Sunday, September 21, 2022

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Amos 6:1-7
Psalm 146
1 Timothy 3:1-13
Luke 16:19-31

His spirit departs, and he returns to the earth. In that very day, his thoughts perish.

Lectionary Scriptures for September 25, 2016, Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Amos 6:1-7; Psalm 146; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Luke 16:19-31

“His spirit departs, and he returns to the earth. In that very day, his thoughts perish.” Psalm 146, WEB

Amos was a prophet who was sent to the Northern Kingdom, Israel, in the middle of the eight century B.C. This was a time of prosperity and security; the people were comfortable. They were comfortable because they thought their prosperity was a sign of God’s blessing. They thought they were reliving the golden age of Israel, like when David and Solomon were king. They followed the rituals of worship and thought in doing so that they had earned their prosperity; they thought God was pleased with their worship and that they had no other concerns. Unfortunately, their beliefs were pagan in nature.

Things were not great in the Northern Kingdom, referred to in Amos as “the House of Joseph.” Joseph’s son Ephraim was the forefather of those who settled in the Northern Kingdom which was so close to Assyria that the Assyrians were able to assimilate themselves into the lives of the Israelites. The Assyrians were strong and offered protection. The people intermarried, and the foreign gods became part of the daily living of Israel. They were politically secure, and they were spiritually arrogant. They did not see the destruction that was happening to Israel from within their hearts. Have you ever noticed how things are different and yet the same?

The scene in today’s passage shows us a gathering of leaders, comfortably feasting in Samaria. The feasting lasted for days. It was opulent and excessive. Amos warned them that they are ignoring the reality of their future, that invasion is near, and the time of exile is much closer than they expected. The luxury in which they are wallowing is obvious: they were lying on beds made of ivory and were overindulging in the finest meats, wine, and oil. Not only were they gorging themselves while danger waited around the corner, but they were also using the resources that were meant for God. The choice lambs and fatted calves were meant for sacrifice. The bowls were taken from temple in Samaria, and originally part of religious ceremony, but now being used by the leaders to get drunk. The oil was also used for ceremonial services. In other words, they were not only ignoring the turning of Israel from God, but they were also stealing from Him to celebrate their prosperity and security.

Amos warned them that it would end. They thought they were safe and comfortable, but they would be the first to fall. The leaders that thought their prosperity was the very sign that God was with them would be the first to realize that He had left them to fend for themselves. In this they would learn that not only is the Lord God Almighty ruler over Israel, but He is ruler over all the earth. He commands even the armies of His enemies, granting them the power over His people for the sake of their lives and their future.

This warning should have brought those leaders to their knees, turned them back to the God of their fathers. They refused to listen and did not hear; they ignored the promise of downfall because they thought that they had done enough to earn God’s grace. They worshipped as was required, but they had forgotten what was most important: that God calls His people to practice justice and mercy. The leaders who gorged on the finest meat and lounged on ivory covered couches had no concern for the welfare of the people over whom they had been appointed. The reward for their indifference would be exile. There would no longer be ivory covered couches or extravagant feasts. Suffering would come at the hands of those whom they trusted because they stopped trusting the only One who could give them peace.

It might make sense to us to do whatever seems right by trusting in the power we see while ignoring the true power that would save, but we learn that power isn’t always what we think it is.

Anne Hathaway played a character named Andy Sachs in the movie “The Devil Wears Prada.” Her character was a journalist who was desperately seeking a job in New York. She was an excellent writer with no experience, so she was rejected by the newspapers. She finally settled for a job as the second assistant to the editor at “Runway” a fashion magazine. She did not know anything about fashion, and she did not care. She thought it was a frivolous waste of time. However, the job was much sought after, the “job a million girls would die for,” and she knew that if she could survive a year, then she could get any job she wanted in the city. She was tried and tested repeatedly.

When she hit the point of quitting, she asked a friend what she was supposed to do. She said she had tried hard to do a good job and he responded that she hadn’t tried at all. She had not tried to conform, to fit in. He told her it appeared as though she thought herself better than the other girls at “Runway.” So, at that moment she decided to make the changes necessary to fit in. She began wearing the designer clothes and she lived the job. She proved herself worthy of the position and even exceeded expectations. She became better at the job than Emily, the girl who was the first assistant. Miranda Priestly, the editor, decided to take Andy on an important trip to Paris. This was like a demotion for Emily, and Andy had to break the news to her. It broke her heart to do it, but she felt she had no choice.

Later in the movie, Miranda did something that really hurt Andy’s friend, pushing him aside for the sake of her own career. As the boss and Andy discussed this situation, Andy said, “I would never do that to my friend.” Miranda said, “Oh, but you did... to Emily.” Andy thought the situations were different, but she realized that she had given up her integrity to get ahead. She had destroyed a relationship for the sake of her career. She put herself first so that she could get where she wanted to go.

Sometimes we think it is necessary to conform to the ways of the world so that we will get ahead or get that job we want or to succeed in this life. We see how those who humbly trust God never seem to win. They get stepped on and pushed aside. So, we conform to the expectations of the world in which we live to get ahead. The humble are seen as weak failures, cursed and rejected. However, the one who is faithful to God is not willing to conform. He or she is the one that puts faith ahead of success; they are unwilling to lie, cheat or steal to prove they are the best.

In the end, Andy realized that she had made a big mistake. She realized that she was wrong to put herself ahead of her friend for the sake of a job. She walked away from “Runway” without a second thought, returning to where she began for the sake of her integrity. She apologized to those whom she had hurt and restored those broken relationships. She even earned the respect of Miranda in the end, for making the choice to pursue what was right rather than what might have seemed best. Miranda even gave her the lift she needed to get that job she really wanted.

The psalmist reminds us that God loves those who love Him. He is our help in our successes and though our failures. He upholds us, gives us food, sets us free, gives us sight, and lifts us up. He guides and guards us when we are far from home or when we have lost those we love. He protects us from our enemies. He is the Lord God Almighty and our hope is found in Him, through the blood of Jesus Christ. We all experience rejection. Sometimes it is our faith that puts us in that position. It is so tempting to conform to the ways around us, to do what we need to do to fit in or to succeed according to the expectations of the world around us. However, there is blessedness in the life of the underdog who lives by faith because God regards those in humble circumstances. When we are the underdog, we look to someone greater for our help and hope. As people of faith, it is God to whom we turn. There we will be blessed.

The people of the Northern Kingdom arrogantly thought they deserved God’s blessing because they did the right things, but their hearts were not humble before God. That was the problem with the rich man in today’s Gospel lesson.

Lazarus was obviously very sick. He had sores all over his body and he was so hungry that he was willing to eat the crumbs which are given for the dogs. Lazarus was poor, not only in money, but also in flesh and in friends. He did not have anyone to care for his needs, those apparently responsible for him were so uncaring that they simply laid him at the gate of a rich man in the hopes that he might get some compassion and help. The only ones who showed any concern were the dogs who came and licked his wounds, which was not pleasant. It was offensive that anyone would allow this to happen to another human being.

The rich man is the opposite of Lazarus. Not only is he so wealthy that he has a home with a gate and food enough to eat, but he is also healthy and surrounded by friends. The rich man never noticed the sick man at his gate, distracted as he was with all the good things he enjoyed. The differences between these two men are obvious and we would be right, both in our society and in the society in which they lived, to say that the rich man had been blessed and the poor man was cursed.

However, Jesus turned the story upside down; both men died and went on to very different fates. Lazarus was carried away on wings of angels to live for eternity with Abraham. He was so alone in this world that he did not even have anyone to dispose properly of his body. He was probably not even missed as those responsible for him were relieved to be set free from the burden. The rich man was buried, most certainly with great pomp and mourning. Perhaps the family even hired people to fill his funeral with tears and cries of grief. He probably had a fine casket and an expensive tomb. Those whom he left behind shared in his blessedness even after he was gone.

This is where the story turns. The rich man, who had been blessed in his life, found himself suffering the torment of Hades. To add to the torture was the fact that the rich man could see Abraham caring for Lazarus in his bosom. He could see Lazarus blessed with a place in heaven, but there was no way for him to be part of that blessedness. He cried out to Abraham, “Have mercy on me.” All he wanted was a drop of water for his tongue. Abraham could not provide for his needs and answered, “Child, remember that you received your blessings in life and Lazarus suffered. Now it is time for Lazarus to be blessed.” Abraham had compassion and concern for the rich man. He still called him “child,” however the chasm between the two was too great for Abraham to cross.

The rich man realized his failure and wanted Abraham to send Lazarus to tell his family. He wanted them to tell his family how to live so that they would not have to suffer the same torment. Abraham was unable to provide this service to the rich man. He said, “They have Moses and the prophets.” The rich man argued that they needed something drastic to help them see the truth of what they knew from Moses and the prophets. These are not bad people. Wealth is not bad. They were probably even good Jews, doing all that was expected and living according to the Law. However, they had forgotten the intent of the Law: that all God’s people would share in His kingdom on earth. They had forgotten that they are blessed to be a blessing, that they are given good things to share with those who do not have good things. They had forgotten that true joy came with living by faith, being content with enough and giving the excess to the glory of God. Just as Amos warned the people of his day to practice justice and mercy, so too did Jesus warn the people in His day.

Lazarus was obviously sick in body, but the rich man had a less obvious dis-ease. He was sick in spirit, separated from God by his apathy and blindness to the needs around him. While Lazarus will live for eternity in the Kingdom of God, the rich man will suffer without the love and mercy of Christ Jesus. This is a message we all need to hear so that we will make a difference in the lives of those who are suffering. Jesus is not telling us that we must be sick or poor to be admitted into heaven. He is not telling us that the rich will automatically be sent to Hades. He is reminding us to not be so distracted by the world that we miss out on seeing those who need us. We have been blessed to be a blessing and that it is in sharing the Kingdom of God with others that we will know the joy and peace of eternal life.

Perhaps, like the rich man in today’s Gospel story, we just stop seeing. I wonder how many times God places before us a need that we fail to notice; instead of giving bread from our table, we just step over them. We ignore a lot of needs in our world for one reason or another. Today’s Gospel lesson makes us uncomfortable because we have seen the needs of those around us but we all too often make excuses to ignore them. The rich man knew Lazarus by name; it is likely he passed Lazarus many times as he entered and exited through the gates to his house. I have also passed, too many times, the man begging on a downtown street corner.

Timothy was a young man who came from a faithful and faith-filled family. He was the son of Jewish mother and Greek father. Timothy, his mother, and grandmother may have become followers of Jesus during one of Paul’s visits. Timothy became like a son to Paul and was instrumental in Paul’s ministry, often going on important missions to encourage and strengthen the churches Paul established. Today’s epistle lesson comes from a letter Paul sent to Timothy in Ephesus where he was working to strengthen the church against false teaching. It is a letter that shows us that the Gospel leads to practical, visible changes in believer’s lives. False teachers were leading people astray, but Paul shows us what it means to follow Jesus. Faith begets holiness in the lives of believers.

Today’s passage focuses on those who are in leadership. The descriptions of both the pastors and deacons seem almost too hard; after all, we are reminded that they are only human, too. These characteristics, however, are expected of those who are leading God’s church because if they don’t live up the expectations of God’s Word, how will those who live under their care know how to live?

The psalmist calls us to live in the hope of God’s promises. When we praise God, we see the world through His point of view. We see what justice and mercy look like. We see what it means to be righteous. We see how He bridges the gaps between people and reconciles them to Himself. We see the Lazarus who is on our doorstep and realize that our selfishness is affecting others in a negative way. We hear His voice as He calls us to share what we have with those we see through God's eyes. We might have doubts about whether we are being good stewards of our resources, but we can trust that God will make all things right. If the rich man had lived by faith, trusting God by seeing Lazarus and blessing him with what he needed, he would not have been on the wrong side of the gap.

We might not be wealthy or powerful, but we are still to look at these scriptures through the lens of our own lives. How are we failing to see those outside our own palaces that need a few crumbs of what we have to offer? We may not have much, but there's always something, and it doesn't have to be material. Do we have a gift or talent, the time or the physical energy to do something for another? Our neighbor may not ask for help, but when we see the need, it is up to us to step forward and share what we must meet that need. It doesn't matter if we are rich or poor. It doesn't matter if we have power or not. What we, as Christians, are reminded in these scriptures is that God has called us to be His hands in a world full of people who need something we must give.

Our problem is not that we are too rich or even that we don’t share our wealth. I imagine every one of us can list the things we have done recently for someone: the money we have given to charities, the time we have given to the church and other ministries, the kindnesses we have done for our neighbors. Perhaps we are right when we claim that we can’t do it all. However, we are called to a life of compassion and mercy, a life in which we look for the one whom God has dropped on our doorstep with whom we can share our life and resources. Lazarus may just have been sent to the rich man in life to bridge the gap between them.

Our wealth will fade. It will not take us into heaven or follow us into hell. When we die, everything we have done on earth will be lost. Everything will be lost but faith. What is most interesting is that faith is the greatest treasure that we have, and yet we all too often take it for granted. And while these lessons are about the proper use of our wealth in this world, we have a wealth beyond our imagination that we tend to hoard for ourselves.

God calls us to gap the divide between heaven and hell by sharing the Gospel of Jesus. He is the bridge. We have been given bread that will satisfy our greatest hungers, but are we willing to share even a few crumbs with our neighbors? When was the last time you shared the Gospel of Christ with someone who crossed your path in both word and deed? The world is filled with people who are hungering Jesus, starving and they don’t even know it. So, let’s be humble people, seeing the world through God’s eyes. Let’s work with Him to bridge the gaps that divide us now and forever. Let’s see the Lazarus God has dropped on our doorstep, feed him with bread and the Bread of Life so that we’ll dwell forever together in the bosom of God our Father.

While God is concerned about our salvation and the destination of our souls after death, He is also concerned with the life we are living today. Christian faith is not just about whether we’ll end up in the bosom of our father Abraham. It is about reconciling the world, bridging those gaps that seem too hard to cross. In this life, however, the gaps are not impossible. The rich man and Lazarus shared the same space, but they were worlds apart. A simple meal and a clean robe would have bridged the gap not only in this world, but in the one to come.

Are we too at ease in our world today, comfortable and prosperous that we don’t notice those who need our help? Are we facing gaps in our own eternity because we have failed to share even the crumbs from our tables? As Amos warned, it isn’t enough that we are in church on a Sunday morning going through the motion of worship. God sees our hearts and is looking for those who will live in humble submission to God, acting with justice and mercy in the world. Our time on earth will come to an end; are we ready?

Our works will never earn us a place in eternity, but our faith is meant to lead us toward being a blessing to others, reconciling people, and sharing God’s grace. This means turning away from the things that distract us; it means keeping our priorities right. It means keeping God in focus and remembering that He is the Lord of heaven and earth. It means listening to God and responding to the opportunities He drops on our doorsteps. It means being the best we can be. If only the rich man had shared some bread and some drink with the man named Lazarus who was dropped at the gate of his home, perhaps there would have been no chasm between them in eternal life.