One of the reasons I use the
lectionary as the basis for which Bible passages are selected
for sermons is that it forces me to deal with difficult passages
and themes which I might otherwise avoid. There are those, I
know, in every congregation who want all sermons to be comforting.
When passages of that type appear in the lectionary I am glad
to see them for so much of God's
word in both the Old and New Testaments is challenging. The voice
of the prophets and the voice of Jesus quite often force us to
look at our lifestyles in the light of what God asks and expects
of us. It is not always comfortable to hear nor is it always
easy to share.
Luke, more than the other Gospel writers, chooses to use the
teachings of Jesus that show the contrasts between the haves
and have-nots of society. Nowhere does Jesus ever seem to say
it is a sin to be rich. What Jesus almost always says is that
it is wrong to love your riches more than God, and it is wrong
to love your riches more than you love your neighbor. Jesus was
well versed in the teachings of Judaism. He really doesn't
add all that much to these teachings. Most often He seems to
be saying that these teachings need to be understood and followed.
He constantly is reminding His neighbors and us that we are to
take seriously the teachings of Moses and the other prophets.
What Jesus sometimes does is expand the meaning of the Old Testament
teachings.
In their instructions the prophets advocate for the proper
treatment of the poor and the weak among our neighbors. Part
of the crop was to be left in the field so that hungry people
could eat. Widows and their children were to be helped and always
included in the feasts of the people. Workers were not to be
exploited. Interest payments were to be fair or not enacted at
all. Debts were to be canceled every seven years. Aliens and
all others were to be treated in a just manner. Honesty in all
transactions was expected as standard behavior.
This parable is not so much about whether or not Dives, the
rich man, gave Lazarus a few coins or saw to his wounds being
treated. We get a clue about this from the story of the Good
Samaritan. Leaving a stranger for whom he had cared for at an
inn the Samaritan gives these instructions. "Take care
of whatever he needs and when I return I will repay you." (Luke
10:35)
George A. Buttrick puts it this way in his book, The
Parables of Jesus (New York: Harper and Bros., 1928) 143. "This
story offers no support to the glib assumption that Dives would
have fulfilled all duty had he dressed Lazarus' sores and
fed his hunger. True charity is more than flinging a coin to
a beggar; it is not spasmodic or superficial. Ameliorations such
as food and medicine are necessary, but there is a more fundamental
neighborliness." R. Alan Culpepper writes in The
New Interpreter's Bible Vol. IX, p. 320, "Fundamental neighborliness, therefore,
is the barometer of the soul, an indication of the attitude of
one's heart that is prized in the sight of God."
What Jesus was attempting to do with the Pharisees of His day
and of our time is to help them understand that many people need
an attitude adjustment. It is bigger than the rich/poor continuum.
It has more to do with how we feel about ourselves in relation
to others. We are not expected to put ourselves down nor are
we expected to see ourselves better than others.
All age groups, genders, races and economic groups can err
in this area. Junior high students seem to have a reputation
for being hard on each other. At a time when individuality is
being formed we often see them form cliques or groups that are
exclusive of anyone who seems different. While they seem quite
adept at this they, unfortunately, do not have a corner on the
market on this one.
Millard Fuller, author of The Theology
of the Hammer and co-founder
of Habitat for Humanity writes, "God's love extends
to everyone — with a preferential concern for the poor." We
do not want to admit it, and certainly government provides a
great deal for the poor of society, but government is controlled
by the rich and powerful of our society who are using the law
to protect their interests. Seldom do the rich and powerful give
anything away without some hard fought battle being waged by
the so-called little people. This phrase, "little people",
was once used by Leona Helmsley, the 247th richest person in
the world. She once boasted, "Only the little people pay
taxes." (U.S. News and World Report, Aug. 23, 2004, p.
EE9) I guess she lumps all of us who are here this morning in
this group!
What a contrast of attitude between this woman and Albert Schweitzer
who upon hearing today's parable gave up his lavish life
in Europe and went to Africa to start a hospital to help the
poor. Helmut Thielicke, the great German Lutheran scholar who
opposed Hitler once said, "Tell me how much you know of
the sufferings of your fellow men and I will tell you how much
you have loved them."
I believe it takes more than knowing about the suffering of
others. What we do in the face of that suffering reveals the
true attitude of our heart. This can play out as one cares for
a dying family member or works for peace in a country they will
never visit. This plays out in how seriously we pay attention
to candidates' positions and how we vote. This plays out
in whether or not we befriend the kid who is different or join
with others to ridicule him or her.
This parable is about so much more than a rich man who seemed
concerned only for his own pleasures. It has to do with the fundamental
relationships of Creation — the relationship we have with
God, with others and the world in which we live. It is a parable
about what ultimately gives us life and meaning. Ultimately it
is a parable about God's love and how we are to recreate
it through our own loving.
The rich man's sin was not limited to not feeding Lazarus
or not attending his wounds. The rich man's sin was believing
that Lazarus was worthy of being considered a human being. It
was discounting him as being less than someone who is worthy
of the best the rest of us can offer. You see when we offer life
to the many Lazuruses of this world we find life in a world that
has no end. Attitude, it seems, has a lot to do with whether
or not we ever truly discover what is ultimately important in
life. |
