September 30 Sermon
Parable of the Rich Man &
Lazarus
One of the things Jesus teaches us is how to read the Bible. It’s a big book and subject to interpretation
– sometimes the wrong interpretation. In
the parable you just heard, he corrects one misinterpretation – one you may
still hear today – a prosperity gospel.
Its first premise is that if you obey God and walk in his way you will
be blessed. That’s true, but then the
preacher adds that the blessings are not just spiritual but also material. The “name it and claim it” message of the
“Prayer of Jabez” and of a recent book called “The
Secret”. The false conclusion is that
material prosperity is a sign of God’s favor.
You may hear the wealth gospel proclaimed by a TV evangelist or even in
an interview conducted by Oprah Winfrey or Larry King . It’s an ever popular idea that goes back to
some of the Pharisees in the crowd listening to Jesus and even to the Old
Testament. And Jesus dramatically
rejects it by telling a story about a rich man.
In the parable, the rich man is described as living well – having it
all. There’s no suggestion that he got
his wealth by dishonest means – nor that he has
committed any terrible sin. Yet when he
dies, he gets a surprise:
In Hades where he was being tormented, the rich man
looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side…
Obviously, his wealth was not a sign of God’s favor. The Lord rejected him, and instead there’s
that beggar Lazarus up in heaven with Abraham.
It’s clear which one of the two was really favored by God.
Which is a very different picture of God than the one
you might naturally infer from observing the world around you. Look around
and you might think the rich are blessed by God, but the poor are ignored. But Jesus tells a different story – He says
the poor are favored and the hungry will be filled, while the rich better watch
out – they are in for an unpleasant surprise.
*
A few years back, ex-wreatler-turned-govenor
of
College chaplain Will Willimon’s response
was: “That was an incredibly perceptive statement for a professional wrestler,
when you consider he probably landed on his head too many times. Christianity is for the weak and losers. That’s exactly who Jesus was for.”
And that’s the first message of the parable. God is on the side, not of the rich, but the weak, like
that crippled beggar named Lazarus.
Why is Lazarus in heaven and the rich man in
Hades?
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. Luke 16:23,25
God is setting things straight - correcting the injustice of this
world.
*
In the parable Jesus paints
a graphic picture of hell.
. . which reminds me of a story
There is a town in
+
Since none of you think of yourselves as rich – or as poor as Lazarus,
who can you identify with in the parable?
There’s a suggestion in the parable:
'Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's
house-- for I have five brothers--that he may warn them, so that they will not
also come into this place of torment.' Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and
the prophets; they should listen to them.' 27-29
That phrase Moses and the prophets describes the readings at
worship back then - the lessons they heard from the Bible. We are those who have gathered to listen to
readings of the prophets – and also the words of Jesus. We pray for the coming of His kingdom, where
a just God will turn the tables on injustice.
And we’ve learned that God may not extend mercy to those who themselves
extend no mercy.
So we are better off than the rich man and his brothers because we know
more than they did. The question is, what will we do with that knowledge?
1. Listen to the word of God speaking to you.
That’s what the rich man didn’t do.
The rich man didn’t hear those words read from the Bible speaking
personally to him - The words that talked about sharing with the poor. The Bible is clear that believers have an
obligation to care for the poor and needy among them.
The rich man also would have heard the words of the Prophet Amos, like
those in the first lesson. Amos warns of
dire consequences for those who enjoy an indulgent life style while ignoring
the poor around them. The rich man’s
fate in the parable is simply an illustration of the warnings of Amos and the
prophets.
It’s a theme that runs through the Old Testament, and Jesus makes it
emphatic, by Whatever you have done to the
least of these by brothers and sisters, you have done it to me.
Christ is on the side of the weak - those society calls losers - he
identifies with them. Ignore them and
you are ignoring Him.
The rich man is condemned not for what he did, but
rather for what he failed to do.
Remember the confessional prayer: We have sinned - by what we
have done and by what we have left undone.
Sometimes we are guilty of just not noticing that person who
needs something from us. Maybe it’s just
a kind word – some positive reinforcement from us. Perhaps we’ve not been appreciative of what
they have done for us. It could be someone we work with, or go to school with -
a friend or someone in our own family, right on our door step, like
Lazarus on the rich man’s doorstep in today’s gospel.
So what should we do?
2. Be generous and share. The second lesson
said:
Do good, be rich in good works, generous, and ready to
share, thus storing up the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so
that you may take hold of the life that really is life. 6:17,18
You don’t hear this often enough in a
The life that really is life brings satisfaction and
contentment. Other ways of living
finally don’t fulfill their promises and leave you empty – still seeking more.
As a congregation you are generous in many ways. Your generosity allows us to provide food to
more than 30 families each week through Daily Bread. Members volunteer their time - driving
trucks, unloading, giving out the food.
I think the volunteers find satisfaction for in giving we receive. What they receive is not a financial
blessing, but something more than that - a sense of accomplishment and
fulfillment as they live out the words of Jesus.
3. Learn contentment:
Contentment means distinguishing between wants and needs. We want many things. They’re not bad for us, but do we really need
them? If you think you need what you
want, you’re never satisfied. Too much
is not enough. The goal is to be content
with our needs, and not to order our lives around our wants.
Happiness is an emotion; something a person may feel at times.
Contentment is a trait - a state of being for the long term. Contentment carries with it the notion of
sufficiency – enough-ness. It implies satisfaction and fulfillment.
People may be happy, but they should learn to be content.
And when you learn to be content, you’ll find you are happy more often.
As Paul wrote:
For I have learned to be content with whatever I have.
I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and
all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content:
The secret - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
So trust Christ to provide what you really need.
Philippians 4:10