"The Greedy Geezer"
Sermon Presented September 26, 2004
Luke 16:19-31
Last Tuesday the Milwaukee Journal published an ad for a Money Management for Seniors lecture. The lecturer is to give his famous "Greedy Geezer" lecture to people over 50 who are retired or about to retire. The ad plays on the human desire to accumulate more for a luxurious retirement. I thought: "God, you couldn't have given me anything better than this to describe the climate of our 21st Century culture where 'greed' is prevalent! You couldn't have given me a better introduction to my sermon!"
Our text this morning is about a greedy man who thought only of himself - that is, until after his death. It's a parable told by Jesus, and it begins as last Sunday's text began: "There was a rich man…." Through story, Jesus shows the difference between his understanding of the law and the prophets and that of the Pharisees. He characterizes the Pharisees as "lovers of money." He's upset that they're more concerned with accumulating possessions than caring for the poor in their midst. Therefore he tells a story that is believed to have originated in Egypt - with at least 7 different variations having been discovered in Jewish rabbinic teachings. However, Jesus gives the story a new twist when he adds the part about the rich man's desire to warn his brothers. Hear the parable as told by Jesus and recorded by Luke in the 16th chapter of his gospel, verses 19-31. I'm going to begin by reading verses 14-15 because they give additional background to why Jesus tells the parable.
Read Luke 16:14-15, 19-31.
The contrast between the rich man and Lazarus is striking! We know the color and fabric of the rich man's garments, and we can see his home overlooking Lake Michigan with a long winding driveway and a massive iron fence surrounding his property. He feels secure even though he knows he must hire guards because the Milwaukee police will no longer answer his burglar alarm calls. Employees maintain his home and grounds, prepare his sumptuous meals and lay out fresh garments daily. He's blinded by his wealth! His vision is distorted so that he can't see the plight of the beggar who lies outside his gate.
In contrast to this rich man is the beggar Lazarus who lives by the gate. Lazarus is named, while the rich man is not. His name means "God helps." He's hungry and homeless and his body is covered with oozing sores. He has no relatives to help him, no medical insurance or government aid. Gnats and flies swarm around his diseased, emaciated body as the heat of the Middle Eastern sun beats down. He closes his eyes and dreams of eating the scraps that fall from the rich man's table. His only contact with man or beast comes when the neighborhood dogs lick his sores.
But death shows no partiality and comes to both men. The rich man is buried but angels carry Lazarus to the arms of Abraham. In death their fortunes are reversed. The rich man is in Hades, writhing in torment and Lazarus occupies a seat of honor next to Abraham.
This Middle Eastern culture believed Hades was divided into separate regions according to a person's moral state and was where the dead awaited their final judgment. Someone residing in Hades could see into the other part but couldn't pass from one side to the other.
In Hades the rich man observes Lazarus resting comfortably next to Abraham. He asks Abraham to have Lazarus bring him some water - just a drop - and later asks to have Lazarus sent to warn his brothers. He still sees Lazarus as a person of lowly status - a lackey to run errands.
Just as an aside, when John the Baptist was preaching (Luke 3:8) he warned the people that claiming Abraham as your ancestor was meaningless if you didn't bear fruits worthy of repentance. The rich man called Abraham "Father" and yet he didn't repent and turn his life around. Now it's too late. Lazarus is a true son of Abraham, and the wealthy man is not.
At the birth of Jesus, his mother Mary sang: "God has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly." She sang of the same reversal of fortunes that we see in this parable.
Abraham explains that now it's Lazarus' turn to receive good things. I imagine the rich man's torment increased when he realized this story could have turned out differently had he made different choices. He didn't heed the words of the prophets, and he's suffering the consequences.
These are some of the prophet's words that he didn't pay attention to. They are words given to the prophet Isaiah (58th chapter, verses 6-7): "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?" God tells those with material resources to share with those in need. The rich man ignored the prophets.
The love of money presented a pressing pastoral problem in the early church, just as it does today. A person's identity is often tied up with their finances. The rich man isn't criticized for his wealth but for what he did with his wealth. He served only himself.
This story doesn't say that Lazarus was good or godly, just that he was needy. The sin of the rich man was that he didn't help Lazarus. His heart was hardened to his needs.
Jesus' addition to this parable is the desire of the rich man to have Lazarus warn his brothers. This is commendable, and yet Abraham indicates that a warning would be futile. Because they don't pay attention to scriptures now, they won't heed a warning even if it comes from Lazarus on the other side of the grave.
Why do we ignore the scriptures and the warnings given by God? Why don't we repent of our sins? It's because we are greedy and aren't willing to live in the Kingdom of God - allowing God to give us guidance. The spouse caught in adultery, the teenager discovered with alcohol, the child with her hand in the cookie jar, and the person with serious health problems because he abused his body often repent and turn from their previous activity because they were caught. If no one knows of our sins or if we experience no consequences, we often don't see a need to turn from them. If our sins never see the light of public scrutiny, we often see no need to change. When we ignore the scriptures, we don't change. Even in Hades, the rich man didn't fully comprehend his need to repent. He asks for mercy and not forgiveness. He asks for water and not life.
The rich man ran out of chances. He was satisfied with his life while he lived it. Before his death, he saw no need to turn to God or to help Lazarus. Now it's too late!
God cares about how we treat others. God wants us to share from our abundance to help those in need. True charity is more than tossing a coin into a Salvation Army bucket. It's not sporadic or superficial. Food and medicine are necessary but Jesus demands a more fundamental neighborliness from us. He says that if we don't pay attention to the message of the prophets, then it won't make any difference if someone comes back from the dead. For those whose hearts are closed, the resurrection means nothing.
When we truly hear this story, the sin of pride hits us right between the eyes. We believe we are right with God because we believe in the resurrection of Jesus. But if our hearts are closed and we don't hear the cries for justice, mercy and bread, the words of the resurrected Jesus can't convict us. What we do with the beggar at our gate signifies the depth of our relationship with God.
Jesus tells us in the 25th chapter of Matthew's Gospel (34-40) that those who are righteous - those who are welcomed into the Kingdom of God are those who give drink to the thirsty, food to the hungry, shelter to the stranger, and clothing to the naked. The test of being a true child of God is our love and concern for the needy.
We have many opportunities to help the needy right here at home. There is a huge discrepancy between the wealth of those who live in our affluent suburbs and those who live in inner city Milwaukee. The Crop Walk is only two weeks off and we can walk and/or bring food and money to help support these needs. We can help those at St. Ben's through support of their meals program. We can help the refugees by providing furnishings and clothing that we no longer need or want. We can open our hearts again and again and again - without being judgmental or feeling superior.
The goal of this parable is to lead people to repentance - to give us another opportunity to hear, be convicted, and turn our lives around. If the shoe fits, don't wear it - change it. Abandon the "Greedy Geezer" description and become a Generous Geezer. And if you're too young to call yourself a Geezer - the lectures are for those 50 and older - then you can call yourselves the Generous Guys and Gals of Roundy. That's sounds better anyway! God calls us to meet the needs of others. How will we respond?
BENEDICTION: Go forth to serve God as you serve the beggar at your gate.
