“Complacency” and “Contentment” may be near each other in Webster’s Dictionary, but Scripture sees them as worlds apart. One is abhorred by the Lord and the other He tells us is of great gain. The prophet Amos warns against attachment to worldly things that makes one spiritually complacent. St. Paul also points to the dangerous pitfalls of affluence. It is easy to permit materialism (wealth) to become one’s god.
Instead, God wants the believer to be content and make faithful use of His blessings to carry out His work of spreading the gospel message. Such God-pleasing use of material blessings helps one avoid the sinful “love” of money.
The gospel lesson, too, teaches the greater importance of the spiritual vs. the material. The rich man, who had as much access to the Scriptures as anyone else, was totally preoccupied with his luxurious lifestyle. Lazarus, on the other hand (his name means “he whom God helps”), was rich with God by faith…which blessed him everlastingly. Therefore, the Lord calls for our trusting acceptance of His word during this time of grace which makes us forever rich with God.