09252022 – Luke 16. 19-31
According to the Harvard Business Review if you earn over $10,000 a year…you are in the top 14% of the WORLD’S RICHEST PEOPLE. I say this, just for “perspective.” And, because, as we know, everything is “relative anyway.”
So, the “master storyteller” is AT IT AGAIN.
With “a very few descriptive words,” he is able TO PAINT A PICTURE of OPULENCE only known to a FEW PERSONS in the ENTIRE REGION.
The FINEST of clothing, the most LAVISH and SUMPTUOUS foods, living in what is PURE LUXURY, SPLENDOR, and DECADENCE. Riches and wealth BEYOND all imagination.
But this COMES as NO SURPRISE to us, who know that ONE out of every SEVEN passages in Luke’s Gospel is about MONEY or WEALTH.
The sequel, the Book of ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, also has “a BLEAK OUTLOOK” when it comes to WEALTH and RICHES.
What we have is “a story,” “a parable,” about STARK CONTRASTS and incredible REVERSALS.
A lowly BEGGAR named Lazarus has been “dropped off” (or disposed of) at a RICH MAN’S doorstep, by persons who remain unknown.
And a VERY WEALTHY individual – remains “strangely UNNAMED.”
THEIR FATES are POLAR OPPOSITES.
There have always been EXTREMES, there have always been CHASMS or opposites, or differences, between people.
Jesus is about to CHALLENGE an AGE-OLD ASSUMPTION that this man’s WEALTH – came directly from GOD and that he was HONORED and FAVORED by God.
At that time, most people BELIEVED this to be the case. How could it NOT BE? Quite obviously, the man was BLESSED. Just look at ALL that he possessed.
MOST PEOPLE hearing this story would “ASSUME” the wealthy man was a GOOD man…a MAN of God…and definitely blessed.
The rich are always blessed and the poor are always cursed. (Some of that same kind of thinking still persists today.)
Jesus SEEMED to want to EXPOSE the problems that lie behind “the love of money.”
After all, there are Pharisees listening-in to this story, and we have been told that THEY LOVED MONEY, they loved riches.
The dogs licking the wounds of the “poor beggar” sounds to us like some kind of a final indignity.
Jesus is attempting to reverse the ASSUMPTIONS and the JUDGMENT of the crowds.
It is NOT Lazarus that is “LOWER than the dogs,” but the RICH MAN, because even “stray-random-feral-dogs” act MORE COMPASSIONATELY towards Lazarus THAN the rich man does.
You get the impression that SHOWING COMPASSION and showing MERCY is an important thing.
We “get it” that we are supposed to make a mental note!
There is another COMPLICATION when both men DIE. It represents a kind of TWIST and a TURNING POINT in the story.
Now what? Everyone knew what to EXPECT.
The hearers would have been in COMPLETE and TOTAL SHOCK to learn that the rich man was in HADES and the poor man was WITH Father Abraham.
HOW COULD THIS BE? That’s not the way things are SUPPOSED to work!
One senses the overall “Jewishness” of this story, with references to Moses, the Prophets, Hades and to Father Abraham. The people would be intrigued and captivated…totally buying in…
The rich man still ASSUMES (wrongly) that Lazarus is his servant, his slave, his flunky, his lackey, his chattel, his property, existing only to do – his every wish and command.
Again, that is NOT THE CASE!
Where LAZARUS is, the destitute and the poor are received with warmth and compassion.
The real bite in the story – comes in its warning to the rich…those with money…those who have stuff.
Now, it is NOT MY INTENTION to make anyone feel uncomfortable…but allow me to go back to where I began… “IF” you earn over $10,000 a year…you are in THE TOP 14% of the WORLD’S RICHEST PEOPLE. Again, this is just for comparison’ sake.
WE know SOMETHING about ALL the INDIFFERENCE that is present in our world. We see it everywhere.
We know something of the BIAS and the PREJUDICE.
We know something about ALL THE ASSUMPTIONS that are CONTINUOUSLY being made…
WHERE is there warmth?
WHERE is there mercy?
WHEN and WHERE do WE show COMPASSION to those less fortunate than we ourselves?
The rich man and his brothers are NOT condemned because of their wealth, but because of their INDIFFERENCE…because of their FAILURE to relieve the sufferings of others…
Again, this was Jesus at his finest!
Amen.