A Sermon for 16 Pentecost

By Ben Cluff

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer. Amen. 

​On the face of it, the topic of wealth and riches seem to be the theme of our lessons this week.  I don’t know about you, but I sometimes feel as if I read or interpret mixed messages regarding wealth, at least material wealth, in our readings and lessons.

For example:
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” 
(1 Timothy 6:10)

Yet we know that folks of means were great benefactors and supporters of not only Jesus and the Twelve, but in the discipleship of many early Christians.

Do you get uncomfortable with some of the messages we receive? I know I do, messages like:
‘
Sell your possessions and follow me’
(Luke 18:22)

‘It is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.’
(Mark 10:25)

What is wealth?
What is rich?
It is not as if we are provided with defined financial guidelines that tell us that above a certain dollar amount we have entered into the category of ‘rich’.
Or Again Are We?

‘but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.’
(1 Timothy 6:8)

Our expression of faith, through our liturgy, readings and lessons, poses questions for us to consider, regarding what our approach to life will be.  What will our approach to life be as we attempt to live through the grey areas of life? Rather than simply/mindlessly comply with rigidly worded dictates.

Our guidance through these grey areas of life often comes to us through parables, such as today’s parable of the Rich man and Lazarus. Much has been written about Jesus’ use of parables as a teaching method. Do they make you think and consider?

When it comes to these parables, I sometimes feel as if I hear, but don’t completely understand. My hope and prayer is that as we reflect, we bring our heads and hearts closer together, as we experience these grey areas of life.

I am not a billionaire or millionaire. Based on any given yardstick, I am not rich, yet, I know I have bounty that many do not. I have food, clothing, shelter, and more. Sitting down to a home cooked meal, surrounded by those I love, I have thought, “I am living like a lord”.

In today’s parable Jesus describes a rich man who dresses in purple and fine linen. Purple was a very expensive dye for clothing, in that time. Jesus tells us that this man feasted sumptuously every day (not just on special occasions, but everyday). These features of Jesus’ description seem to emphasize the degree of this man’s richness.

At the gate of this rich man’s estate lay a poor man named Lazarus. Lazarus is described as being covered with sores, longing for the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table, and the dogs would come and lick his sores.  I would imagine the dogs may also compete with Lazarus for those scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.

The social norms of the day were such that it was a reasonable expectation that those with more would offer something to those with less, regularly. There have been archaeological digs that have provided evidence that benches were regularly built into the walls of great estates, near the gates, where the less well off would sit and receive, those “scraps that fell from the table” of the rich.

So the rich man was very rich and Lazarus was very poor and not well. And the rich man consciously ignored Lazarus and his plight regularly, probably daily.

And upon the death of each of these men, their conditions changed. And when the rich man was told he would not receive relief from his torment and agony - he said then “Please, at least warn my brothers, so that they may avoid my fate.”

But father Abraham replies, “Your brothers have the teaching of Moses and the prophets to guide them. They should listen to them.”
(Luke 16:29)

The rich man says – “No, father Abraham - if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.”
(Luke 16:30)

But father Abraham says, “No, No, if they are not able to hear the messages of Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced, even if someone rises from the dead.”
(Luke 16:31)

Some interesting features of this particular parable occurred to me, upon reflection;

First, Lazarus is named.  So often, in parables, we do not have participants personally named; rather they are identified through description only: 

• The woman at the well (John 4:1-42)
  
• The lame man unable to get to the healing waters (John 5:1-15)
  
• The woman who bled for 12 years (Mark 5:21-43)
  
• The man with demons (Luke 8:26-39)

And the rich man seems to continue to see and hold Lazarus as a servant or less than: 
‘ have Lazarus dip his finger in the water and cool my tongue’ (Luke16:24)
‘have Lazarus go to my brothers and warn them’  (Luke 16:28)

The rich man seems to see the world and his participation in it, somewhat superficially:
There seems to have been no conversion in his sight, no internal conversion or insight to see he may have participated in the world differently.

This seems to be the point attempted to be made by father Abraham regarding the rich man’s brothers: “Everything your brothers need is provided to them through the teaching of Moses and the prophets.”
(Luke 1:29) 

Are they open to hearing the message that guides them to participate in the world in a comforting manner?

On the face of it, the status of wealth can appear to exclude one from God or keep one distant from God.

Upon reflection, though, we are guided and shepherded toward God, regardless of our socioeconomic status.

Paul and Timothy are living in the real world, a world into which we bring nothing and in the end, take nothing. As the rich man and his brothers had Moses and the prophets, we have Jesus, Paul, and Timothy telling us, “and as for those, who in the present age, are rich, be not haughty or set your hopes on the uncertainty of riches; do good, be rich in good works, generous, ready to share.”
(1 Timothy 6:17-18)

And for all of us, “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.”
( 1 Timothy 6:11)

Our liturgy this week encourages us to consider where we are rich and wealthy? ; 
to reflect upon, Where does our cup runneth over?
Does our pursuit or desire for richness keep us separate from God and those around us?

In contrast to the many loud and dramatic messages of this world to focus on the accumulation of things, status, and wealth, our lessons encourage to be open to messages around us centered in goodness, our priorities ordered to favor faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.

We are urged to take it upon ourselves to be still and know God and navigate the grey areas of life with kindness to ourselves and to those around us.

You know, I retired from working for 40 years in the field of addiction recovery. My friends in Alcoholics Anonymous taught me this prayer. It attempts to guide us toward the spirit of doing good, being rich in good works, generous, ready to share.

God I offer myself to Thee - to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of Life. May I do Thy will always. - Amen