“LAZARUS, DIVES, AND CHRIST”
Saint Luke 16. 19-31
First Sunday after Trinity: 6 June Anno Domini 2010
Fr Watson SSP
Christ's parable is true for every one of you. If it were only about the sins of the rich man it would be easy to dismiss as mere moralisms about sharing creature comforts. The Muslim Green Cross helps as many poor beggars as the Western Red Cross-that's not the point.
You are called by God and constrained by the Spirit to love your neighbor as yourself. You are obligated to keep the second table of the Law by being God's creation. You are privileged to love your neighbor as yourself as New Man and New Woman, co-heirs with the Lord Jesus.
Your sin is everywhere. In your rationalizations, excuses, projections, transfers, and fear, you fail to help the Lazarus' in your life every bit as much as the rich man.
But I preach unto this day, at this moment, your sanctification (your holiness) in Christ! In Jesus, Who is active in you, take stock of your abundance and your neighbor's want and give as a little Christ, a Christian. Do it.
And I preach unto this day, at the rest of this homily, Christ (your justification) for you, for Lazarus, and for all who hear and believe the Word.
Dives, the rich man, did not go to hell just because he let Lazarus starve to death outside his door. Were that the case heaven would not have enough saints to play one table of contact bridge. Dives went to hell because He rejected the Hebrew Scriptures proclaiming the coming of Messiah. He was damned for rejecting the Word of the Patriarchs, Prophets, good Kings, and Poets. He was to inhabit that place of sadness and loneliness because he rejected the message of Saint John Baptizer: "REPENT AND BELIEVE."
Lazarus went to heaven because he held on to the Lord even when he had nothing else to hold on to; he was clothed in the Lord even when his own garment was rotting away; he was fed by the Lord's righteousness even as his ribs poked through a bloated belly of starvation.
Dives had his indolent life style and conspicuous conception lifestyle. He probably feasted alone most of the time - - which prepared him for his solitary starvations for eternity. But the real rich man is your Father Who art in heaven. His table is set with the choicest of meats and the best wines on the lees. He wants His banquet table crowded and joyful. You will be eating and singing and having delight with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You, like Lazarus, are the real rich man because Jesus, like Lazarus is the real poor man. He who "…being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, BUT made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant…he humbled himself and became obedient unto death…" [Philippians 2. 1ff]
Jesus gave up His Trinitarian raiment and has taken upon Him the flesh and blood of His creatures. And, though the Incarnation is not a lowering of His majesty, the non-use of His divinity (for the majority of His 33 years of visible ministry) was. Lazarus had rags; Jesus had His own garb stripped off of Him for His crucifixion. Lazarus had sores and illness, Christ had scourged and lacerated open-wounds, and the sickness of your sin. Lazarus was outside the supposed mansion of might, and Jesus died outside the city of Jerusalem the supposed continuing city of God's chosen people. No! Not wealth, not blood and DNA connections, and not works do make on Children of Abraham.
The Lord's chosen are those who hear the word of God and believe it.
This is God's parable-God's truth. These words of the God/Man are strong indictments against the non-believing Jews of His day and all non-believers ever since.
The answer? The solution? Look to Lazarus. You think the hounds were licking his sores trying to take away his few last crumbs of moldy bread? Maybe. But Lazarus himself was a little dog (along with the Syro-Phoenician woman) under the Lord's Table dining on the good BREAD Who is Life Incarnate. Appearances are deceiving: that should be one of the Christian's most famous aphorisms. Look to Christ in the face of Lazarus' weakness and humility. Look to Christ in the weakness of apostolic preaching; of ordinary tap water; of inexpensive white table wine and cardboard consistency bread wafers. These instruments of Mercy bring you The Merciful One. These means of Grace bring you the Gracious One. These words, and words attached to elements, bring you the Word Who obeyed for you, who suffered for you and who died for you. You are forgiven. You are restored. Receive the Word Made Flesh in His Word and rest in the arms of Abraham, the assurance of forgiveness and home forever and ever.
In the Name + of Jesus