As we
prepare to talk about the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, I want to remind
you of what Jesus said in Luke 8:9-10 - And when Jesus’ disciples asked him
what The Parable of the Sower meant, 10 he
said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of
God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not
see, and hearing they may not understand.’
This means
that Jesus told parables both to reveal the character of God’s kingdom, but he
also told parables to conceal the message of the kingdom. And that means we
need to be careful when we interpret Jesus’ parables to rightly hear them. And
I think that is especially true in this parable. So …
Why did the
Rich Man go to hell? Was it because he was rich? No. Was it because he was
greedy? No, that was just a symptom of a deeper problem. Was it because he
wasn’t generous enough? No. Again, that is a symptom of a deeper problem.
Let’s come
at this another way. How does a person get to heaven? Earn it? Good works? No.
Ephesians 2 – It is by grace that we have been saved by faith, and this is not
from ourselves; it is the gift of God. No one deserves to go to heaven. Our
salvation is always a gift given by God and won for us by Jesus on the cross.
So this
parable is NOT about HOW we get to heaven. Some have tried to make it about
that, but that’s not the point. That’s not why Jesus told it.
So what is
Jesus doing in this parable? He’s following up on the parable that we read last
week – The Parable of the Unrighteous Manager – in which he confronts us about
how we manage the things of this life which he has entrusted to us to use for
his purposes. Everything we have is God’s. He has given them to us as a
stewardship for the work of his kingdom.
In this
parable, we hear, “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine
linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.” The problem isn’t that the
man is wealthy, the problem is that the Rich Man’s life is focused on his
comfort, his enjoyment, and his pleasure. His life is wrapped around his wealth
to the harm of his neighbor – especially Lazarus, this beggar that is right
there at his doorstep.
The love of
money is a root of all kinds of evil. (Pause on that! It is not, “Money is the
root of all evil.” It is the love of money that is the root of all kinds of
evil. And friends, this is a temptation we all face!
Remember,
Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was. He said, “Love the Lord your
God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. And the second is like it:
Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love your money … even love your life, is not
on the list. Live your life and use your money as God guides you with His love.
How we use
our wealth gives us insight into our hearts – and this can be a 1st
Commandment issue. God wants us to fear, love, and trust in him above all
things. This is the heart of the rich man’s sin – he loved his wealth more than
God, and because he didn’t love God, he didn’t love his neighbor. Because when
we love God, his values start to get reflected in our lives. His priorities
start to shape us.
We actually
catch a glimpse of this in our reading, too. When the rich man is in torment,
he speaks with Abraham and asks for Lazarus to bring just a drop of water to
ease his suffering. Did you notice what Abraham said? “Between us and you a
great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you
may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.” Why would anyone want to
leave paradise to go to Hell? The other way around makes sense! But from
paradise to Hell? It makes sense if the people in paradise are so moved with
love for their neighbor that, in compassion, they want to relieve their
suffering.
There comes
a point at which intervening in another person’s life is no longer possible. We
can only do that in this part of our lives. St. Paul once commented that he was
willing to be damned if it meant saving his fellow Jews. And it is in this
time, in the places and relationships of this world, in the ministry of the
Church that we get to show love in such a way.
We want to
share love to relieve the earthly suffering of people, and we do rightly to
feed the hungry, help the poor, clothe the need, and advocate for justice for
the oppressed. These lives we live matter! But these lives are also a small
part of the eternal lives we all live, and in love and compassion our work is
to bring the message of the gospel to people – both within the church because
we still need to hear about and receive Jesus’ love and forgiveness, and
outside of the church so people might come to receive Jesus’ salvation for
their souls.
That’s the
point Jesus’ parable ends with. The rich man wants Lazarus to be sent back to
his five brothers to warn them. Abraham tells him, “They have Moses and the
Prophets, let them hear them.” In other words, they have God’s Word – that’s
what they need to hear. The rich man objected, “No, but if someone comes back
from the dead, they will repent.” Now listen to Abraham’s response, “If they do
not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone
should rise from the dead.”
Do we know
anyone who rose from the dead?
We have been
entrusted with so many great gifts, and one of the greatest is God’s Word. It
teaches us right and wrong, truth, how to live, God’s will, and so much more.
But it also delivers faith and salvation; Jesus’ death and resurrection to us. And
this is what we’ve been given above all to share with the world – the message
of God’s love that is found only in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
So, this
parable confronts us with the question of where our love will be focused – on
the pleasures of this life or on God and our neighbors? But it also points us
to a messenger who is risen from the dead to rescue us from sin, death, and
hell. And that is what this is all about.
In the
parable, they both died – one loving the Lord his God, and the other loving his
wealth. We all will die – what will we do with this time? With this
opportunity? With this life?
By God’s
grace, we will live in His love, loving God and loving others. And when we fall
short – look at how much God loves you … He has prepared this Holy meal for you.
… Amen
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