Sermon for October 4th, 2020

Luke 16:19-31

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. 24 He 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.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘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. 26 Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27 He said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ 30 He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Jesus and His Pair of Bowls: The Rich Man & Lazarus

Bill and Larry both loved baseball. They loved it as kids, they loved it as adults, and they loved it in their old age. One day, Larry asked Bill, "Do you think they have baseball in Heaven?" Bill said, "I imagine they do. But whichever one of us dies first should come back to tell the other whether or not it's true."

As it turned out, Larry died first, and true to his word, about a week later he visited his old friend in a dream. "Well?" asked Bill eagerly. "Is there baseball in heaven?" Larry's ghost paused, and said, "I've got good news and I've got bad news. The good news is, yes, there really is baseball in Heaven. The bad news is, you're scheduled to pitch tomorrow."

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus has often been interpreted as a story about the afterlife--one that proves conclusively that there is a place of eternal torment, and a place of heavenly bliss. And (so the interpretation often goes) your actions in this life--good or bad--determine which place you go.

Jesus does describe two very different places in this parable: Lazarus dies and is carried away by angels to be with Abraham where he is comforted, while the rich dies and goes to "Hades" where he is tormented in agony and flames. But the rich man is never described as a "bad person," nor is Lazarus described in any way to make us think that he is "good." One is simply rich, and the other is poor. Jesus certainly has plenty of challenging things to say to rich people in the gospels, but he also befriends some rich people, like Zacchaeus, Nicodemus, and the Roman Centurion, whom he praises for having great faith. Conversely, while Jesus often speaks words of comfort to poor people, I don't think he ever intended that being poor is a free pass guaranteeing one's eternal reward.

I actually don't think this parable is about eternity, or the afterlife, at all. Remember, it's a parable, a fictional story where one thing often represents something entirely different in order to make a point. And that point usually has to do with something in this life.

Rich and Poor

• About seeing, not about money. Rich man is not criticized for his wealth, but for his inaction. Rich man is not "bad" and Lazarus is not "good."

Heaven and Hell

• Caricature of the afterlife. Not to be taken literally.

What's in a Name?

• "Make a name for yourself" vs. the name God gives you
• אלעזר - (El-yazar) - the one whom God has helped

Even the Dogs

• Dogs lick their own wounds. When I'm sad or angry, my dog's response is to lick me. Even the Dogs try to comfort Lazarus, when the rich man won't.

Seeing Lazarus

• "Send Lazarus" (3 times) - The rich man STILL doesn't "see" Lazarus, other than as a servant.

The Uncrossable Chasm

• But right now it is crossable. Will you cross it?

Who Are We?

• We are the five brothers. We still have time.

What Now?

• To be someone in God's kingdom, you have to engage with the world. You can't withdraw from it, or hide yourself away from the pain and the suffering of others.