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In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus tells the story of the Rich Man, often called Dives, and a beggar named Lazarus. Dives was a man of means. Lazarus was full of sores, hungry and laid at Dives gate.
Dives had the wherewithal to provide aid and assistance to Lazarus. Dives could have provided medical attention, food and shelter to Lazarus. However, Dives, for whatever reason, choose not to do so.
Both men died. Lazarus went to Abraham’s bosom and was comforted. Dives went to Hell.
Why did Dives go to Hell? He went to Hell because he failed to do what he could have done to assist Lazarus. The things that would have made life better for Lazarus were well within Dives’ ability to provide. No one is ever expected to do what they cannot, only what they can. Dives should have done what he could have done. This is the difference between could and should.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many are asking, "Why was there a slow response to the hurricane victims of New Orleans?" Others are seeking someone to blame. As the disaster response is probed and answers are sought, maybe wisdom can be obtained from the story of Lazarus and Dives.
Was everything done that could have been done? Although some may think so, the answer to this question is not necessarily an obvious one. To further clarify the probe, the question should be restated as follows: Given the situation at any given time, were all things done that were capable of being done at any given time in question? What means of assistance were available at any time in question? Were those means that were available put to use? The answers to these questions may be quite surprising.
There is often a lot of "Monday morning quarterbacking" done after a disaster. People want someone to blame for things that are so tragic that they can hardly deal with them. But "Monday morning quarterbacking" must be tempered with wisdom. Wisdom can be found in the Word of God.
People should not be criticized for failing to do what they could not do in a given circumstance. But failing to do what one could do in a given circumstance is another matter altogether. The consequences could be very hellish.
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