The Shepherd’s Voice

Readings for Sunday, September 26^th
Amos 6:1a, 4–7
1 Timothy 6:6–19
Luke 16:19–31

Last week we talked about being faithful with a little while God is faithful in much. The parable was a little tricky to fully understand, however, this week’s parable is a little more straight forward.

Remember, it’s often helpful to discover the key point in the parable by entering into the parable. Let’s open with prayer.

Gracious and loving God. We come before you today, some of us have it all together while some of us are one paycheck away from losing our all our possessions, and in your gospel today we find both extremes. Open our hearts to the message you have for each of us today. Help us to stay alert for discovering grace in your words so that we might hear your call today. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable to you, our rock and our Redeemer. Amen

We have a study in contrasts today, a rich man, Jesus said, “who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.”

Then we have a poor man who lay at the rich man’s gate. Now the word here for lay in Greek is βάλλω, ballo translated means being thrown in a the powerful movement of “throwing” or “propelling.”

I point this out because it isn’t some homeless guy who just sits in front of the house and begs, this is a guy who was likely tossed here, discarded, maybe even putout, thrown out by the rich man.

Jesus said, “Lazarus, (was) covered with sores, (and he) ²¹who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores.” It appears there is a connection between the rich man and Lazarus.

The past few weeks I have experienced a significant increase in people who are coming to our doors and asking for food, money, advice about shelters so for me this story really hits home. Right now, today we have people who have nothing and lay at the gates of our church and we have people who have money, wealth, they dress in fine clothes and eat at good restaurants.

Which side of this divide do you identify with more closely? There have been times in my life when I have felt very poor and times when I have felt extremely blessed. Perhaps you can relate to both as well.

Next Jesus says, “²²The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham.” We are all going to die someday.

The rich man also dies, but Jesus says he, “was buried. ²³In Hades, where he was being tormented.” Again a study in contrast.

In this story Jesus seems to make it clear that upon death something happens. In death our spirit, our being in whatever form it takes on, goes to a place beyond the grave. We seem to have lots of stories today about near death experiences that would add to this idea that there is something that happens to us when we die.

The contrast that Jesus points out here is striking. The rich man “called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’” Jesus said.

This story seems to be one even the secular world has embraced. Within about a month we have Halloween where many like to dress up in some form of costume that deals with Satan or hell or the devil. Obviously, this can be a very scary story!

Hell, Hades, Sheol, rendered in Greek the word is transliterated as ‘Gehenna’ (Mt. 5:22, 29–30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mk. 9:43, 45, 47; Lk. 12:5; Jas. 3:6). The fires of hell are unquenchable (Mk. 9:43), eternal (Mt. 18:8), its punishment is the converse of eternal life (Mt. 25:46). Obviously many passages in the New Testament support this belief.

Eternal life, everlasting life is the converse of Gehenna or the unquenchable fire. It occurs frequently in the New Testament (Matt. 7:14; 18:8, 9; Luke 10:28; comp. 18:18). It comprises the whole future of the redeemed (Luke 16:9), and is opposed to “eternal punishment” (Matt. 19:29; 25:46). It is the final reward and glory into which the children of God enter (1 Tim. 6:12, 19; Rom. 6:22; Gal. 6:8; 1 Tim. 1:16; Rom. 5:21); their Sabbath of rest (Heb. 4:9; comp. 12:22).

Again Jesus is using the contrast here to make a point. The rich man says, “dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” It’s obvious that he just didn’t win the Super bowl and was on his way to Disneyland, the so called happiest place on earth.

Next Jesus makes it pretty clear in talking to the rich man by saying, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.”

Again a significant contrast, Lazarus ended up on the short end while the rich man lived in luxury. Is it a sin to live in luxury? Must we live in poverty to inherit eternal life? No, that’s not what Jesus is saying here, but let’s continue with the story.

The rich man has five brothers and he doesn’t want them to end up in torment so he says, “‘Then, father, (referring to God) I beg you to send him (Lazarus) to my father’s house — ²⁸for I have five brothers — that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’”

The rich man finally shows a little compassion for the remainder of his family. He never showed any compassion for Lazarus. Could we be coming to the point in the story that is the essence, the key point of the parable?

While on earth the rich man was rich, eating at Morton’s and was dressed in clothes form Saks and Macy’s. He didn’t have to think about poor Lazarus who had been thrown down at the gate to his mansion.

Remember last week we talked about not being able to serve both God and wealth. Could this be a tie back, a referral to Jesus’ assertion that either we will love one and hate the other, but we can’t serve both? When we love God and neighbor we live differently. (Luke 10:25-37).

What about this chasm that separates the rich man and Lazarus in death, could this be a reminder of what separated them in life. Does this mean that Lazarus’ comfort now in the Bosom of Abraham is the reversal of fortune promised at the beginning of Luke’s Gospel (1:46-55)? The rich will go away empty handed and the poor will be lifted up! Could it be that the rich man’s torment is the isolation from human compassion he has lived with all of his life, which is now painfully evident?

Perhaps, if we understand or perceive the text in this way, we discover another thread in the complex tapestry Luke weaves about the believer’s relationship to money. Certainly, being faithful even in little, our theme from last week carries over here. We can accomplish great things with wealth, but we must recognize that having money can also insulate us against seeing the needs of those around us.

There is a connection between money and God. I want you to take out a dollar bill or any coin or bill you might have in your pocket. Ok, show me the money, hold it up. Look at the money, it says something very simple on the money that should make it obvious that wealth is not the answer to happiness. Notice it says, “In God We Trust.”

Think about this it says, “In God We Trust.” It doesn’t say in money we trust. Now if we actually do trust God, then shouldn’t we will take to heart God’s injunction to have compassion on those around us, to be vulnerable to each other, to actually see God in the face of our neighbor’s need.

Our parable is a lesson about life. The rich man wanted to be lifted up from his torment by Lazarus, he wanted some relief, but Jesus said, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Mel Trotter was born in Orangeville, Illinois, in 1870. His mother was a Christian but his father was an unbelieving alcoholic. Mel left school early and followed in his father’s steps. He would often go on drinking binges leaving his own family alone for days.

In 1900, when his little two-year-old daughter was sick, he put her to bed and then went out and sold her shoes for alcohol. The little girl died of her illness. Overcome with grief, he went to Chicago with the intent of taking his life. There he staggered barefoot into the Pacific Garden Mission. He heard the gospel and when the pastor gave an invitation to all who wanted salvation, Mel came forward, asked for prayer, and was lifted up by God out of his addiction. His enslavement to alcohol was over.

Mel Trotter became a changed man. He was transformed by the gospel and reconciled with his wife. He volunteered at the mission and became a traveling evangelist. He was so thankful for the gift of God that he was called the man who “raved about Jesus.” His heart was for the “down and outer” and he helped establish 67 rescue missions. He was a man who knew both the wages of sin and the gift of eternal life.

Whether we are a rich person or someone who has found ourselves on the short end of life it seems to me that part of what is at stake in Jesus’ parable is the link between our well-being and that of others. God calls us to a life of hope whether we are rich or poor or somewhere in between.

If we cannot feel compassion for others we have lost something that is deeply and genuinely human. In time, the wealth that has numbed us to the need of our neighbor deludes us into imagining that we ourselves have no need, we are sufficient unto ourselves, and can easily substitute hard work and a little luck for grace and mercy. At that point, we are, indeed, lost.

But I think the reverse is also true – remember the story of Mel Trotter, he was down and out, but he responded to God’s call on his life. It changed him forever. As we become more responsive to the hurts, the havoc, and the hassles of others we become more acutely aware of our own humanity. When this happens we then discover our own longings and insufficiency and learn to appreciate God’s offer of manifest grace in Christ.

The story of Moses and the prophets that Jesus was talking about to the rich man is the story of being lifted up by grace. Sometimes our own life of wealth, of self-sufficiency gets in the way of God’s grace and Christ’s love. Christ took on our need, our humanity, our lot in life, all in order to show us God’s profound love for each of us.

Whether you are rich or poor, young or old, male or female God wants you to be lifted up today by the message of grace. Yes, we too, have the law and the prophets to direct us to care for the needs of our neighbor. Yet deep down, I suspect that when confronted by the One who was put to death for our sins and raised, lifted up for our justification we might just be awaken from our drunken stupor and the numbness we experience in this life. God wants a relationship with each of us, God wants a connection with us now.

Can we say today that God’s grace and Christ’s love makes a difference in our lives? If we can embrace that, if we are thankful for that grace then our hands should be at work in the world showing acts of mercy for one another. Just like Mel Trotter, God lifted him up!

Next time you read “In God we trust” remember the story of the rich man and Lazarus and be lifted up by the one who calls us each day to new life.

Amen