Saint Luke 16:19-31
When the rich man, the very rich man, was asked about the plight of the homeless he seemed to turn the problem on its head. Here is what the really, really rich man said and I’m not making a single word of it up:
“We have people living in our … best highways, our best streets, our best entrances to buildings . . . where people in those buildings pay tremendous taxes, where they went to those locations because of the prestige. In many cases, they came from other countries and they moved to Los Angeles or they moved to San Francisco because of the prestige of the city, and all of a sudden they have tents. Hundreds and hundreds of tents and people living at the entrance to their office building. And they want to leave.”The modern rich man paints an incredibly sad picture of wealthy homeowners holed up in their penthouses and high-powered business types cowering in their corner offices in fear of those who are just outside the well-guarded entrances of their high-rise towers that perhaps even bear their name.It’s like they are prisoners who fear for their lives every time they even think about going outside.
“Do you know what that does?” asks Chicago Tribune columnist Rex Huppke. “That leads these people (who pay tremendous taxes) to leave, which, when you think of it, is a form of homelessness, except they still own multiple homes.”1
Huppke then goes on to point to several examples from the teachings of Jesus whom the rich man in question claims to follow. One of those examples is today’s gospel.
While he may not be surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of tents our rich man is being held hostage by a poor man, a very poor man, who has apparently been dumped in front of his house. There is a bum on his doorstep who Jesus tells us was placed there by his friends perhaps in the hopes that the person who lived just beyond the golden gate would help him.
Jesus tells us plainly that to the rich guy he was a nuisance who had to be stepped over every morning on the way down the cobble stone drive to pick up the latest copy of The Jerusalem Post. Because he was their special care had to be used when the Bentley was backed down the driveway lest he is run over and scratches a bumper or flatten a tire.
It is even possible that since the beggar was dumped at the front door the rich man’s friends had to use the back entrance to avoid being bothered. It was enough to make them all want to leave.
I have always wondered whether this parable wasn’t the inspiration for or, at least, running around in the back of Charles Dicken’s mind when he wrote A Christmas Carol.
You remember the exchange between Ebenezer Scrooge and the men who approach him for a donation for the poor and destitute at Christmas.
“Are there no prisons?” asked Scrooge
“And the Union workhouses?” demanded Scrooge, “Are they still in operation?”
“They are. Still,” returned the gentleman, “I wish I could say they were not.”
“The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigor, then?” said Scrooge.
“Both very busy, sir. What shall I put you down for?”
“Nothing!” Scrooge replied. “I don’t make merry myself at Christmas and I can’t afford to make idle people merry.”
The men protest that without his help people might die.
“If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”2
Jesus never names the rich man in today’s parable but we would be well within our rights to call him Scrooge.
There is, however, one huge difference between Scrooge and the antagonist in Jesus’ story. Scrooge repents!
When the ghost of Christmas present shows him exactly how difficult life was for his nephew Bob Cratchit and his family and when Scrooge begins to see them as real people things begin to change.
Scrooge is especially touched by the plight of little Tiny Tim and, for the first time in his life, shows genuine concern for another human being. He watches as after Christmas dinner is over and Cratchit tenderly grasps his young son’s hand.
There is, however, one huge difference between Scrooge and the antagonist in Jesus’ story. Scrooge repents!
When the ghost of Christmas present shows him exactly how difficult life was for his nephew Bob Cratchit and his family and when Scrooge begins to see them as real people things begin to change.
Scrooge is especially touched by the plight of little Tiny Tim and, for the first time in his life, shows genuine concern for another human being. He watches as after Christmas dinner is over and Cratchit tenderly grasps his young son’s hand.
“‘Spirit,’ said Scrooge, with an interest he had never felt before. “Tell me if Tiny Tim will live.’ ‘I see an empty seat,’ replied the ghost, ‘and a crutch without an owner carefully preserved. If these shadows don’t change in the future, the child will die.’”
Scrooge cried out. “‘Oh no, kind Spirit! Say he will be spared!’”
Scrooge cried out. “‘Oh no, kind Spirit! Say he will be spared!’”
The Spirit throws Scrooge’s earlier words right back at him. “‘If he be like to die, he better do it, and decrease the surplus population.’ Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief.”3
The rich man Jesus is telling us about shows no such contrition. Even when he finds himself in Hades and sees Lazarus resting near Father Abraham he still treats this child of God with contempt.
Up until now when Lazarus was just a heap of humanity ruining his prestigious neighborhood he never acknowledged him but now he needs his help. He needs a favor.
Still not speaking to Lazarus directly he implores Father Abraham to send him on an errand. “‘Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I’m in agony in this fire.’”4
Here is something really important.
Scrooge only began to treat the Cratchit’s like living, breathing, human beings when he learned their names. Tiny Tim, Bob, Martha.
Up until now we think that the rich man in Jesus’ story never even bothered finding out who the poor man was. For all he knew, for all he cared, the fellow out front was just a speed bump on the highway of life. It is only when the fires of hell are lapping at his lips do we discover that the rich guy knew Lazarus’ name all along. The vagrant had a name and the rich guy knew it!
At every turn of the story he could have called to him, helped him.
That wasn’t some anonymous down-and-outer in front of the house his name was Lazarus and the rich guy knew it! He knew it but never used it until he needed something.
When Lazarus was dependent on him he never bothered to speak his name but now that he is dependent on Lazarus he is dropping the name frequently but only as an errand boy.
The rich man Jesus is telling us about shows no such contrition. Even when he finds himself in Hades and sees Lazarus resting near Father Abraham he still treats this child of God with contempt.
Up until now when Lazarus was just a heap of humanity ruining his prestigious neighborhood he never acknowledged him but now he needs his help. He needs a favor.
Still not speaking to Lazarus directly he implores Father Abraham to send him on an errand. “‘Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I’m in agony in this fire.’”4
Here is something really important.
Scrooge only began to treat the Cratchit’s like living, breathing, human beings when he learned their names. Tiny Tim, Bob, Martha.
Up until now we think that the rich man in Jesus’ story never even bothered finding out who the poor man was. For all he knew, for all he cared, the fellow out front was just a speed bump on the highway of life. It is only when the fires of hell are lapping at his lips do we discover that the rich guy knew Lazarus’ name all along. The vagrant had a name and the rich guy knew it!
At every turn of the story he could have called to him, helped him.
That wasn’t some anonymous down-and-outer in front of the house his name was Lazarus and the rich guy knew it! He knew it but never used it until he needed something.
When Lazarus was dependent on him he never bothered to speak his name but now that he is dependent on Lazarus he is dropping the name frequently but only as an errand boy.
The arrogance is astounding as the rich guy continued to think that the only thing Lazarus was put on this earth to do was to serve him. He demands that Lazarus be commanded to bring him water and when he is told that this will not be possible he then asks that he be sent on yet another errand to go and warn his brothers.
Unlike Scrooge our rich man is so unrepentant that in trying to get Lazarus to do his dirty work for him that he goes so far as trying to order Father Abraham around.
Lazarus is still a nonperson to him. He is still treating him like a slave who is expected to do his bidding at a moment’s notice.
Unlike Scrooge our rich man is so unrepentant that in trying to get Lazarus to do his dirty work for him that he goes so far as trying to order Father Abraham around.
Lazarus is still a nonperson to him. He is still treating him like a slave who is expected to do his bidding at a moment’s notice.
The man who, in his earthly life, never took the time to pass a morsel of food through a front fence to Lazarus now expects the poor guy who has experienced so much torment on earth to pass through the fires of hell to bring him a bit of relief in the next.
You have probably been sitting there waiting for me to drop the money card on you. You’ve been waiting for me to warn you about the dangers of the misuse of wealth and to tell you that you should be more generous but you know that. This parable probably runs through your mind every time you pass by a beggar on the street.
If you’ve ever visited within the city limits of Chicago your conscious would be bothered by this little story almost every time you stop at a stop light or reach the bottom of an expressway ramp and read the signs held by the downtrodden. “Homeless! Hungry! Help Me!”
You have probably been sitting there waiting for me to drop the money card on you. You’ve been waiting for me to warn you about the dangers of the misuse of wealth and to tell you that you should be more generous but you know that. This parable probably runs through your mind every time you pass by a beggar on the street.
If you’ve ever visited within the city limits of Chicago your conscious would be bothered by this little story almost every time you stop at a stop light or reach the bottom of an expressway ramp and read the signs held by the downtrodden. “Homeless! Hungry! Help Me!”
If, like me, you are bothered every time you speed past one of those poor souls that is good. If that is the case, at least for us, Jesus’ words have achieved their goal! Jesus has made us more aware of the plight of those who have less than we do.
However, this parable is not just about money it is about indifference. Jesus’ rich man was indifferent to the plight of the man at his garden gate.
The man from our age who complained that we have “people living in our … best highways, our best streets, our best entrances to buildings” isn’t even interested in figuring out why or what he can do to help. He is totally indifferent to the plight of the poor and only sees them as a bother.
This story may be about money but it is also about our indifference to the needs of others. Not just monetary needs but emotional needs and spiritual needs and the need that all of us have to feel loved and cared for.
The man from our age who complained that we have “people living in our … best highways, our best streets, our best entrances to buildings” isn’t even interested in figuring out why or what he can do to help. He is totally indifferent to the plight of the poor and only sees them as a bother.
This story may be about money but it is also about our indifference to the needs of others. Not just monetary needs but emotional needs and spiritual needs and the need that all of us have to feel loved and cared for.
Jesus is not asking the impossible of us. Just as it would not have been impossible for the rich man to share a crust of bread not only with the guy on his front stoop but, if he was that rich, he could have used his spare pocket money to open up a soup-kitchen for all the homeless in his neighborhood.
That is, if he could endure the wrath of his wealthy friends for encouraging more of the Lazarus types to move in and take up camp.
If our modern day rich man was as rich as he would like the rest of us to believe he could easily help countless poor with the cost of only a single tank of jet fuel from his Boeing 767. But he hasn’t and probably never will.
If our modern day rich man was as rich as he would like the rest of us to believe he could easily help countless poor with the cost of only a single tank of jet fuel from his Boeing 767. But he hasn’t and probably never will.
The good news is the Scrooge didn’t stay a scrooge. After seeing the past, the present and the future all in one night he wakes up a changed man.
You know how his story ends!
You know how his story ends!
He orders the biggest turkey at the meat market for the Cratchit’s Christmas day dinner. When Bob comes in late he doesn’t fire him but gives him a raise. And when he comes across the men he had unceremoniously thrown out his office the day before for begging on behalf of the poor he gives them a donation that is so large it causes one of them to exclaim, ““My dear Mr. Scrooge, are you serious?”
“If you please,” said Scrooge. “Not a farthing less. A great many back-payments are included in it, I assure you.”
He started to care about more than himself and his balance sheet. And Dicken’s writes of him:
“If you please,” said Scrooge. “Not a farthing less. A great many back-payments are included in it, I assure you.”
He started to care about more than himself and his balance sheet. And Dicken’s writes of him:
Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world.6
Of the three men before us today one of them changed; the other was toast; and the jury is still out on the guy who was more worried about shabby looking tents than the people who lived in them.
All Jesus is asking us to do is to take care of each other. To reach across life’s chasms and help each other in ways that might not even be expensive but will be meaningful beyond measure. The only cost may be a little time and a little ingenuity.
A great friend of mine the Rev’d Shawn Fiedler recently moved back to his hometown of Boston to be with his partner who got a job in the development office of Harvard University. Shawn is the only person I know who has a job title even more cumbersome than mine. He is Acting Associate Minister at Old South Church in Boston. (Not to be confused with Old North Church in Boston of the “one if by land, two if by sea” fame.)
All Jesus is asking us to do is to take care of each other. To reach across life’s chasms and help each other in ways that might not even be expensive but will be meaningful beyond measure. The only cost may be a little time and a little ingenuity.
A great friend of mine the Rev’d Shawn Fiedler recently moved back to his hometown of Boston to be with his partner who got a job in the development office of Harvard University. Shawn is the only person I know who has a job title even more cumbersome than mine. He is Acting Associate Minister at Old South Church in Boston. (Not to be confused with Old North Church in Boston of the “one if by land, two if by sea” fame.)
Shawn shared this story with me this week in an e-mail:
I was assisting at our 9am service, big loud, family based. We allow children to assist in serving. They clamor to come forward to serve. I had two children (maybe 6) serving gluten free wafers and cup. I was standing behind them and letting them lead. At one point the boy serving the cup turned to the girl with the wafers and said "I hope we don't run out. I'm gluten free and I need one." Well, if you wouldn't believe it--she picked up a wafer and stuffed it in her hoodie pocket so he would have one. At the end I took the elements to serve them and she pulled it out to give to him. Holy food, indeed.7
I think that is what Jesus was talking about! That little gesture didn’t cost the young girl anything. She only saw that her friend had a need and did her best to meet it.
Jesus’ rich man never did that so there was a great gulf between him and the rest of humankind. Scrooge bridged that chasm by turning from his old ways and reaching into a new life by taking care of the Cratchit family and allowing them to become a part of his world.
Jesus finishes this parable on the pages of your life and mine for it is only when we overcome our indifference and begin seeing each other not as liabilities but those who are loved by God that, in the words of Tiny Tim Cratchit, “God” will “bless us everyone.”
Thanks for listening.
Jesus’ rich man never did that so there was a great gulf between him and the rest of humankind. Scrooge bridged that chasm by turning from his old ways and reaching into a new life by taking care of the Cratchit family and allowing them to become a part of his world.
Jesus finishes this parable on the pages of your life and mine for it is only when we overcome our indifference and begin seeing each other not as liabilities but those who are loved by God that, in the words of Tiny Tim Cratchit, “God” will “bless us everyone.”
Thanks for listening.
____________
1. Huppke, Rex. “Shining Light on California's Homeless.” The Chicago Tribune, September 19, 2019, sec. 1. p. 3.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/rex-huppke/ct-trump-california-homeless-border-fundraiser-huppke-20190918-y3jfh5lnm5avzcqwkg7vlthv4m-story.html
https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/rex-huppke/ct-trump-california-homeless-border-fundraiser-huppke-20190918-y3jfh5lnm5avzcqwkg7vlthv4m-story.html
2 Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. London: William Heinemann, 1906. p. 8-9.
3. op.cit., p. 69-70.
4. St. Luke 16:22-24. (MSG) [Eugene Peterson, The Message. (Colorado Springs: Navpress Publishing Group, 2013.)]
5. Dickens, op. cit., p. 112.
6. Dickens, op. cit., p. 117.
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