“Help Lazarus….  You’ll be glad you did”

(Luke 16:19-31)

             There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.  And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores.  The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham.  The rich man also died and was buried.  In Hades, where he was being tormented, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.  He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the top of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.’  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.  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.’  He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, 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.’  He said, ‘No, father Abraham, 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, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

I’m thinking a lot about baseball these days.  I’m talking about the Guardians and their attempt to get into the playoffs.  Most of you know that Rick and I only watch the games that our team wins.  They are recorded on our TV, and, when they win, we dance around and sing happily, “We have a game to watch!”  There was a long dry spell several weeks ago, but, until the last couple of days things were looking up, right? 

I notice that when one of our guys hits a homerun, they often point to the sky, obviously grateful to God for that hit.  Lest we forget there are good people in Detroit, Seattle and Texas who are also praying that their team will get into the playoffs, just like we’re hoping for that very thing.  This is the truth.  But we all know that there are bigger things than baseball or any sport on God’s agenda these days and that, winning or losing in a sport does not indicate God’s blessing. 

Still, I know there are some of you who are superstitious about these sorts of things.  So, if you must wear a certain item of clothing on a game night or if you’re afraid to watch the games because you might jinx our team, then go ahead and do or don’t do whatever you think best….

In our world we often speak of good health as a blessing from God.  The problem with this is that it implies that when we are ill or when bad things happen to us, we must have done something wrong–or that God must not be blessing us.  In fact, in one of many of our favorite movies, The Sound of Music, there is a song sung by the couple who is rejoicing in their love with lyrics that go like this, “Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.” 

Along those lines, another attitude that I see amongst us and in our world is that we observe those who are well off financially, and we think, “They have been showered with blessings.”  In our minds we might wonder, “Why doesn’t God bless me like that?”  And we see poor folks and down-and-outers and we may think God isn’t blessing them….  They may even feel that God has abandoned them.

Now, like it or not, agree with it or not, this attitude, this way of thinking, is deeply ingrained within our culture today, and it obviously was for the Old and New Testament folks as well.  This has been so for thousands of years. 

But I think there’s another way to see this, and it is contained in today’s parable told by Jesus.  Listen to it as I have re-imagined it:

There once was a rich man.  He was dressed in the finest Armani suits and attended to all the details of his appearance.  He dined in the most exclusive of restaurants, and his taste in food, drink and friends was exquisite.  He worked hard at his very successful business which had made him millions over the course of his career.

One day he was sitting at his desk in the executive suite when a young man came rushing in followed by staff people and security who were trying to stop him.

The rich man waved everyone off and turned impatiently toward this unwelcome intruder.  “What, exactly, is the nature of your business?” he haughtily asked the fellow whose sloppy clothing, dirty, run-over shoes and unkempt hair identified him as a man “without proper means” who had no business wasting our rich friend’s time.

“We desperately need your help, sir,” said the unwelcome visitor.  “Speaking with you is our last resort.  I and about 50 others live in that building you own on West 75^th Street.  It’s due to be torn down next week, and none of us can afford to find another place.  We want to stay.  We HAVE to stay.  We’ll help with the fixing up if you’ll only give us a chance.  PLEASE save our homes.

“There are so many older folks, and there’s Charlotte who’s trying to raise three kids by herself.  There’s Hugh who has AIDS and Deborah who has just broken her leg….  PLEASE give us a chance.  We’ll do our part. Please….”

Well, the rich man refused to help this desperate person, and the rest of the parable is similar to “A Christmas Carol,” though not nearly as charming and endearing.

The young man, Allan Lazarus, took the sad news back to his fellow tenants who sadly packed their belongings.  Eventually some, the older folks and Hugh, the AIDS victim, died of exposure trying to keep warm on the streets.  Charlotte resorted to being a prostitute in order to keep her kids housed and fed.  Others ended up in rat-infested holes for homes.  Desperate for money for himself and to help his neighbors, Allan Lazarus was shot to death holding up a liquor store.

Lazarus was taken to heaven to be with God and met many of his friends there.  It was a happy place.

The rich man, on the other hand, died in an auto accident soon after.  We, then, see him begging for a sip of water as he was in his eternal home which was a very hot place.

Now, what we’ve seen and heard in this parable is the just desserts we always wish for the good folks and the not so good folks.  It is turning upside down the situation that these two, the rich man and Lazarus, were experiencing on earth.  The poor, sick people get the eternal reward because they were deserving.  The rich, healthy, but self-centered person who refused to use his many resources to help those less fortunate, does not receive the blessing. 

The parable is reminding us what is truly important and what is not.  I think that’s the part that we human beings have trouble wrapping our minds around.  It is very hard for us to not focus on the money.  And it’s hard to open ourselves to the concept that what we have is not what we deserve but is a gift from God, pure and simple.  What others don’t have is not a judgment against them. 

So, I suppose that this story gives us an opportunity to take a good, hard look at ourselves.  That is almost always what Jesus wants us to do.

Jesus is not saying in this parable that being rich is bad.  The parable DOES say that there is a proper use of our money and possessions.  The parable means that worldly goods are just that—OF the world, limited, not eternal blessings, not signs of God’s acceptance, not a cosmic seal of approval.

Rather, our money and possessions are of a lasting and a divine nature only when we use them in an unselfish and non-self-serving manner, when we use them to bring ALL of God’s people up to a level of existence that is adequate and meets basic needs.

We make decisions practically every day about the use of our worldly goods.  Our church makes decisions about funds and how we use them.  Sometimes we say we must keep our money in our own community.  Meanwhile, Lazarus is sick and dying or living in poverty in Akron or having trouble feeding his children.

The thing is, we are really very fortunate, most of us.  According to the world’s standards we are well-off.  Perhaps it’s time for us to allow our world-view and way of thinking to be subjected to today’s lesson.  Please be warned that when we read the Gospel, we will be challenged and that it probably will not be comfortable.

When we zoom out to the national level we see a government that is intent upon removing services for people in need.  We need to pay attention to what this parable has to say about that. 

The thing is, we as middle-class Americans need to be open to ways of utilizing our resources that help people who really need it.  We are called to act like Jesus would act…

So that the sores of the Lazaruses of the world may be healed;

so that the hungry may eat, the homeless may have shelter, the poor and the sick may hear God’s word in a new way;

so that they are reassured that their plight is not God’s curse;

so that our resources may be used in such a way that the world can look more like a family and less like a bunch of enemies;

so that, using our resources, we, too, may feel God’s spirit within us, loving, reaching out to those less fortunate than we.

In my time here (both this time and before) I can think of so many times that you have looked after others, when you have illustrated this text by your choices, by your behavior, by caring for the Lazaruses.  You consistently pay your World Service and Conference shared ministry apportionments which is our way of caring for the needy here and around the world. 

You have stepped up to the plate when there have been disasters like wild fires and hurricanes, like raising money a few years ago for the Ukrainian people. 

We help people in our own community with funeral lunches and food.  We make mats for homeless folk.  We collect school supplies for children at Woodridge.  We help with ministries like OPEN-M and Rahab. 

We have all helped in doing these things, but our work is not finished. 

The thing is, we can never rest on our laurels saying, “Been there.  Done that.  Haven’t we given enough?”  We can never say we’re done as long as children are hungry and people are unhoused or living in horrid situations. 

Perhaps his words might drive the message home to our nation and world, but Lazarus is not going to come back from the dead and remind us that, as part of the Jesus House, we are bound to care for and about all God’s children.  We are never done sharing and working for economic justice, nor taking care of the immigrants and the imprisoned.  That’s what Jesus has called us to do.

We can say we’re tired and we need a rest.  That’s cool.  I get that.  We can say we’re broke.  That’s legitimate.  But we can never say, “We’ve done enough.”  Because we, as a community, as a people, as a church, as Gospel people, have not. 

So, friends, you can use yourselves as inspiration for the future.  You ARE a giving church.  You will be a giving church.  You must be a giving church.  God’s blessings are upon us AS we give.

So…hey Lazarus, come on over to our place, and we’ll help you out.