| Note: No sermon is quite the same when you read it. You miss the inflections, the expression that you gain in the hearing. The words below are only a close approximation of the sermon, taken from handwritten notes. Nevertheless, the words (as best as can be deciphered!) are shared with you here. The Webmeister |
Eighteenth Sunday of Pentecost Sometimes, even when you're at the top of the world, it's still not enough. Sir Edmund Hillary, who holds the record for first summiting Mt. Everest, the literal rooftop of the world, was not entirely satisfied with his accomplishment. Records say that even after reaching the top, he still wanted something more. We all want something more. But as we all know, nothing we get or purchase will ever complete us. We will always want something more. The French philosopher Blasé Pascal wrote about the God-shaped vacuum that is inside us all. Pascal believed, and I think he's right, that we all have an empty part inside of us that can only be filled by God. Nothing, not even climbing to the top of the world, will fill that God-shaped hole inside of us the way only God can. Perhaps that is reason why Jesus said "You cannot serve God and wealth." Those are the closing words he said to the Pharisees at the end of last week's Gospel. And the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, ridiculed Jesus because they did not agree with this teaching. Of course you can serve God and wealth, they thought. The very idea of separating the two was ridiculous in their mind because the Pharisees believed that wealth was a sign of God's favor and blessing. If a person was wealthy, it was because they were obedient to God, the Pharisees believed, and that God was rewarding them for that obedience with money. So the Pharisees loved wealth not for its own sake, but rather for what it represented: a sign of God's favor. So when Jesus told the story of the dishonest manager that we heard last week, the Pharisees were angry because Jesus upset their understanding of God and wealth. For Jesus, wealth was not a sign of God's blessing, it was what kept people from God, because those who had tried to fill their God-shaped hole with things instead of God. Although Jesus a person who brought comfort to the afflicted, he also afflicted the comfortable. He does that again this morning in the parable he tells of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus has nothing, but he has a name. No other character in a parable that Jesus tells in Luke's Gospel has a name. The name Lazarus is a variant of the name Eleazar, which means "God helps" or "God heals." Lazarus in this story is not to be confused with Lazarus whom Jesus brings from the tomb in John's Gospel. In the story, the rich man lives a life of luxury while poor Lazarus sits outside his gates with dogs licking his sores. The economic chasm that separates Lazarus from the rich man is deep and wide. But it is no surprise to most of us what happens after the rich man dies: their roles are reversed. The rich man is in torment in Hades or Sheol, the Hebrew realm of the dead, while Lazarus, once excluded, is now celebrating with Abraham. The message here was as offensive to the Pharisees as the previous parable Jesus told. The rich man, the man whose wealth was supposedly a sign of God's blessing, is punished. This parable should make all of us squirm in our seats. How do we possibly respond to this parable? Unfortunately, what happens to us a lot of the time when we hear a parable such as this is that we find ourselves in a double-bind. On one hand, we might feel miserable when we have enough money, or even more than enough to live by, because our wealth somehow prevents us from being "spiritual" enough as Christians. But on the other hand, we also know that we would feel miserable if we truly did not have enough to live safe, healthy, and happy lives. All we need to do is drive around our city to witness directly the every day misery of the poor. And so we must exercise caution so as not to romanticize poverty: there is nothing intrinsically spiritual about being cold, sick, hungry, sleep-deprived, or dirty. So what then are we to do? I don't get the impression, as the Pharisees did, that in telling this parable, Jesus was openly attacking the wealthy class. What I think is the idea driving the parable is not how much money someone has, but rather what they do with it. I was last week about a wealthy man in Little Rock, Arkansas. He had all the trappings of a beautiful home, luxurious cars, was well-traveled, and was a connoisseur of fine food and wine. From all accounts, his life was a success. He had earned his living, and was enjoying the fruits of his labor. But one day he went to see a priest, because in spite of all he had, in of his successful career, he was angry. He was mad because everything he worked so hard to get; none of it was able to fill the emptiness inside him. What today's parable should remind us of is that sometimes the American dream that is dangled in front of us like a piece of candy, that dream of a perfect home, job, and family, that dream can be spiritual nightmare. Because even with all of that, we are still empty until we are filled by God. Enjoy the money you have. But share it when you are called to, and give it away when necessary. We did not bring wealth into the world with us, and we cannot take it with us when we leave. But we can use it while we are here, to care for one another, to help each other, and to help the man sitting outside our gate. Amen. The Reverend James M. L. Grace September 30, 2007 *Past sermons may be found here. |
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