Proper 21

Preparation

    Please begin by reading Luke 16:19-31 in your Bible. If you do not have one at hand, we have provided that text for you at the end of this reflection.

Reflection--A Challenge

    Jesus’ tells a well-crafted tale calling attention to some of God’s road signs for living, and to the consequences of ignoring those signs.  It is a story of two chasms, one human-made and one God-made.  One chasm is between unshared abundance and need.  The other is between those who have honored God’s plan for their lives and those who have not. 

Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus makes it clear that God issues a challenge to us as individuals and as a community of faith.  God has never made it a secret that God is deeply concerned with the “have nots” and powerless of the world.  God’s deep care for the vulnerable has been posted on God’s road signs for life for thousands of years.  While Jesus reiterated the theme, both in his teaching and in the way that he lived his earthly life, those signs were in place even before Jesus came.  There were, as this story points out, “Moses and the prophets.”

At the conclusion of this story, Abraham says “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”  Of course someone WAS raised from the dead.  As Jesus predicted, many still do not listen even in the face of that world-shaking event. 

The rich man could not claim ignorance.  He knew of Lazarus’ appalling need.  Lazarus was in his path every day and the rich man knew him by name.  Rather, the rich man ignored what God’s directions for living required—compassion and justice.  There are consequences for ignoring God’s road signs.  The consequence for the rich man was facing God’s just judgment.

Poverty and injustice confront us on a daily basis, just as they did the rich man.  The need is so great that we often look away, overwhelmed, or we justify our neglect of God’s work with “everybody else does it” rationales. 

God is not interested in excuses.  God challenges us to reform our lives, individually and as a community.  We are not called to satisfy our every desire with the time, talent, and wealth that God graciously gives us, but to use them to further God’s plan for justice in the world through meeting human need in its many forms.  God’s challenge to all of us is to begin moving toward that reformation individually and together as a community of faith.  How can we begin?

revclay

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Luke 16:19-31

      [Jesus said]  “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.’” [NRSV]