This parable of the rich man and Lazarus reminds us how easy it is to overlook people right in front of us. The rich man had everything but missed what mattered most — compassion. He saw Lazarus every day but never really saw him, and even in eternity, his heart hadn’t changed. Jesus uses this story to challenge how we view others and what we value. Every person — whether a CEO, a custodian, a cashier, or a neighbor — bears the image of God and is loved deeply by Him. Today, let’s open our eyes to the people we might normally pass by and love them the way God loves us — freely, fully, and without distinction.

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Good morning, friends! It’s good to be with you on this beautiful Thursday. I hope your week’s been going well — mine sure has. We’re closing in on the weekend, Thanksgiving’s around the corner, and Christmas is coming before we know it. There’s so much good happening — in life, in church, and in what God’s doing all around us. God is good — and all the time, He’s good!

Today, we’re looking at one of John Wesley’s favorite passages — the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. If you know much about Wesley, you know he wrote everything down. He kept journals of his sermons, his travels, even his thoughts. Because of that, we know a lot about what he preached on — and this passage shows up a lot.

Dr. Bryan, one of my professors in seminary, once told us that Wesley liked to “poke the bear.” He wasn’t always a peacemaker. Sometimes he’d pick a text just to stir the pot a little — to push people to think deeply about their lives and their faith. And this story was one he often used when he was preaching to the wealthy or the comfortable. He’d preach on “Lazarus and Dives” (that’s the traditional name for the rich man), and let’s just say — the crowds didn’t always take it well!

Let’s read the passage — Luke 16:19–31. It’s not the same Lazarus that Jesus raises in John’s Gospel. This is a different story altogether — a parable about a rich man who feasted every day, and a poor man named Lazarus who sat outside his gate, covered in sores, longing for crumbs from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his wounds. When they both died, Lazarus was carried to Abraham’s side, and the rich man found himself in torment. And even in torment, the rich man still saw Lazarus as beneath him — asking Abraham to send Lazarus to serve him, to cool his tongue, to warn his family.

Did you catch that? Even in eternity, the rich man doesn’t see Lazarus as a person of worth — just someone to send on errands. He never saw him as an equal, as a fellow child of God.

It’s a powerful picture. The rich man had everything — but he missed the most important thing: compassion. He walked by Lazarus every day, but he never saw him. And even in the afterlife, his heart hadn’t changed.

This story reminds me of something Dr. Bryan used to say: “We should treat the custodian the same way we treat the CEO.” A person’s value isn’t found in their job title, income, or social standing. Their worth comes from being made in the image of God — from being someone Christ died for.

So let me ask: who do we look past?
The person ringing us up at Walmart?
The waiter or waitress who serves our meal?
The people who pick up our trash or harvest our food?
The kid who’s acting out because they need attention?
The neighbor who’s a little different?

Sometimes it’s easier to look away — but when we do, we risk becoming like the rich man. We start to miss the image of God right in front of us.

Garbage collectors, Dr. Bryan used to remind us, have saved more lives than brain surgeons — because one of the leading causes of death in the world is unsanitary conditions. Yet we tend to value the brain surgeon more, don’t we? But in God’s eyes, both are precious. Both are loved. Both are worthy.

So today, let’s see people the way God sees them. Let’s remember that every person we meet — no matter their role, background, or situation — bears the image of God.

And let’s love them the same way God loves us.

Because the Gospel reminds us that none of us are beneath anyone — and all of us are loved by an amazing, gracious God.

Thanks for joining me today, friends. Tomorrow we’ll pick up with Luke chapter 17. Have a great day — and remember, God loves you more than you can imagine.