September 29, 2019
Amos 6:1a, 4-7; Luke 16:19-31
First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL
Christina Berry
Amos was concerned that the economic system of Israel in his time was not what biblical law envisioned. The Jubilee legislation in Leviticus 25, for instance, mandated a system whereby no one could accumulate too much wealth and where every family had land to support themselves. Even if they had to sell their land because of illness or drought, they got it back in the Jubilee year. Amos’s judgment is harsh, but some 40 years after Amos prophesied, Assyria conquered Israel and took them into exile. Amos chastises those who say economic inequality is just “the way the world is,” and he criticizes strongly those who are idle rich while the poor struggle just to survive.
Let’s listen for God’s word to us in Amos 6:1a, 4-7:
Alas for those who are at ease in Zion,
and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria.
Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches,
and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the stall;
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp,
and like David improvise on instruments of music;
who drink wine from bowls,
and anoint themselves with the finest oils,
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile,
and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Once again this week, we have a parable from the Gospel of Luke. Last week, we heard Jesus tell a story of a shrewd but dishonest steward. He has been telling stories about money. Just before Jesus tells the story we are about to hear, the Bible tells us:
“The Pharisees, who were money-lovers, heard all this and sneered at Jesus.
He said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves before other people, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued by people is deeply offensive to God.’”
This must have troubled those who heard it, even as the story Jesus then told must have done.
Let’s listen for God’s word to us in this story Jesus told:
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores.
The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.
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.'
But 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. Besides 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.'
He said, 'Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house—for I have five brothers--that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.'
Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.'
He said, 'No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'
He 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.'"
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Lazarus must have been hard to miss.
He was sick and poor and hungry, and probably he smelled.
Having someone like that right at your front door,
you’d have to step around him whenever you leave the house.
You’d probably want the police or somebody to come around
and make him move along to some other doorway.
We don’t see people like Lazarus in our doorways,
though if you go to a major city, especially in a developing nation,
you are likely to encounter people who are devastatingly poor and sick.
Most of the time, we are advised to ignore such people –
don’t make eye contact and above all, don’t give them anything.
Now, our story doesn’t say that Lazarus was begging,
but for me the image that comes to mind as I read the parable
is a sick old homeless man, bundled up in rags, sitting in a doorway.
And in his lap is a cardboard sign that says, “Hungry. Disabled. Need help.”
We don’t know if the rich man ever acknowledged Lazarus,
but he apparently never helped him, either.
And we know that they weren’t complete strangers,
because after they were deceased,
the rich man, when he was giving orders, called Lazarus by name.
“Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue;
for I am in agony in these flames.”
“Send him to my father's house—” to warn my five brothers.
He could not comprehend the kind of poverty
in which Lazarus would have been grateful for what fell to the floor.
He was not willing to step into the world of someone so poor.
He was deaf to the cries of the needy.
The rich man was like those the prophet Amos describes: lounging on the couch, eating lamb and veal, singing along with the latest hits of the Israelite harps, drinking wine and soaking in the hot tub. The rich man might as well have had a sign on his cloak that said “I really don’t care.”
He was oblivious to those who lay just outside his gates. Even in death, the rich man cannot really see Lazarus or hear the message of his life and death. The chasm between them in death was too great, impossible to cross. It was too late.
Even then, the rich man makes no expression of regret.
He doesn’t convey even the slightest concern for his behavior.
The chasm between them in death was too great.
And the chasm between them in life was too great.
It was a chasm created by the rich man’s complete lack of concern
for this human being who was literally on his doorstep.
It was a chasm so deep and so wide that he could not hear Lazarus at all.
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores.
The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.
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.'
But 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. Besides 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.'
He said, 'Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house—for I have five brothers--that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.'
Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.'
He said, 'No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'
He 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.'"
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Lazarus must have been hard to miss.
He was sick and poor and hungry, and probably he smelled.
Having someone like that right at your front door,
you’d have to step around him whenever you leave the house.
You’d probably want the police or somebody to come around
and make him move along to some other doorway.
We don’t see people like Lazarus in our doorways,
though if you go to a major city, especially in a developing nation,
you are likely to encounter people who are devastatingly poor and sick.
Most of the time, we are advised to ignore such people –
don’t make eye contact and above all, don’t give them anything.
Now, our story doesn’t say that Lazarus was begging,
but for me the image that comes to mind as I read the parable
is a sick old homeless man, bundled up in rags, sitting in a doorway.
And in his lap is a cardboard sign that says, “Hungry. Disabled. Need help.”
We don’t know if the rich man ever acknowledged Lazarus,
but he apparently never helped him, either.
And we know that they weren’t complete strangers,
because after they were deceased,
the rich man, when he was giving orders, called Lazarus by name.
“Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue;
for I am in agony in these flames.”
“Send him to my father's house—” to warn my five brothers.
He could not comprehend the kind of poverty
in which Lazarus would have been grateful for what fell to the floor.
He was not willing to step into the world of someone so poor.
He was deaf to the cries of the needy.
The rich man was like those the prophet Amos describes: lounging on the couch, eating lamb and veal, singing along with the latest hits of the Israelite harps, drinking wine and soaking in the hot tub. The rich man might as well have had a sign on his cloak that said “I really don’t care.”
He was oblivious to those who lay just outside his gates. Even in death, the rich man cannot really see Lazarus or hear the message of his life and death. The chasm between them in death was too great, impossible to cross. It was too late.
Even then, the rich man makes no expression of regret.
He doesn’t convey even the slightest concern for his behavior.
The chasm between them in death was too great.
And the chasm between them in life was too great.
It was a chasm created by the rich man’s complete lack of concern
for this human being who was literally on his doorstep.
It was a chasm so deep and so wide that he could not hear Lazarus at all.
There was another chasm there, too.
That was the huge gulf between the rich man’s head and his heart.
The distance was so huge that if there was a twinge of compassion,
if there was even the faintest yelp of empathy from his own heart,
the rich man could not hear it.
The sound was drowned out by the rich man’s head
by the voices that told him idolatrous lies:
“This man Lazarus is not your concern.
You have important tasks to attend to – just ignore him.
If you gave him money, he’d probably waste it, or get drunk.
Anyone this poor probably made a lot of bad choices.
Someone else will take care of Lazarus.”
If only the rich man’s heart could have spoken more loudly to his head!
In our country today, there is a marked divide between the two main political parties and how they view wealth, poverty, and care for those in need. According to the non-partisan Cato institute, Republicans believe welfare assistance ought to lift people out of poverty; because they do not see this happening, they believe the programs are ineffective and should be reduced. Democrats see welfare as a social safety net, a way to protect the vulnerable. Because they see this happening, they believe the programs are working, and should be increased.
Of those who receive food stamps, cash welfare, housing assistance and other benefits,
65% say they would rather earn their own living. And who are these people? The picture may not be what you think. Welfare recipients are 57% female, 43% male; 57% of them are white, 22% African American, 11% Latino, and 2% Asian.[1]
All that data is interesting, and it helps us know who in our own world and time is like Lazarus. But it doesn’t help us really listen to those outside our gates. The data doesn’t help us reach across the gap to them. The data doesn’t bridge that chasm between our own hearts and our own minds.
That was the huge gulf between the rich man’s head and his heart.
The distance was so huge that if there was a twinge of compassion,
if there was even the faintest yelp of empathy from his own heart,
the rich man could not hear it.
The sound was drowned out by the rich man’s head
by the voices that told him idolatrous lies:
“This man Lazarus is not your concern.
You have important tasks to attend to – just ignore him.
If you gave him money, he’d probably waste it, or get drunk.
Anyone this poor probably made a lot of bad choices.
Someone else will take care of Lazarus.”
If only the rich man’s heart could have spoken more loudly to his head!
In our country today, there is a marked divide between the two main political parties and how they view wealth, poverty, and care for those in need. According to the non-partisan Cato institute, Republicans believe welfare assistance ought to lift people out of poverty; because they do not see this happening, they believe the programs are ineffective and should be reduced. Democrats see welfare as a social safety net, a way to protect the vulnerable. Because they see this happening, they believe the programs are working, and should be increased.
Of those who receive food stamps, cash welfare, housing assistance and other benefits,
65% say they would rather earn their own living. And who are these people? The picture may not be what you think. Welfare recipients are 57% female, 43% male; 57% of them are white, 22% African American, 11% Latino, and 2% Asian.[1]
All that data is interesting, and it helps us know who in our own world and time is like Lazarus. But it doesn’t help us really listen to those outside our gates. The data doesn’t help us reach across the gap to them. The data doesn’t bridge that chasm between our own hearts and our own minds.
God’s command to feed the hungry,
clothe the naked,
care for the needy
care for the needy
and welcome the stranger
will never make logical sense.
Jesus’ preferential option for the poor will never be a campaign slogan. But those commandments are there, and they are all over the Bible, and they continue to demand something of us, something more than just an intellectual assent to the facts.
Jesus knew that chasm is hard to bridge.
Jesus knows that we tend to do what is of greatest benefit
to ourselves and those we love.
Jesus knows that parables work better than logic to change our hearts.
The rich man is a trope, but he represents a lot of people.
Lazarus is just one character in a story, but he is outside all our gates.
Jesus knows there is a big chasm between what he calls us to do
and what we would really like to do.
He knew the money lovers, the servants of wealth,
did not want to change.
That’s why he told stories.
In stories, we can see, and feel, and taste and touch the heart of the matter.
In stories, we can come nearer to the truth than in statistics.
In stories, we can listen to truths we could not otherwise hear.
My father grew up wretchedly poor,
with eight siblings and violent alcoholic father.
Frequently, there was not enough food to eat;
always, there was want and need and fear.
He told us that he and his brothers always said that when they grew up,
if they ever saw a little kid as poor as they were,
they were going to just walk right up to him and give him a quarter.
I asked him if they ever did that, and he said,
“I never saw a little kid as poor as we were.”
My dad was one of those people who always gave to those who asked.
Dad was always picking up some kid to take to church with us.
Dad would do legal work for people who could never afford to pay him,
and he’d trade out fees for work for some of them.
There was often a man who owed Dad money working on our house.
The modern version of Lazarus was not outside our gates;
he was in our house.
There was a kid named Junior that Dad helped out,
from the time Junior was a teenager – a high school student.
My folks bought Junior’s school supplies, and shoes,
and they helped him buy a car.
Junior would come out to my folks’ place in the country
and work for my dad – you know – tilling, mowing, moving things.
I’m sure my dad overpaid him and gave him make-work jobs.
My brothers became concerned about all that my dad was doing for Junior.
They were frustrated that Dad was giving him money,
and they resented how much Dad had done for him and his family.
They were afraid that Junior was on drugs,
and that he might one day harm Mother and Dad,
if he came out to their house looking for money and didn’t get it.
My dad was one of those people who always gave to those who asked.
Dad was always picking up some kid to take to church with us.
Dad would do legal work for people who could never afford to pay him,
and he’d trade out fees for work for some of them.
There was often a man who owed Dad money working on our house.
The modern version of Lazarus was not outside our gates;
he was in our house.
There was a kid named Junior that Dad helped out,
from the time Junior was a teenager – a high school student.
My folks bought Junior’s school supplies, and shoes,
and they helped him buy a car.
Junior would come out to my folks’ place in the country
and work for my dad – you know – tilling, mowing, moving things.
I’m sure my dad overpaid him and gave him make-work jobs.
My brothers became concerned about all that my dad was doing for Junior.
They were frustrated that Dad was giving him money,
and they resented how much Dad had done for him and his family.
They were afraid that Junior was on drugs,
and that he might one day harm Mother and Dad,
if he came out to their house looking for money and didn’t get it.
They tried talking to my dad about it,
saying they were concerned for Mom’s safety.
Dad wasn’t persuaded.
Finally, they said, “Dad!
Junior is just taking advantage of your generosity!”
My dad laughed and said, “Well of course he is!”
The rich man asked that Lazarus go and warn his brothers,
but Abraham said it was no use.
What would it take to convince you?
saying they were concerned for Mom’s safety.
Dad wasn’t persuaded.
Finally, they said, “Dad!
Junior is just taking advantage of your generosity!”
My dad laughed and said, “Well of course he is!”
The rich man asked that Lazarus go and warn his brothers,
but Abraham said it was no use.
What would it take to convince you?
Abraham 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.'"
In the words of our Lord,
who was executed for blasphemy and sedition,
and on the third day rose from the dead,
“Those who have ears, let them hear.”
who was executed for blasphemy and sedition,
and on the third day rose from the dead,
“Those who have ears, let them hear.”
Amen.
[1] https://www.cato.org/publications/survey-reports/what-americans-think-about-poverty-wealth-work
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