Loving God, you claim us as your own through baptism and send us out in order to make a difference in our world.  Inspire and strengthen us this day by your Holy Spirit, renewing our compassion for those who are most in need; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    So we heard this parable today about the rich man and Lazarus.  And as with all of Jesus’ parables, there is at least one thing in this story that would have totally shocked Jesus’ hearers.  Do you have any idea what that might be?  What do you think would have been most shocking to those who first heard this parable? [responses]

    In all likelihood, the most shocking part of this story would have been the fact that Lazarus ended up with Abraham.  The people listening to Jesus would have assumed that because Lazarus was poor and sick, he was being punished for his sins.  They also would have most likely assumed that the abundance that the rich man possessed was a sign of God’s blessing and favour.  And so when Jesus tells this story in which Lazarus is carried off by the angels and the rich man is being tormented, it is a total reversal of everything that people would have believed.

    As it turns out, Luke is particularly big on reversals like this.  “He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty” (Lk. 1:52-53).  It seems that as soon as Jesus comes along, the ways of the world get turned completely upside down.  People think it’s all about being rich and famous, and that’s where true happiness is found.  However, as 1 Timothy reminds us, Jesus calls us to discover “the life that really is life” (6:19).

    And so, in this parable in which this great reversal occurs, what do we find there for us?  Some people over the years have seen in this parable a literal description of heaven and hell and a warning to believe in Jesus or else.  However, I’m not convinced.  It seems to me that there is a lot more going on in this parable than any sort of literal predictions.  Of course, I do think it is probably difficult for most of us to see ourselves in either Lazarus or the rich man.  They seem to represent two extremes, and most of us are probably somewhere in the middle.

    However, there are also the brothers of the rich man to consider.  These brothers seem to experience a fair bit of apathy and indifference.  They have been given the Hebrew Scriptures to hear and to read and to live by.  They have at least heard the books of Moses and the prophets read to them.  Apparently, just as in the case of the rich man, this has had very little effect on how they live.  And so, the rich man is convinced that if somebody could just go back from the dead and warn them, then they would listen and repent and change their ways.  However, the parable ends on a very ominous note: “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead” (Lk. 16:31).

    So here we are as people who have seen somebody rise from the dead.  And have we been convinced?  Do we know how great God’s love is for each and every one of us?  Do we know God’s special concern for the poor and the orphans and the widows?  Do we know that it is those who are humble and poor and lowly and oppressed who will be lifted up and exalted in the kingdom of God?  Do we know that there is more to this life than accumulating wealth and possessions and empty promises?

    When this parable mentions Moses and the prophets, these are books that mention over and over again how those who worship God are to care for the poor and the orphans and the widows and for strangers and for all those who are most vulnerable.  God’s concern for the “least of these” is expressed over and over again – a concern that is echoed in all of Jesus’ teachings.

    Sometimes it’s not entirely clear to us how we might do this or how any of us can make a difference.  However, one of the things we discover in this parable today is that even the smallest things do make a difference.  Did you notice what Lazarus longed for as he sat by the rich man’s gate?  He wasn’t looking for much.  Even just the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table would have helped to satisfy his hunger.  And the rich man, too, when he is suffering, makes some pretty small requests.  All he wants is a drop of water to cool his tongue and a message to be sent to his brothers.  Things that seem to us to be so small can make all the difference in the world.

    And so today, I’m going to give you a bit of a challenge.  I’m going to give each of you a loonie, and I’m going to invite you to use it in some way to care for the poor and vulnerable.  You can decide to do something on your own, or you can go together with a few other people in order to pool your loonies.  It’s up to you.  But I invite you to use it in some way to care for the poor and vulnerable, and then let me know what you did.  It’s actually a pretty small amount by today’s standards, and yet, the smallest thing can make a big difference – especially when you have next to nothing to start with.  And so, be creative and use a small thing to make a difference for those who are most vulnerable.

    One of the questions that we are taught to ask with any Scripture reading, and especially with the gospel is “what is the good news here?”  With today’s gospel, the good news might be hard to find at first.  However, as at least one commentator points out, this is a parable, not a prediction.  Neither the rich nor the poor need to suffer, for Jesus shows us a different way – a way where people share their blessings and care for one another.  Obviously, not everybody in the world does this, but as people who believe in Jesus and follow him, we can make a difference in the communities of which we are a part.

    And of course, we do not do this on our own.  It is the Holy Spirit who works through us and who gives us wisdom and discernment and who fills our hearts with compassion and love.  All of us go forth empowered by the God who loves us to make a difference in this world.  For God has given us all that is needed, including the gift of life in all its fulness through Jesus Christ.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Lectionary 26(C)                                Luke 16:19-31
September 29, 2013                            1 Timothy 6:6-19
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2013 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved