"Are You Listening?"

        Earlier, in the 16^th chapter of Luke, Jesus is talking to his disciples about the folly of putting one’s wealth before one’s devotion to God.

“You can’t serve,” or really, “you can’t submit to both God and wealth,”  Jesus says.  And the Pharisees hear him say this and they have a good laugh.   They ridicule Jesus for they were “lovers of money,” Luke tells us.  That’s when Jesus turns and has a few words for the Pharisees, which includes this story.  Let’ s listen as Rev. Adelia reads to us from the gospel of Luke.   

Luke 16:19-31 19 

‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. ²⁰And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, ²¹who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. ²²The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham.^* The rich man also died and was buried. ²³In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.^{* 24}He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” ²⁵But 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. ²⁶Besides 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.” ²⁷He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— ²⁸for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” ²⁹Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” ³⁰He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” ³¹He 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.”

     We would agree I imagine, that Hell is a pretty horrible place to end up.  Fire.  Foul smelling, belching gas.   An eternity of damnation, suffering and pain.   So, most preachers, I guess would sum up a sermon on Hell by basically telling the flock that you should stay away from it.  Sort of like telling a child to stay away from a hot oven.  “Don’t touch that!  It’ll burn ya!”   Hell.  Yep, I reckon that in general, we’re "agin it."   But Hell figures pretty prominently in this story Jesus tells. 

It’s a story about Lazarus, a beggar who lived a life of tragic suffering on this earth.  He longed to eat even the crumbs that might fall from the table of the rich man, who lived a life of sumptuous pleasure and self-indulgence. 

Soon, they are both dead.  Lazarus, I might guess from hunger, and the rich man, from, well…who knows…clogged arteries perhaps from all that sumptuous feasting.   And in death, Lazarus is carried by the angels to heaven to be at Father Abraham’s side.   The rich man, on the other hand, finds himself in a hell of a spot, literally, consigned for eternity to be tormented in the agonizing flames of Hades.

We often make assumptions as to why certain people might spend eternity in heaven, and why others might go…you know…”down there.”  What does this story tell us?   Anything in the story you can find that this poor man was faithful in his keeping of the law of Moses?  Or that the rich man was inadequate in his following of the religious code?   You see, that’s how it was assumed back then that people made it to heaven or hell.   But Jesus tells a story suggesting something far different.  

Now…get ready….this will make many of us uncomfortable.   Jesus suggests that the poor man was taken to heaven for no other reason than because his life here had been hell on earth.   And…that the rich man finds himself where he is for no other reason than because he had gotten all the good rewards already in this life.   As Jesus tells the story, he has Abraham tell the rich man, “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.”

Can that be?   The poor and the suffering go to heaven simply because they suffered much in this life?   And the indulgent rich go to hell simply because they lived the good life?

As Jesus tells this story, it no doubt felt like a smoldering cinder burning inside the Pharisees who heard it.   Sort of feels that way to me, if I’m honest.  I live a pretty good life.  My clothes are pretty nice compared with some of the people who come to the church for assistance with rent or utilities or medicine.  I feast pretty well.  Not many crumbs left under my table…or, on my plate for that matter.  I don’t want to hear a story where the rich man is sent to hell only because he had plenty when he was alive.   We all try to see ourselves in Bible stories, but that’s a game I don’t want to play this morning, because well…I see myself and it’s not where I would want to be in the story.

Those of us with plenty of resources, those who, like me, have enough to indulge ourselves might become more carefully aware of the needs of those who do not have enough.  Those who, in our culture who are wanting for adequate food, shelter, and health care.

         Americans living in poverty increased during 2009 to reach the highest level in 15 years.  The Census Bureau released a report in September that showed the number of Americans living in poverty had reached the highest reading since 1994, approaching poverty rates of the 1960’s.  14.3% of Americans, or 43.6 million people, were living in poverty in 2009, up from 13.2% recorded in 2008.

The group’s findings also showed that the median household income dropped another 7 tenths of one percent in bringing the total change to a 4.2% drop over two years.  Heidi Shierholz of the Economic Policy Institute said,” The deterioration in the labor market from 2008 to 2009 has been the worst we’ve ever seen.”

         This parable, of the rich man and Lazarus, is heard differently depending whether you are one of the haves, or one of the have-nots, doesn’t it?  Perspective is everything.   Reminds me of the story of the man who walked forward in church to give his testimony.

           “I’m a multi-millionaire today because of God!" he said.  "I attribute it all to the rich blessings of God in my life.  I remember the day I turned my life, my all over to God.  As a young man, I went to a church service one night, to hear a missionary speaker tell about his work.  I knew I only had one lone dollar bill in my pocket and had to either give it all to God’s work or nothing at all.  So at that moment I decided to give my whole dollar-everything I had-to God. And God blessed that decision, yes He did.  He allowed me to become a multi-millionaire because I gave my all to him."

            A profound hush fell over the congregation as the man moved toward his seat.  As he sat down, a little old lady sitting in the same pew poked him in the side and said, "Gave it all, did you?”   “I did!” he said proudly.  The old woman looked at him, “I dare you to do it again."

            I’m sure the man thought it was hell sitting next to that woman that morning.

The rich man wants Lazarus to ease his own suffering.   The tables have been turned.  It is the rich man who now is the beggar.   And Lazarus with the means to ease his suffering.   But Abraham reminds the rich man that a chasm prevents Lazarus from helping him, even if he wants to.  

The rich man recognizing that nothing can be done about his own fate, realizes that the rest of his family is in danger of the same end.   “Warn them,” he pleads.  Send Lazarus to warn them.”   The rich man wants Abraham to send a sign to his brothers.  To warn them to heed the needs of the poor.  To quit living in self indulgence.  To use the resources at their disposal for the needs of all of God’s children, for fear that they also would come to have one hell of a time for all of eternity.

            But a sign, Abraham insists, is not what the rich man’s brothers need.  Only the truth of God’s word.   Perhaps if the man had discovered in this life what he discovered in hell, he would have realized that Lazarus was his brother as surely as those who lived inside his father’s house. 

Abraham supplies the simple truth to the rich man about his brothers.  “Those who do not respond to Holy Scripture--the law and the prophets, will not likely respond to anyone, even one resurrected from the dead.” 

Ah. 

Those who do not understand that Scripture makes it one’s responsibility to share what they have with those who have nothing, then it won’t matter much even if someone is raised from the dead. 

            Eventually, the rich man will get his sign--a sign from beyond the grave to get the attention of his brothers.  A man killed on a cross, to return from the dead as a sign,  as a calling to live our lives for the needs of others.   A sign for all the rich man’s brothers and sisters, even today. 

For we’ve not only the law, not only the prophets, but also the gospel news of the resurrection of the Christ.  Will we listen?   Or you suppose that  Abraham is right about those who are deafened by wealth and prosperity and comfort and abundance?   They have a tendency to not listen, even if a man rises from the dead.  Hmm.