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This chapter falls immediately after one of the most famous
chapters in Luke. Luke 15 is the “lost” chapter. This chapter
describes God’s love that never gives up searching for us. The chapter
is not about a coin, a sheep, or even a wandering son; it is about God. It
describes God’s love which pursues ceaselessly. It leaves you warm and
cozy. The tone of chapter 16, however, is very different. It begins with a
perplexing parable of a manager who acts very dishonestly but is commended
for his shrewdness. Jesus then offers a new and very strict teaching on divorce
after asserting the Law will endure forever.
We then come to another bizarre and obscure parable, which can
lead to many teachings that are not central or correct. Furthermore, there
is a sense in which Abraham’s actions in heaven are antithetical to
what we learn of God in chapter 15. Yet there is a message of grace and a
calling that is to be embraced. Despite first impressions it is just as gracious
as the teachings offered in chapter 15. We learn that while God pursues, God’s
love is not coercive. We can choose away from God and God will honor that
choice.
This parable has two characters serving as perfect foils. It
has a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. One of the foil characteristics
involves their names. In the story of blind Bartimaeus, the crowd referred
to him not as the Son of Timothy but the blind man. In the Lucan text notice
the man who is poor has a name “Lazarus” which means “God
helps,” while the other individual is simply the “rich man.”
However, this text is also a prescriptive philosophy for the Church. It aims
to encourage us to be stewards of one another and what we have been given.
However, it also appears to be a warning of being blind to the needs of others
in our world. Also pay attention to each person’s residence, clothing,
and diet.
This text is not declaring wealth is evil and poverty makes
one holy. However, it addresses stewardship and compassion. Truly of those
who have been given much, much is required. The text does not tell us why
Lazarus was in heaven. Abraham simply mentions on earth Lazarus suffered and
now is comforted.
The first century community, not too dissimilar from the North
American culture today, considered poverty and disease to be a curse from
God. Clearly Lazarus was poor, diseased, and a pitiful disgrace because God
was punishing him for things he or his family had done. Therefore, the level
of compassion shown to Lazarus must be guarded, lest anyone alleviate God’s
punishment. Certainly today we are not so naïve to believe this, or are
we? This passage is not attempting to solve the problem of suffering or to
answer the question why some are rich and some are poor. What it wants to
assert is that life conditions of prosperity, poverty, health or disease on
earth do not mean one is more loved and or has a more benevolent eternal future.
Furthermore, it is important to note the shock of the crowd
to hear not only the poor man was given a most blessed eternal reward and
place of power at Abraham’s side, but the rich man was in torment. This
would have thrown the crowd into a frenzy.
This is a text about blindness and an illustration of Jesus’
teaching that it really is hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of
heaven. The problem is this blindness is far more powerful and destructive
than not being able to physically see. The rich man had all of life’s
comforts—his wealth was so great he was living in excess. He was truly
blind to Lazarus. This did not mean he did not know who Lazarus is. Recall
in heaven he makes a most audacious request to Abraham: “Send Lazarus
to help ease my agony.” Even in the afterlife the rich man looks upon
Lazarus as someone who could serve him. Thus he knew who Lazarus was, but
did not find it necessary to ease his agony on earth. He most likely did not
even view Lazarus as a person. The rich man’s wealth and lifestyle were
exorbitant; this is what is so dangerous about affluence. It is given a place
of power and prominence that almost goes unnoticed. In the Gospels, time again
those who are most responsive to the good news are those for whom life has
been difficult and hard. They have disease, are poor, and recognize their
very existence is tenuous and that God is their only source of hope and comfort.
However, are the needs any different for those who are healthy, economically
prosperous, or even economically comfortable? No. This text is not elevating
or sanctifying a life of poverty. More than anything it is critiquing and
offering a warning for those who live in plenty. Wealth and excess in this
life can be dangerous: it can lead to blindness. We stop seeing the needs
of those around us because we are so busy gorging ourselves—consumed
with our desires and fanciful wishes. This ultimately is the road to death,
not just for the afterlife, but in this life as well. We must ask ourselves:
Do we own our possessions or do our possessions own us? This leads to the
question central to the Gospels: Do you believe your life will be content
by serving your needs only, or will such a life of the self turned in upon
itself lead to death and nothingness? It feels easy to flippantly answer that
true life is to serve others and be responsible for myself. But looking at
my actions, I wonder if I really do believe this.
Thanks be to God who offers us liberation and freedom from sin,
which is ultimately a life of self-consuming, myopic pleasure drenched with
individual ambitions and desires. It becomes clear that death had not changed
the “rich man.” His first desire was for himself: “Abraham
I need to be quenched.” Only after realizing there was no hope for himself
did he ask about bringing illumination to his family. Some might find Abraham’s
answer anything but gracious. One must not load too much theology onto one
parable, but it is fair to say, God has given to humanity all that is required
to finding and walking on the road to life. But as Jesus described, this path
to life is narrow and pressed together. But the road to death is broad and
spacious. Many end up there haphazardly without much thought or reflection.
Furthermore, part of God’s answer is that we must not
let the “signs” of earthly prosperity and power be equated with
God’s blessing. While is it not necessarily antithetical to it, a life
free from hardship and difficulty, does not mean it is a life that is well-pleasing
to God. Jesus spoke plainly; this road of discipleship will yield more difficulty,
hardship, and persecution than a life of selfish blindness. Yet such realities
most likely will never be “seen” by those whose vision is fixated
on our present earthly life. The vision God in Christ offers is to truly see
everyone around us as a daughter and child of God.
As one reflects upon this passage, one must not demonize the
“rich man” too much. The reality is that we too are the rich man.
Many of us in North America find it less distressing to be blind to the needs
of others around the world and in our neighborhoods and cities. Certainly
compared to the rest of the nations, we are the “rich man.” We
would rather buy cheap clothing than to do the homework to find out which
companies provide “inexpensive” clothing at the expense of brutal
sweat shops and child slavery. We would rather live in our opulence than get
dirty with the diseased, poor, and broken.
Furthermore, when we have needs we want the Church to minister
to us. When we see others in need, as an extension of the Church, we must
be stewards of what God has given us. This is the road to eternal bliss, both
in this life and the life to come.
We must pray God gives us vision to see our excesses, how to
be better stewards of our resources, and care for the needs of those around
us. Of course the needs are not always dealing with the wallet or stomach.
Many of us are surrounded by “rich men and women” who are broken
and diseased on the inside. They desperately need for someone to quench their
soul’s hunger and thirst.
(For the full manuscript
of this sermon go to www.preachersmagazine.org and click on “Sermons.”)
It might be helpful to begin your sermon by talking about our
natural inclination to serve our own needs first. Whether it is at the dinner
table or in traffic, the airport or in the grocery store we seek to have our
needs met before we ever begin to take care of the needs around us.
It would also prove helpful to point out the hyperbolic differences
between Lazarus and the rich man, such as housing, clothing, food (notice
what the rich man eats and the dogs eat off the rich man), and burials. These
two figures could not be more polar opposites. Yet it is their names that
gives the first hint that something odd is about to happen.
This text should not be viewed as a declaration on the evil
or holiness of wealth or poverty. The Church is challenged to always be living
with eyes wide open to the needs of those around us, even when it is inconvenient,
dirty, and costly. As David noted in the Psalms, if it is not costly, it is
not really a sacrifice. May we give our lives away in hope and joy and so
ask God to equip us to really see our world and those to whom God is sending
us.
The story of Titanic serves as a great illustration. In the
movie version, a scene depicts boats filled with people, warm and safe, listening
to the cries of those in the water around them. Many stay in the safety of
the boats, offering no help to those drowning in the frigid waters. You might
ask your congregation to consider who and where they are:
In the boat: comfortable, content, oblivious to the needs of
those around me
In boat looking for those hurting
In the water, crying and screaming for help
Just pulled from the water, realizing the need to go and look
for others