Minding the Gap
If you’ve ever traveled on the London Underground, you’ve likely heard a voice reminding passengers to step carefully over the space between the train and the platform. This now-familiar warning—“Mind the Gap”—has become part of urban vernacular around the world, used in ways that have nothing to do with subways.
We’re faced with glaring gaps every day; gaps having to do with power differentials. There are gaps in access to food, clean water, quality education, and healthcare. There are racial and gender gaps, generation gaps, technological gaps, and accessibility gaps.
Our Gospel reading addresses another, between wealthy and poor in this life, and yet another - between heaven and hell in the life to come. Two key points to consider when we’re working with this passage: Luke is clear about the detrimental effects of an unhealthy relationship with money. And we want to approach this story with a critical eye, not as a literal guide to the afterlife.
So, what are we to make of this story about a seemingly random, unnamed rich man and poor, miserable Lazarus?
It’s certainly told in a dramatic and creative way, using hyperbole and vivid imagery: The rich man wears royal purple robes and feasts sumptuously. Poor Lazarus, on the other hand, is so destitute he’d be pleased with scraps from the rich man’s table. Dogs come to lick his sores.
Both men die. Lazarus doesn’t get a funeral but rather is carried away by angels to be with Abraham. He goes to the good place. The rich man does get buried but soon finds himself in torment. Seems like it could be a story about heaven and hell.
Another Gap to Consider
Because the doctrine of heaven and hell is so deeply rooted in Christian belief, it’s wise for us to consider another gap, the roughly 400-year gap between the completion of the Hebrew Bible and the development of materials that went into the New Testament. This is a period when ideas about the afterlife from other cultures, especially Greek and Egyptian, were introduced and disseminated.[1]
So, is this week’s passage even a parable? I think so. Here's why:[2]
Mark’s Gospel tells us that parables are Jesus’ trademark teachings. Mark also tells us that, in private, Jesus explained everything to his disciples (Mark 4:33-34). After Jesus shared the complicated parable of the shrewd or dishonest manager with the disciples, Jesus explains to them that they cannot serve God and money. We might simplify that one to: Just love God! Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. Familiar, right?
If last week’s parable was hard, this week’s is harsh! Likely intended for the Pharisees, the disciples were also probably within earshot.[3] This week, Jesus, still on his way to Jerusalem, “minds the gap” between those who have left everything to follow him and some pretty cranky religious leaders. Described by Luke as “lovers of money,” Jesus seems to expect these Pharisees to know better. Indeed, it may seem he is warning them that their preoccupation with money could lead to eternal damnation. But, if they had “ears to hear,” they might catch that the story points to the second great commandment—love your neighbor. The Pharisees know these teachings well.
But will they see themselves in the rich man? You gotta hand it to him. He was persistent. Even in death, he dismisses the gap between rich and poor and tries to theologize his way out of his sorry predicament by begging Abraham to make Lazarus serve him.
You see? This passage is not about where we go when we die. It’s about a conversion of the heart, toward compassion, justice, and neighbor-love. It’s about minding the gaps in our understanding so that we come to see the world as God would. And sometimes money really does get in the way of loving God and neighbor.
Born into wealth in the 12th century, St. Francis of Assisi struggled in his relationships with his father, the government, and even the church. After his conversion, he gave up all worldly attachments and riches to live in solidarity with the poor, the sick, and all of creation. Francis came to know union with God, so that he saw every other person and the entire natural world as brothers, sisters, and neighbors.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor
We have some new neighbors across the street from us. What was once a babbling brook behind our home has become part of an entirely new and diverse ecosystem, thanks to some industrious beavers who have taken up residence in a series of meticulously constructed, interconnected lodges built near their impressive dam. We’ve spotted beavers swimming and diving, climbing up out of the water to shore to check us out, then ambling off back into what has become their pond with a loud, playful slap of their powerful tail.
If we pay attention, beavers can teach us how individual actions can ripple out and benefit a community. Their commitment to caring for each other—and the way they share space with other species during long winter nights—reminds us of God’s invitation to welcome the stranger and love our neighbor.
otters and beavers, though not even distant cousins, peacefully coexist, sharing their homes and even playing together. Otters remind us of the importance of adaptability. They are social creatures who make time for play as well as hunting. After a storm, otters are often the first to return, displaying resilience in the face of disaster. They rebuild their lives even while remembering to make time for joy.[4]
As humans, we are called to be good stewards of creation and one another. At our best, we work together, in collaboration, so that we can do the jobs we came to do and make time for joy while we’re at it. If we put aside our egos, we can grow and thrive while building something beautiful together that the greater community can enjoy.
In the months to come, we will be busy beavers here at St. Mark’s. We’d be wise to mind the gaps in our workloads and in our communication. We’d be wise to take time to pray, to play, and stay alert to the Lazaruses at our gate.
One more thing about Lazarus. Of all the parables of Jesus, did you know that Lazarus is the only named person? A relatively common name in the ancient world, the meaning of Lazarus might be important for us to remember. The name Lazarus means “God helps.”[5]
Let us pray: Loving Creator, we thank you for our precious world, your creation. In this season of change, help open our hearts and minds to the gaps among us—those places where your love longs to bridge and heal. Help us to see one another fully, that all may know the joys of belonging and contributing. Help us stay together in compassion, so that no one is left alone, feeling unseen or unheard. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
[1] Keith Giles, “Misunderstanding The Rich Man And Lazarus Parable,” Keith Giles, December 9, 2020, https://www.patheos.com/blogs/keithgiles/2020/12/misunderstanding-the-rich-man-and-lazarus-parable/.
[2] “STORIES WITH INTENT: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO THE PARABLES OF JESUS. Second Edition. By Klyne Snodgrass. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2018, 426.
[3] Snodgrass, 426.
[4]An Episcopal Path to Creation Justice. “Season of Creation.” Accessed September 25, 2025. https://www.episcopalcreationpath.org/season-of-creation.
[5] Snodgrass, 429.
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