Sunday, September 28, 2025

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

For those who have served well gain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

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.

The first letter Paul wrote to Timothy is a charge to ensure that the church’s corporate life embodies certain key elements. As God’s household, the church must order its worship, doctrine, and life in accord with the principles of Paul’s gospel persevered in the church liturgical fragments. He wrote that healthy doctrine is concerned with spiritual transformation and ethical conduct, not with speculation. Unhealthy teaching is preoccupied with minutiae, particularly in this case various aspects of Jewish law and genealogies and ascetic beliers or special knowledge because it doesn’t match up with the Gospel and does not lead to greater virtue. Church leaders are servants who must be mature people of faith with proven character and good reputation in the broader community who also possess the gifts and experience from God to teach, administer, and serve. Paul also addresses the subject of women in the church, encouraging them to be prayerful, godly, and to teach their children faithfully, suggesting that some will serve in ministry, possibly as deacons, according to their gifts and opportunities.

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? Paul is encouraging Timothy to help make the growing church healthy, following good and true doctrine with leaders who life as God calls us all to live.

There was a movie a few years ago called “The Devil Wears Prada.” Anne Hathaway starred as a character named Andy Sachs. She was a journalist who was desperately seeking a job in New York. She wanted to write for a newspaper, perhaps doing hard hitting reporting that will change the world. Despite her excellent writing, she had no experience, and no newspaper would hire her. Since she couldn’t find the job she wanted, she settled for a job at a fashion magazine as second assistant to the editor. She saw fashion as a frivolous waste of time, but she knew that if she could handle the job for just a year, she could write her own ticket in any other publication. She was out of place and had little knowledge about the industry. She was the underdog that was tried and tested over and over again.

When she hit the point of quitting, she asked a coworker 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 she was better than the other girls at the magazine. 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 expectation. She became better at the job than Emily, the girl who was the first assistant. The editor decided to take Andy on an important trip to Paris, in essence demoting Emily who had looked forward to the trip for a long time. It broke Andy’s heart to break the news to Emily because she had become a friend, but she felt she had no choice but to go.

Later in the movie, the editor did something that really hurt a coworker, 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 destroyed a relationship for the sake of her career. She put herself first so that she would no longer be the underdog.

The world expects us to conform so that we will succeed. We know that the underdog gets stepped on and pushed aside, never winning, so we conform to the expectations. The underdog is seen as a failure, cursed and rejected. However, the underdog is usually the person who refuses to conform, who puts integrity ahead of success, who is unwilling to lie, cheat, or steal to prove themselves.

Andy realized that she was wrong to conform to the expectations of the world that put her ahead of her friend for the sake of a job. She walked away from the magazine without a second thought, accepting that she might have to continue being an underdog for the sake of her integrity. She apologized to the friends she had hurt and restored the broken relationships. She even earned the respect of the editor in the end, who helped her get a job that was better suited for her goals and abilities. She was blessed for doing what was right.

The movie had nothing to do with faith, but in Andy’s story we see what happens when we conform to the world and what happens when we repent. Christians that refuse conform are underdogs, but most of us are tempted to do whatever we have to do to succeed. Too many of us let the world dictate what we think and do so that we will not fail. Though few are willing to lie, cheat, or steal, we might be willing to push aside another for our career. We might be willing to change how we live to fit in. We might be willing to keep our faith silent, so we won’t be rejected by others.

God loves those who love Him. He is our help in success and our failure. He upholds us, provides for us, 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 often experience being the underdog in our home, work, and social activities. 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.

This is something that Israel didn’t always understand or accept.

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 by 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.

The Northern Kingdom was situated close to Assyria, so close that the Assyrians were able to assimilate themselves into the lives of the Israelites. The Assyrians were strong and offered protection for Israel. The people of both nations intermarried, and the foreign gods became part of their daily lives. God’s people seemed politically secure, but they were spiritually arrogant. They did not see the destruction that was happening to Israel from within their own hearts.

The scene in today’s Old Testament passage shows a gathering of leaders comfortably feasting in Samaria. The feast lasted days, it was opulent and excessive. Amos warned that they are ignoring the reality of their future, that invasion was near and that the time of exile was much closer than they expected. They were wallowing in obvious luxury, laying on beds made of ivory and overindulging fine foods, wine, and oil. Not only were they gorging themselves on the finest resources 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 and the oil for ceremony. The bowls taken from temple in Samaria were originally used for religious ceremony, but in this passage, they were used to get drunk. They were not only ignoring their rejection of God, but they were also stealing from Him to celebrate their prosperity and security.

Amos warned them that it will end. Though they thought they were safe and comfortable, they would be the first to fall. The leaders thought their prosperity was a sign that God was with them, but they would soon realize that He had left them to fend for themselves. God would allow their failure to be a reminder that the Lord God Almighty is not only ruler over Israel, but also over all the earth. He commands even the armies of His enemies, granting them the power over His people for the sake of their life and future.

This warning should have brought those leaders to their knees in repentance so that they would turn to the God of their fathers. They did not hear; they ignored the warning of downfall because they thought that they had done enough to deserve God’s grace. They checked the box of worship, but they forgot what was most important: that God calls His people to practice justice and mercy. The leaders who gorged on the finest food 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 that they would lead their people into the exile. They would no longer feast in Samaria. They would suffer at the hands of the Assyrians they trusted because they stopped trusting the only One who could give them peace.

The rich man thought he had it all. He thought he deserved his good life, and he reveled in it, wearing purple and fine linen, feasting on good food. At his gate lay a sick man named Lazarus. He had sores all over his body and was so hungry that he was willing to eat the crumbs which are left for the dogs. Lazarus was poor, not only in money but also in flesh and friends. He did not have anyone to care for his needs. Those apparently responsible for him were so uncaring that they simply dumped him at the gate of a rich man in the hope that he might get some compassion and help. The only ones who seemed to show any concern for him were the dogs that licked his wounds. This was not a good thing: it was unhealthy and offensive.

The rich man is exactly the opposite. He had more than enough of everything: a home, food, good health, and friends. He was distracted by the good things he enjoyed and never noticed the sick man at his gate. The differences between these two men are obvious and it seems as though the rich man truly is blessed and the poor man cursed.

Jesus turned our perspective upside down. Both men died and went 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. Those responsible for him probably didn’t even miss him; it was probably a relief to be set free of 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 turned. 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, “Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted and you are in anguish.” Abraham had compassion for the rich man. He called him “son,” but 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 his family to learn 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 also. He said, “They have Moses and the prophets.” The rich man argued that they would need something drastic to help them see the truth of what they knew from Moses and the prophets. They were not bad people. Wealth, in itself, is not bad. Like those in Samaria, they probably worshipped as expected by the laws of Moses. However, they forgot what was most important: that all God’s people share in His kingdom on earth. They had forgotten that they were blessed to be a blessing, that they were given good things to share with those who did 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.

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 bosom of God, the rich man will suffer without the love and mercy of Jesus Christ. This is a message we all need to hear so that we will make a difference in the lives of those who need us. Jesus is not telling us that we have to 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 not to be so distracted by the things of this world that we miss out on the opportunities to share His mercy and grace. 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.

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 with Himself and others. We see the Lazarus at our gate and realize that our selfishness is affecting others in a negative way. We hear His voice as He calls us to share our abundance with those who do not have enough. 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 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 do what will make life better for the other. 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 calls us to be His hands in a world full of people who need something we must give.

I can hear the grumbles. 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. We are right to say 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 God has dropped at our gate with whom we can share our life and resources. God puts opportunities in front of us, like Lazarus at the rich man’s gate, and it is up to us to respond with trust and mercy.

Our lives will end one day, and our wealth will not take us into heaven or follow us into hell. When we die, everything we have done on earth will be lost. Everything but faith. Faith is the greatest treasure that we have, but we often take it for granted. Today’s lessons might be about how we make proper use of our wealth in this world, but we are also reminded that 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 Christ. 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? The world is filled with people who are hungering Jesus, starving and they don’t even know it. So, let’s be humble and see the world through God’s eyes. Let’s work with Him to bridge the gaps that divide us now and forever. Let’s not be so distracted by the good things in our life that we forget to do the important thing: practice justice and mercy. 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 heaven. 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 Him, acting with justice and mercy in the world. Our time on earth will come to an end; are we ready?

We are not meant to conform to the world, but to turn away from all the things that distract us from living according to God’s will, even if this means being the underdog. Our works will never earn us a place in eternity, but our faith is meant to lead us toward being a blessing. What do we fail to do in thought, word, and deed each day that might leave chasms in eternity? Those are the very gaps that God is calling us to bridge today. We have been blessed to be a blessing, to restore relationships, to share grace. This means putting aside 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. We need food, shelter, and clothing, but our quest to be satisfied should never stand in the way of seeing what others might need. Our worship helps us to see the heart of the God who can help us in our successes and failures. By His grace we will see those who need us. We just have to look for people with whom to share our blessings. They are there right in front of our faces or laying at our gates, acting in mercy to bridge the gaps between people so that the kingdom of heaven is made whole.