lazarus, is given identity and dignity. This reversal challenges us to see and honor those whom society overlooks, recognizing that every person is known and loved by God. Our calling is to notice and name the humanity in those at our gates. [34:02]
3. The greatest danger is not active harm, but passive indifference. The rich man’s sin was not that he abused Lazarus, but that he failed to see him at all. This blindness is a warning for us: it is possible to walk past suffering every day and become numb to it. The call is to cultivate awareness and compassion, refusing to let comfort or privilege dull our sense of responsibility. [34:44]
4. Crossing boundaries is at the heart of the gospel. God in Christ crossed the ultimate divide to reach us, and we are called to do the same for others. Compassion means moving from apathy to action, from self-interest to generosity, and from noticing to truly engaging with those in need. The cross is both our model and our motivation for bridging the gaps in our world. [44:21]
5. Hope is found in small acts of faithful noticing and sharing. While the scale of need can feel overwhelming, real change happens when communities open their eyes and hands. Supporting local ministries, offering what we have, and treating every person with dignity are ways we participate in God’s kingdom. When we notice Lazarus at our gate and respond, the gap narrows and God’s abundance is made visible. [46:41]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[21:46] - Children’s Time: The Cup and the Pitcher
[23:37] - The Cost of Holding On
[25:25] - Prayer for Sharing and Blessing
[28:08] - Reading the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
[29:40] - Who Would You Invite to Dinner?
[31:44] - Jesus’ Upside-Down Guest List
[33:22] - The Rich Man and Lazarus: Identity and Dignity
[34:44] - The Sin of Not Noticing
[35:44] - The Great Reversal in God’s Kingdom
[36:34] - Privilege and Entitlement Persist
[37:34] - The Root of All Kinds of Evil
[39:22] - Wealth, Philanthropy, and Global Need
[42:11] - Who Is Our Lazarus?
[43:36] - What Do We Do With This Parable?
[44:21] - Crossing Boundaries Like Christ
[45:47] - Signs of Hope in Our Community
[46:41] - Compassion in Action: Local Ministries
[50:31] - Offering and Dedication
[57:31] - Prayers for the World and Community
[61:35] - Celebrating Service and Announcements
[63:55] - Sending Forth: Go Out With Joy
[65:28] - Benediction and Blessing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 16:19–31 (ESV) — 19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried,
23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
24 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.’
25 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.
26 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.’
27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house—
28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’
29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’
30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
31 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 details does Jesus give about the rich man’s life and Lazarus’s situation? How does Jesus describe their daily realities? [[28:08]]
What is significant about the fact that Lazarus is named, but the rich man is not? [[34:02]]
How does the rich man interact with Lazarus both during their lives and after death? What does this reveal about his attitude? [[36:34]]
According to the sermon, what was the rich man’s main sin or failure? [[34:44]]

Interpretation Questions

The sermon says the rich man’s sin was not overt cruelty, but a failure to notice and respond. Why might indifference be as dangerous as active harm? [[34:44]]
Jesus gives Lazarus a name and dignity, while the rich man remains nameless. What does this reversal say about how God sees people compared to how the world sees them? [[34:02]]
The parable ends with a “great chasm” that cannot be crossed. What might this chasm represent in our lives or communities today? [[44:21]]
The sermon mentions that most of us are “the rich man” from a global perspective. How does this change the way we read the parable? [[42:11]]

Application Questions

The sermon used the image of a cup with a lid to show how holding on tightly to what we have can block both giving and receiving blessings. Is there something in your life you are holding onto too tightly? What would it look like to “take the lid off” and trust God with it? [[23:37]]
Who is “at your gate” right now—someone in your neighborhood, workplace, or community who might be overlooked or in need? What is one practical way you could notice and respond to them this week? [[42:11]]
The rich man’s sense of entitlement and privilege blinded him to Lazarus’s humanity. Are there ways that comfort or privilege might be making you less aware of others’ needs? How can you become more aware? [[36:34]]
The sermon challenged us to move from indifference to compassion and from noticing to acting. What is one small act of compassion you could do this month to help bridge a gap in your community? [[46:41]]
Supporting local ministries was mentioned as a way to “notice Lazarus at our gate.” Is there a ministry or cause you feel drawn to support with your time, resources, or prayers? What is one step you could take to get involved? [[45:47]]
The parable warns against waiting until the “chasm” is unbridgeable. Is there a relationship or situation in your life where you sense a growing distance? What could you do this week to reach across that gap? [[44:21]]
Jesus crossed the greatest divide to bring us into God’s banquet. How does remembering Christ’s compassion motivate you to show compassion to others? [[44:21]]

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Transcript

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