July 19, 2015 - The Rich Man and Lazarus

Luke 16.19 - 31 ...

Gather around boys and girls.

Set yourself down.

I’ve story to tell you.

And so begins many a fun time for families and children, with all the appropriate moans and groans - “Oh no, Grampa’s at it again; we’ve heard this story ten thousand times” … at the dinner table, by a campfire, before bedtime … and just about every time a minister steps into a pulpit to share the love of God, with all the appropriate moans and groans - “Oh no, we’ve heard this story ten thousand times.”

There is no finer tradition, in any culture, than that of story-telling … whether it be Garrison Keillor from Prairie Home Companion or Mark Twain a century ago, or Grampa at the dinner table … story tellers have a way of revealing the nooks and crannies of life, inviting us to think and rethink who we are and what life is all about, what it means to be a family, what it means to be a human being.

Jesus is a story-teller.

Someone raises a question, Jesus might well respond with a stroke of his chin, maybe even a wink, and then unwind a tale … sheep and shepherds, pearls and merchants, wayward children, anxious parents, clever managers who hoodwink the boss … and bosses who play rough with their workers.

All the stories our LORD tells are gracious with much love … yet grace can be hard-edged and disturbing, too … like today’s story.

Only recently have I learned something about it … it’s often called, “The Rich Man and Lazarus,” but there are two rich men here, men of great wealth … the man without a name, and Abraham, the Father of all the nations.

I long thought that it was a story that puts a hard press on wealth … and it does, no doubt … Jesus warns us so many times about the perils of wealth … but it’s not wealth per se, but the attitudes one can buy with it … and as a preacher once said: “Attitude is everything!”

In this parable, it’s the story of two rich men, and one man, very, very, poor.

As Jesus tells it, the Rich Man in Hades recognizes Lazarus … perhaps Lazarus worked for him at some point in time … a tenant farmer maybe … or a household servant … and then something happened to Lazarus - an injury, a chronic illness … Lazarus can no longer work, but now can only beg from the hand that once employed him.

I’ve played around a bit with the story … let’s see how it goes … a night-time tale told by a village elder around an evening campfire.

Gather around boys and girls, I’ve a story to tell you:

Once upon a time, there was a Rich Man … 

Well dressed and well fed.

Had everything, and then some.

He was a Rich Man.

By his gate, a poor man.

Lazarus by name.

Hungry all the time.

Sick much of the time.

Good to the dogs in the neighborhood, and the dogs licked his sores … oooh, kinda icky, right … but that’s what dogs do.

And then one day, Lazarus died.

And off he went.

To be with Father Abraham.

Goodness, boys and girls, don’t we all want to be with Father Abraham?

And then one day, the Rich Man died, too.

And off he went.

To a very unpleasant place.

Have you noticed something odd here?

What’s the Rich Man’s name?

That’s right.

He doesn’t have a name in our story.

Everyone has a name, except …

The Rich Man.

Oh, he has name, I’m sure!

Lots of folks knew it, no doubt.

Folks would walk by his big house and say, “Do you know who lives there in that great big house? Mr. so-and-so lives there. He’s important!”

Everyone knows his name.

But in our story, the Rich Man has no name.

His name isn’t in the Book of Life boys and girls.

He didn’t have time for that.

He was too busy writing his name every where else.

Except in the Book of Life.

And the nameless poor man at his gate, we find has a name after all.

Lazarus.

In Hebrew, it’s Elazar.

And, boys and girls, do you know what Elazar means?

It means: “God has helped.”

The poor man at the gate has a beautiful name.

And so does Father Abraham; Abraham means: “Father of a multitude” … the Father of many peoples all around the world … Father Abraham is everyone’s Father.

Anyway, boys and girls, the Rich Man sees Father Abraham.

And he sees Lazarus, too.

And what do you suppose Lazarus is doing?

Well, boys and girls, he’s sitting on Father Abraham’s lap.

Can you imagine that, boys and girls?

Lazarus, sitting on Abraham’s lap?

Father Abraham has a big comfy lap.

The Rich Man thinks to himself:

“Abraham will understand me.”

He’s rich, and he’ll know what I need.

We’re two of the same kind; cut from the same bolt of cloth.

So the Rich Man calls out to Father Abraham.

“Father Abraham,” 

I think the Rich Man tried to sound important.

“Father Abraham, send Lazarus, with a little water for me.”

He used to be my servant; he’ll know what to do.

Father Abraham said: “Can’t do that son.”

“And why not?” asked the Rich Man.

All blustery and none too pleased.

“Because you’re there, and we’re here … and that’s that!”

“Besides, you had your chance.”

Well, the Rich Man didn’t like that for an answer.

So, he said, “Father Abraham, look, we understand one another, don’t we? We’re of the same stuff, you and me. We’ve made our way through life, we did all right.”

“If you won’t send Lazarus to me, the least you can do is send him to my five brothers, to warn them, tell them they’d better pay attention. I don’t want them to end up like me.”

Father Abraham was getting a little tired with the Rich Man telling him what to do all the time … so Father Abraham said, “Your brothers already have what they need to figure things out. They have Moses and the Prophets - it’s all there, clear and clean. Your brothers should listen to them.”

“But my brothers need a big deal, some kind of smash hit, something really big - some hoohah and kaboom. Okay, Father Abraham? I’m sure we understand one another. Send them someone from the dead; that’ll get their attention.”

“I could do that,” said Father Abraham, “but truth be told, son, your brothers are just about as stubborn as you are, and they’re not interested in such things. If they don’t believe what Moses and the Prophets teach, someone rising from the dead and standing right in front of them won’t convince them either.”

Boys and girls … we have Moses and the Prophets, and we have Father Abraham … they tell us how to live a good and godly life. Let’s pay attention to them, okay? Good Night boys and girls. Sleep well boys and girls; the love of God give you rest; the wisdom of Father Abraham guide your dreams.

Amen and Amen!

Eyes - September 30, 2007

Last week’s message, a simple thought about money: make friends with it!

Use it to make a better world for someone … make a difference with it … make as much as you can, save as much as you can, and give a lot of it away.

Today’s message is a follow up … our LORD tells another story … that of a rich man without a name, and a poor man named Lazarus, a beggar by the side of the road, the lowest of the low, the least of the least … sitting by the rich man’s gate.

As I thought about the message this week, I recalled one of my all-time favorite films: Empire of the Sun, 1987, wherein a young English boy, separated from his parents in the invasion of Shanghai, struggles to survive in a detention camp.

Prior to the invation, and his family live in the lap of luxury – the English community of Shanghai – with the look and feel of Merry Olde England – on his way to school, in a limousine – he leaves the house down a long driveway, passes through the gated high wall and into the street – there, by the gate, a beggar – the young boy stares at him, mystified, uncomprehending – he’s too young to see.

The image poses a simple question: who sees the poor man at the gate?

Our LORD's story puts the same question – who sees the poor man at the gate?

A few things that catch our attention as our LORD tells the story:

The wealthy man has no name … that’s odd!

Wealthy folks have names, prominent names.
We know them by name - Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey.

But in our story, the rich man has no name … in Medieval tradition, he became know as Dives, the Latin for “rich” … but he’s nameless in the text; it’s the poor man who has a name, he’s Lazarus.

There’s another story in the Bible about names … Exodus … Chapter 1.

Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is out to do a little population control on the Hebrews … he instructs the Hebrew midwives, “If it’s boy, kill him; if it’s a girl, let her live.”

But the Hebrew midwives “feared God,” says the text; they defied the king.”

The great king of Egypt goes unnamed in his murderous plans … it’s the Hebrew midwives who’s names are recorded forever: Shiphrah and Puah.

It seems that God’s take on things is slightly different than ours.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts,” says the LORD.

“The first shall be last; the last shall be first,” says our LORD.

A different accounting system; heaven’s social registry … God’s book of life.

The story goes on … Lazarus dies and angels carry him off to Abraham’s side.

The rich man dies and is buried.
The text is abrupt, without sentiment – the RichMan made choices – dead-end choices, choices that could only end this way: to the land of the dead … Sheol, Hades … torment.

He looks up – an unaccustomed posture for a man who spent his life looking down.

He sees Abraham, “far away,” says the text.

All of life is a vector, a direction, a heading … the rich man choose a road that led him further and further away from Abraham … how many chances lost for a turn-around? … how many lost opportunities to make it right?

But the man didn’t know how to make friends with his money; he could buy friends, he could buy fame and influence; he could make a name for himself … “But what good does it do to gain the whole world and forfeit your life?”

The poor old rich man cries out, “Father Abraham” … a glimmer of hope? Some possible restoration of spirit? Something good about to happen?

“Send your boy, Lazarus, to comfort me.”

Catch the drift of the story?

One rich man to another … “You’ve got a boy there, Lazarus.”

Irony: the RichMan knows the beggar’s name now … but remains entrenched in old ideas, old thoughts, stubborn pride, consummate self-interest.

“Send your boy to me … he can dip the tip of his finger in some water and cool my tongue” … a decadent image; a lascivious late-night party … power and command, money and control – “send your boy to comfort me.”
Poor old RichMan … still can’t see … blind as a bat … still giving orders; expecting folks to jump for his comfort!

Abraham speaks … “Son, you had your chance.”

Too late … a great chasm between us … no one crosses the great divide.

Why?
Why does no one cross the great divide?
Because they don’t want to.
They are where the want to be!
God never sends anyone to hell.
Hell is a choice.
Everyone in hell wants to be there!

C.S. Lewis writes of a bus tour arranged one day from hell to heaven … folks in hell board the bus and ride to heaven … they see the love of God, light and peace, but its painful and disturbing for them; loved ones beg them to stay, to let the miracle of love rework their minds and hearts, but at the end of the day, they can hardly wait to return to hell.

God never sends anyone to hell … hell is choice!

The RichMan: “Well, if you won’t send your boy to me, send him to my father’s house; I have five brothers. Warm them.”
The poor old RichMan knows how to give orders.

Abraham replies: “They have Moses and the prophets; they can listen to them.”

The rich man protests – “No, it’s not enough, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they’ll repent.”

Abraham: “If they can’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”

End of conversation.

Jesus said, “Make friends with your money.”

Let’s think for a moment about life … things that capture our attention … and things we overlook …

No man on his deathbed ever says to his family, “I should have spent more time at the office.”

It isn’t so much a matter of choosing one over the other, but choosing things in proper sequence.

Did not Jesus say: “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all the other things that otherwise occupy your mind and unsettle your spirit, will they not also be added unto you?”

Have you noticed anything on the LORD's Table this morning? - a large jar of walnuts and rice.

Michelle and I did the jar on Friday – a simple exercise in priorities: if the rice is poured in first; no room for the walnuts.
Put the walnuts in first, then pour in the rice – everything fits!

Priorities!

Question on an application form for a newspaper job:
You have the choice of saving a drowning man or getting a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph. What type film would you use?

Two theatrical agents bump into each other on Wilshire Blvd.
One agent says, "Did you hear about Sam over at William Morris? He went into the hospital last week ... and the next day he died."
The other agent is shocked. "What did he have?"
"Not much, a few voice-over people, a magician, and two actors on a soap."

Priorities!

Walnuts in first … the kingdom of God first … faith, hope and love … kindness, mercy and gentleness; surrender and servanthood … Lazarus-at-our-gate.

Who is Lazarus-at-our-gate?

Mary Thompson meets Lazarus at the food pantry. Willie Hodges meets Lazarus at Living Water for the World. Leslie Evans meets Lazarus in Nicaragua.

Lazarus is real … the ragged man pushing the shopping cart along Manchester … the weary woman driving a beat-up car to her second job of the day … a family who can’t pay its medical bills … and you can fill in the rest of the story. Lazarus is real.

Lazarus could be a co-worker down the hall, in the next cubical - her car is clean, the home is large, but her life small and sad, neither purpose nor peace. Every day a grind; every night a weariness.

The Lazarus within each of us, our own spirit … the soul languishing at the gate, living on crumbs.
We leave the house with a fresh shirt and pressed pants, but our wounded soul is dressed rags.

Jesus says: “Life is more than food … more than clothing … don’t keep striving for what you are to eat and drink … it’s the way of the world to do these things … strive for the kingdom, and all the other things will be added unto you.”

The Apostle Paul tells his young pastor-friend Timothy: “As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life” (1 Timothy 6)

What goes into your jar first? I’ve spent many a day pouring in the rice and then trying to jam in the walnuts. It doesn’t work; it it never will.

Maybe it’s all about our eyes.

The way we see things.

“Your eye is the lamp of your body,” says Jesus.
“If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light. If it is not healthy, your body is full of darkness.”

I want to see things like God sees them … and I know that you do, too.

Amen!