Second Presbyterian Church

"Lazarus & The Rich Man
Preaching From the Gospel of Luke"
May 15, 2005

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Sermons Homepage » Sermons for 2005 » Sermons for May 2005 » Sermons from the Series on Luke

#50 in the Series on Luke
The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.

• Proverbs 14: 21
• Jeremiah 7: 1-7
• Luke 16: 19-31

Again, I have mentioned that there are portions of Luke that can make an individual very uncomfortable. Again, this is one of those passages. It is DESIGNED to discomfort the comfortable. And, strangely enough it comforts those who may be struggling in this life. Let's take a closer examination.

First of all, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is not just a parable against crass materialism and opulence. It is a parable about interpreting the scriptures correctly. It is about the subject of who is your master: God or material wealth. If we posses material wealth, then the question for us is, "How are we managing our God-given wealth? Are we placing wealth first in our lives? Or is the wealth we have being used by us to enhance how we serve God?"

The rich man has no name. Interestingly the poor beggar does have a name, Lazarus. This is the only parable by Jesus that we know about that names one of the characters. When the audience heard the description of the rich man and Lazarus, the poor man, they would naturally think. The rich man is a good man; God has blessed him, because he possesses so many riches. His wealth was evidence that he was a good man who was blessed by God.

Lazarus was a poor, crippled beggar who had sores on his body and who was starving. So, the audience would assume that God cursed Lazarus in order for him to be in that state. Many tended to believe that God blessed those who were good with prosperity and punished those who were bad with poverty and hardships.

The story took a surprise turn when Lazarus died and rested in the bosom of Abraham. They must have raised their eyebrows further when they heard that the rich man had gone to Hades and was in torment there. "This isn't right! The good (== the wealthy) are to be in paradise and the bad (= the poor) are supposed to land in Hades! Isn't that what the Good Book teaches?

The Pharisees were half right.

"And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers. He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you. (Deut. 7: 12-13)

Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. (Deut. 28: 3-4)

The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, when you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deut. 30: 9-10)

This is true, but it is only half the truth. The LORD did promise the Children of Israel that they would prosper if they obeyed the Law of the Covenant. The problem became apparent when some people became rich and prosperous and therefore it was automatically accorded to them that they were obedient to the Law and had been blessed by God.

But the Pharisees had put the trailer before car. A good man may prosper, but a prosperous man may or may not be a good man. We all tend to prosper spiritually when we continue to follow Jesus Christ faithfully. Yet not all Christians will be materially well off.

What also makes this a half-truth is this. The rich man apparently had no dealings at all with Lazarus. Lazarus was just a poor, crippled beggar who lay outside the rich man's gate. It may well be that the rich man just assumed that Lazarus only got what he deserved; that for some reason God must have cursed him. After all he was a crippled man and a poor man. God must have placed a curse upon him, or he wouldn't have been in such a wretched state!

If one is to interpret the scriptures, then one needs to interpret them in their entirety. We noted passages that supported wealth and prosperity as signs of God's blessings and favor. Now listen to these passages, from the same Bible.

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner. I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19: 9-10)

If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. (Deut. 15: 7-8) The theme continues on through verse 11.

The prophets often called to the Kings of Israel and Judah and to the movers and shakers of the land to remember the poor, the widow and the orphan. And that when they did not show mercy on them, they were breaking the Law of the LORD. Here is just one example.

Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? (Isaiah 58: 6-7)

Jesus was pointing out that the Pharisees were interpreting scripture in a very biased, unfair manner. Wealth, in and of itself did not signify a faithful follower of the Law. The Rich Man in the parable found that out the hard way. Even while he was pleading with Abraham, his arrogance came through in that he wanted Lazarus to serve his wishes: first to wet his tongue with water; second, to be able to return and warn his five brothers.

The important point is twofold. First of all we must be very leery of how we view ourselves and how we manage our wealth. It is not an automatic ticket to paradise. It runs the danger of becoming our god, rather than God being our God.

Secondly, right interpretation of the scriptures may make a big difference in one's future. Do we listen to the scriptures in their entirety? Sometimes the Evangelical Christians emphasize one's relationship with Jesus Christ, that we need a personal relationship. And this is true. Yet, this does not carry so well into issues of ministering to the vulnerable and the poor in one's community. More liberal Christians will place an emphasis on social justice, but seem to downplay, even ignore, one's personal relationship with Jesus Christ. African American Christians, at least some, will go along with Evangelical Christians on certain issues, such as being against abortion. Yet they find it hard to understand why White Evangelical Christians do not get excited about social injustice and racial discrimination.

Many, many different aspects, or groups of Christians have certain ways to understand and interpret the scriptures. Each group needs to be careful that it is not skewing the Gospel in one way at the expense of the other. The Pharisees believed that wealth was a sign of God's favor and began to ignore and avoid what the scriptures said about caring for the poor, the foreigner, the widow and the orphan. As Americans we do not often look at ourselves as very rich. Yet by global standards we are. If Jesus were speaking to us in this parable it would probably be more through the lesson of the rich man, rather than the assurance that Lazarus received for his suffering on earth.

Do we interpret the scripture in its entirety? Do we tend to ignore, at great risk, some important aspect of the written Word of God because it might make us uncomfortable? Jesus is calling us to examine whom we really worship: God or our material wealth. If it's the latter- no matter how poor we are - then we are in deep trouble. If we worship God, even with our material possessions, then we are no longer trying to serve two masters, but are being faithful to God. God grant us the grace and courage to worship and serve Him with our heart, mind, soul, and body, including our wealth. Amen.

The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.