Sunday, September 30, 2007
By pastor John Jorgenson
As I have said before Jesus can be pretty harsh once in a while. Jesus is not a nicey nice person. Jesus is kind, understanding and patient. However there are times when Jesus is very direct, honest and open, especially when the issues are serious and of concern to those listening as they are learning. As another example, this morning, Luke writes how 0Jesus presents the ugliness of human unconcern for those who are poor or helpless in one way or another. Then Jesus changes the setting to after death when we become aware of the effect our lives have had on one another. Jesus final comment about this situation is rather blunt. “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” What a comment from one who was to do just that.
This is one of the most insightful of all the parables that Jesus used. It tells a powerful story with a very limited number of words. The message is clear and allows for no wishy-washy interpretations. The message it presents is just as precise and to the point today as it was at the time Jesus presented it. The two characters in the story present the nature of life clearly and without question. Lets look at the two and learn what Jesus intended.
First of all Dives, the rich man, probably had everything. New Silver 2007 Hummer, Three story Condo on the beach at Sea Isle, another in Eastern Florida below Orlando and a weekend retreat up in the Poconos. He must have made a bundle before the dot com disaster. He was certainly a capable and talented person who knew how to make money, or on the other hand maybe he was one of the family members that Andrew Carnegie mentioned in his book, The Gospel of Wealth, whose parent left all his wealth to the family and Dives had nothing more to do than spend it however he wished. Either way Dives had it made.
Dives was not a bad person. He did not abuse Lazarus. He did not ridicule him or exhibit any prejudice toward him because he was poor. He simply ignored Lazarus and treated him as one of those who simply could not cope and left it at that. Sounds like a typical person of today as well as from the time of Jesus some 2000 years ago. Evidently we have not changed very much.
Anyway Dives was an example of selfish indulgence. Lazarus lay on the ground outside waiting to share the bread crumbs that were thrown away from Dives table. At that time there were no knives or forks or napkins. Food was eaten with ones fingers and people like Dives used chunks of bread to wipe off the smeary sauces from the roasted main entrees and any other bits from the vegetables and the desserts. They would simply throw the bread pieces away under the table where the dogs waited patiently. Sorta like Fluffy at our house. She is so patient as she waits for a treat. I mean how can anyone not share with her? She has those big round eyes that she uses to look directly at you and inaudibly asks I mean how could you ever expect such a cute little dog like me eat stuff like dog food? So we share a bit and she is so pleased, at least for the moment. So as Jesus described the situation, Lazarus lay waiting to share with the dogs the bread used to wipe the hands of Dives and his friends. And Dives did not even share a bit other than the scraps. Actually he did not even think about it. I mean no body else did either. That is just the way life is. You do with what you have got. No big deal, from his point of view anyway.
Lazarus name means God is my help. He was a beggar. He had nothing. He was covered with ulcerated sores. He had no access to Medicare or Medicade. No body really cared much about what happened to him. He simply lay by the gate and was treated by the dogs that washed his sores because that is what dogs do for people. Fluffy washes your hands, your arms, neck and face if you cuddle her close like a little dog. I think that is how she says thank you for being her friend. So Lazarus was with nothing really other than his name which means God is my help.
Then life in this world for Dives and Lazarus ends and we have a new situation to consider. Lazarus now is with God and is being well cared for. Dives, however, is being punished. But what did he do wrong? He did not abuse Lazarus and have him removed from his gate. He did not object that Lazarus shared the bread from his table. He did not hit him, ridicule him or chase him away. No Dives was punished not for what he did but for what he did not do.
For some reason, Dives was able to look at his world and not see the extent of those who were suffering, who were in need, who were hungry and in pain and he did nothing about it.
The sad thing about this is that when he came to realize what had happened and asked for mercy and when he asked for some one to tell his brothers, he was told that “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; your brothers should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ Abraham 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.’”
That is a warning for us as well. We have been warned that our mission for life is to share what God has given us to use. We have several responsibilities along with the joyful freedoms God has given us. Luther is absolutely right with his emphasis on Law and Gospel. Responsibility and Freedom are Gods great gifts to us.
Amen.