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Scripture: Luke 16:19-31 What I want to know is: Why did Jesus draw such a stark contrast between the rich man and the poor beggar, Lazarus? I mean, the rich man has a daily banquet at a bounteous table. He has robes of royalty over Egyptian undergarments. Nothing about him ever hints of need. As we say, he was set for life. Isn't that right? The poor man, clothed in running sores, squats among the dogs gaunt, hollow-eyed, and famished. He has his face turned toward the rich man's house. He has every need imaginable. Both men die, but only the rich man is buried. Now their roles are reversed. Lazarus is an honored guest at the messianic banquet. The rich man lies in anguish in the flames of Hades. What we're talking about is, why did Jesus draw such a stark contrast between the rich man and the poor beggar Lazarus? Well, he did it to make a point. Right? He wanted to make a point to his audience. Have you ever noticed that sometimes the key to a story lies in the audience to which it is addressed? Jesus is addressing the Pharisees. And you understand that the Pharisees were a money-obsessed bunch. Luke describes them as "lovers of money." As lovers of money they scoffed at Jesus' position on the subject of wealth. A few verses earlier in this chapter, they heard Jesus and rolled their eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch. Think about it. Like the rich man, the Pharisees were set for life. Like the insensitive rich man, they received their "good things" during this lifetime. They lived above the everyday problems that everyone else faced. They wore their pride like jewelry. They had more wealth than they could possibly use. Yet they belittled those who lived hand-to-mouth. With all their status and power they strutted through life giving no care for God or man or woman or anybody else. You've seen them, no doubt. And they got there the only way a Pharisee can do it. They got there with a theology that said, "God blesses the good people, and God punishes the bad people." Fred Craddock, a New Testament scholar, tells us that the Pharisees found in selected passages of Scripture a "gospel of wealth." They found the confirmation of their love of wealth in the law and the prophets. Let me try to illustrate from Scripture that whoever is careful to obey the commands of God will be highly favored. It's right there in Deuteronomy. "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, and the fruit of your beasts, the increase of your cattle, and the young of your flock" (Deut 28:3-4, NRSV) It's right there in Scripture. It's a simple formula. You've heard it, no doubt. Wealth-blessed of God-and obedience to God's commands. It's a simple formula. You can find it in Scripture. The righteous shall prosper, and the wicked shall suffer. For the Pharisee this was a realistic portrait of a person whose wealth was taken as evidence of God's favor. For the Pharisee this was a realistic portrait of a poor man whose poverty was taken as evidence of God's punishment. Do you see the theology assumed in the parable that Luke is attacking? It's a theology that says the one who delights in the Law of the Lord, in all that he or she does, prospers, but the wicked are not so (Psalm I). Do you hear it? I think we get the point. What's missing here? What's missing here are other passages from the Law of Scripture. You know. "You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in the land" (Deut 5:7-11, NRSV). What's missing here are other passages from the prophets of Scripture. You know. "I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies…But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever flowing stream" (Amos 5:21, NRSV). What's missing here are other passages from the teaching of Jesus. You know. "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God" (Lk 18:25, NRSV). Do you hear what I'm saying theologically? The way you read the Scripture determines how you spend your money. So we have to choose our words carefully. We have to become as clear about the meaning of Scripture and the will of God concerning material goods as we are about spiritual things. We have to become as versed in the biblical view of earthly wealth as we are about heavenly matters. We have to become as informed about the poverty of this world as we are about poverty of the spirit. Think about it. The meaning of Scripture and the will of God concerning material goods, wealth, and poverty were a vital subject in the debate between Jesus and some of the Pharisees. The debate continues, but now it is between Jesus and some of his followers. According to Luke, wherever some eat and others do not eat, there the kingdom does not exist. Quote whatever Scripture you like. |
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Harold
J. Hoekstra