Over the past few weeks, as we have journeyed through the season of Lent, in our worship services, we have focused on several of Jesus’ parables. We have heard the parables of the Good Samaritan, the Lost Coin, the Lost Sheep, and the Prodigal Son. These illustrations are reminders for God’s followers about God’s grace – God chooses to love and forgive even the gravest of sinners….God loves us even when we make mistakes. And, in turn, God wants us to love each other and treat each other with love, respect and care.
This morning, we turn to another parable of Jesus. This parable is typically referred to as “Lazarus and the Rich Man.” The Lazarus in the parable is not Jesus’ friend Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha. Instead, he is a fictional man – a very poor, very desperate man.
Listen to this parable as it is found in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16, verses 19 through 31:
Scripture Luke 16:19-31
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores
and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family,
for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Here ends this reading of the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Let us pray….
Message Lazarus and a Lover of Money
If this parable was a true story, it would be brutal. A rich person lives along-side a beggar. The rich man is aware of the beggar – he knows his name is Lazarus. In life, the rich man was comfortable living a life of luxury even though Lazarus, the beggar, was always at his gate. The rich man was comfortable with his position in society – he was comfortable that he had high status, and people like Lazarus were suffering nearby.
And, then, after the rich man died, he lost his status and position. He was suffering in Hades. Yet, it took him a while to grasp the change he experienced – he still saw Lazarus as something who should be available to serve him, the rich man. He wanted Lazarus to descend into Hell and wait upon the man and bring him water to relieve his thirst.
Abraham explained that Lazarus couldn’t serve the suffering rich man. But, the man still thought Lazaurus should do his bidding and rise from the dead to warn his family about their fate if they persisted in living lives of luxury and not helping those in need. Again, Abraham pointed out that if Moses and the prophets were not convincing – if stories and warnings in scripture did not convince them to live generous lives – then a man rising from the dead would not be convincing either.
We believe in a savior who did indeed rise from the dead – some of us are indeed convinced of God’s truths because we believe in a messiah who rose from the dead. In our scriptures, our savior has reinforced the message of this parable over and over again in his teachings – we are called upon by Jesus to be compassionate to struggling people: people who are ill; people who are poor; people who are disabled; people who are aging – we are called to care for people who don’t have the resources we have and for people who don’t have the talents we have.
In Luke chapter 12, Jesus concludes another of his parables by saying: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” God made us each as unique human beings – each of us has access to different talents, different resources, different skills. We may have the knowledge of how to build a house or install a heating system; we may have be good at growing things or writing things; we may be a great teacher, baker, or singer ... .God blessed us each with unique talents, skills, and resources.
As followers of God, it is our responsibility to figure out how to share those gifts with others. In the parable, part of the sin of the Rich man was that he had the capability to help Lazarus, but he ignored him. He didn’t have to seek out people who needed help – Lazarus was laying at the rich man’s gate. Yet, instead of being appalled and having Lazarus picked up and taken to a doctor and bandaging his wounds, he just ignored Lazarus. And, yet, later, the rich man wanted Lazarus to come and take care of him – to bring him water and to warn his relatives. So he ignored Lazarus when he had the ability to help Lazarus, and then he had the gall to ask Lazarus to come and help the rich man out.
Friends, the season of Lent is an opportunity to deepen our relationship with God and to reflect on how we are serving God. These 40 days are our annual reminder to reflect on the sacrificial love of Jesus – Jesus loved the people of the world so much that he died on the cross for us….our friend Jesus bore our sins and griefs. In response to the love of Jesus and the love of God, we are called to share our gifts with others. We are not supposed to hide them or keep them to ourselves, but we are called to share our resources, our talents, our skills, and our gifts. If others are hungry and we have food, we should feed them. If others are thirsty and we have water, we should quinch their thirst. If others need a place to live and we have resources, we should contribute to their housing until they get back on their feet. If others are sick, we should bring them soup and boxes of kleenex and drive them to the doctor’s office. We are called to share what we have with those who don’t have enough.
Jesus gave his whole self for us; let us give what we are able to share for the betterment of Jesus’ people. Amen.