Practising the Way - Service (Kinship)

Our vicar, Toby, concludes our series on Practicing the Way by looking at Luke 16:19-31. Toby challenges the idea that service is just occasional good deeds, presenting it instead as a way of life rooted in relationship and kinship. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is not a simple reward and punishment story, nor does it suggest that poverty is virtuous in itself. Rather, it reveals the values of God’s upside-down kingdom. The rich man’s failure is not simply wealth, but the belief that what he has is his own and his inability to see Lazarus as a brother. Though made by the same God and equally bearing God’s image, Lazarus is treated as invisible - shown less compassion than even the dogs. His name, meaning “God helps,” points to where true hope lies. Even after death, the rich man misunderstands kinship, caring only for his biological family and assuming he has done enough by offering scraps. He also fails to recognise that God’s compassion is already revealed in the Scriptures. In contrast, Jesus does not offer scraps or quick fixes but gives his whole life, entering into human poverty and suffering. Toby challenges us to consider whether we are willing to be inconvenienced and changed in order to live out that same costly compassion.