The Rich Man in today’s gospel never noticed Lazarus. Instead, he accepted him as part of the landscape thinking it perfectly natural and inevitable that Lazarus should lie in pain and hunger while he lived luxuriously. The sin of the Rich Man was that he looked on the world's suffering and need but felt no compassion or pity in his heart. This parable challenges us to reflect on our own complacency and reasons for ignoring the sufferings of others. Only with Christ can we overcome such feelings and respond as his disciple!