St. Luke 16:19–31
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
If you heard Jesus’ story about the rich man and Lazarus for the first time, it would probably surprise you when you hear that the rich man ends up in hell. Maybe it was still a surprise for you today. The poor man Lazarus dies and is brought to Abraham’s bosom, meaning Lazarus is a true child of Abraham and so a child of God. The rich man also died and was buried… and in hell, he was tormented. It sounds as if the rich man was surprised too. He tries to claim familiarity with Abraham, saying, “Father Abraham, send Lazarus to comfort me.” In the torment of Hell's flames the rich man's cry for mercy is finally boiled out of him. But it’s too late. Whether or not Father Abraham’s reply surprises us, it should call us to repent: “Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things… but now… you are in anguish.”
Our Lord threatens to punish all who break his commandments. Therefore, we should fear His wrath and not do anything against them. So, why are we afraid of so many other things instead? We fear that we will not be liked, or that our lives and deeds will not be remembered, instead of fearing that our lives and deeds are not faithful to God and to His Word. We’re afraid that our family may not be happy, but we’re not afraid that our family might lose faith and salvation. We are more afraid that we might have to work more hours for fewer dollars, or that it might rain on the weekend—than we are afraid of temptation. Why do we fear the disapproval of men more than God Himself? Repent.
To have no other gods means more than just placing no trust in our wealth and reputation, which we struggle with almost constantly. To have no other gods means more than simply to love God more than the things of men, or even to love going to Church and never get bored or critical during the sermon. But to have no other gods also means that you shall fear God above all things. Jesus said, “Do not fear those who can only hurt the body (or the economy, or the society). Fear God who can throw both body and soul into hell.” Fear God who shows no partiality, no favoritism. He is not impressed by riches or patriotism or even morality. Fear God, or you too will have had your good things in this life... and then nothing but punishment.
But do not misunderstand our Lord's parable. He does not reward poverty and punish riches. He is not merely the balancing force of the universe, making sure that people get what’s coming, or that the poor underdog triumphs over the evil corporate rich men. That would be a god after our own image. We cannot make ourselves poor to earn a place with Lazarus in heaven, and it won’t help to inflict ourselves with hunger or injuries. The problem was not that the rich man was rich, and the solution was not that Lazarus was hungry. The problem, the crisis is about not hearing. “Send Lazarus to my brothers to testify,” the rich man says. “Someone from the dead would lead them to repent.”
But that would not help. They have Moses and the Prophets. They have all they need. But the rich man actually says, “No. Those are not enough.” Even in Hell, even to Abraham who still calls him “child,” the rich man cannot accept that the testimony of the Scriptures is enough. But he got his reward, he got the things he desired, and they have left him alone in hell.
But Lazarus, who had nothing at all, he had the one thing needful. He has Moses and the Prophets; and he has the One they testify about, and so he has life. He has the One who died, poor, wounded and ignored outside the gate: our Lord Jesus Christ. The name “Lazarus” means “One whom God helps.” And so, in Jesus, Lazarus was helped, He received mercy. In Jesus, Lazarus was given riches, health and food for his weakness. In Jesus, Lazarus found comfort and finally found rest.
The rich man and his unbelieving brothers were deaf to the conviction of Moses' Law and dead to the prophets' call to repentance and faith in the Lord. So not even a resurrection could persuade them. But Lazarus believed God’s Word, and so the One crucified in his place and raised on the third day spoke the certain promise of rest from temptation, the calming of all fears and healing from sin and, finally, the promise of his own resurrection.
You know this Jesus too, because you hear the Scriptures that testify about Him. You know that His death has swallowed up death, that He has broken Hell's gates for you and that with faith in Him you have nothing to fear.
But for now temptation remains. The never ending quest for riches and earthly security drives your appetites. Your fears threaten to crowd out Christ's light and peace. Worries put His sufficiency out of your mind. And when you look at your own meager, half-hearted repentance, and how you still go after the sins you know you shouldn’t, you are tempted to despair. But take heart in this: His Word is still heard. Your repentance is half-hearted because you are still in the flesh and a war rages within you, but there is repentance and there is faith. The Lord Himself sustains it despite your Old Adam. The Lord continues teaching you to hate what your fallen flesh loves, and teaching you to love what He gives.
Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. Abraham received the promise of the Offspring in whom all nations would be blessed. He trusted that promise. And from that promise he was credited with the righteousness of Christ, the promised Offspring. The Lord’s mercy was his. And that is why Abraham recognizes Lazarus as his own and receives him at his bosom. Lazarus also trusted in Abraham’s promised Offspring, Jesus Christ, and so he is Abraham’s true son. And so are all who trust in Jesus, Abraham’s Offspring. His promises are given to us by Moses, the Prophets, and the Apostolic Scriptures, and they create faith in us. And so we bear the name of the crucified Savior who gives His life for us. We are Christ’s, and so we are also Abraham’s children, heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:29).
It’s really no surprise then that we, like poor Lazarus, find ourselves bearing the cross of trial and temptation. The cross that we bear is the mark of Jesus. The reason that sin and temptation hurt and fill us with regret is because Christ is our only righteousness, because we bear His Name and we are His. The reason we feel and fear our doubts is because we have faith. Unbelief is not bothered by guilt or doubt. So, your struggle with sin and doubt is the mark of those redeemed by Christ the crucified. It is the mark of those who are precious to Him.
And even though you cannot see this mark with your fleshly eyes, it is not easily erased. The Lord Himself marked you with His cross in the lavish flood that drowns your Old Adam and preserves your new life. When you hear His testifying Word preached and proclaimed here, Christ is rewriting His Word on your heart. And He confirms this mark upon you with the most tangible thing of all: eating and drinking a feast in which He gives Himself to you. Again and again he marks you with His cross so that no false promise of riches or success and no fear of worldly trouble will be able to tear you away from Him.
Finally, when the Lord pulls back the curtain, faith is able to see the truth: Lazarus was the blessed one all along. He was truly rich. He was the heir, the son who had everything, because faith receives Christ’s righteousness, and that is enough. His Word is enough. And the Lord’s gifts are enough. His mercy endures forever. And soon He will call us from this vale of tears. Soon He will send His holy angels to bear us to Abraham’s bosom. And there we will receive only His good things, the righteousness of Christ that is already counted to us by faith.
In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.
Adapted from Rev. Sean Daenzer, Trinity 1, 2015, verbachristi.blogspot.com
