Sunday 29 September 2019
TRINITY 15
9.30am Parish Mass
www.ssaviours.org
Today we are liturgically doing a split shift, and getting the best of both worlds. This morning we are in green marking the 15th Sunday after Trinity, and this evening for the Jazz Mass we will change into white and gold for the Feast of St Michael and All Angels. Whereas this evening’s liturgy and readings are a bit more glitzy, focusing on the angelic host in all its finery, this morning’s gospel reading – although equally focused on the heavenly realms, is a little more earthy and matter of fact.
The familiar parable of the rich man and Lazarus is unique to – and typical of - Luke’s writing. Luke who’s concern for the poor and marginalised, for women and children, for outcasts and sinners is such a hallmark and theme of his gospel. The plot of the parable is straightforward enough. ‘A certain rich man’ and ‘a certain poor man’ experience the most profound reversal of fortunes. In life the rich man (who is sometimes given the name ‘Dives’, but that’s just the latin word for ‘rich man’) he has everything he could possibly want. He is swathed in the most expensive purple cloth and fine linen and feasting every day. By contrast the poor man, has nothing. Dumped at the rich man’s gate, covered in sores and licked by dogs. That’s not meant to be a sentimental detail, but exactly the opposite – he is outcast and as unclean as the dogs.
The poor man has nothing. But he does have a name – which incidentally is odd. It’s the only time that a character in a parable in any of the gospels is so clearly characterised and named. There’s no textual link to Martha & Mary’s brother Lazarus of Bethany, who Jesus raised from the dead, so one can only assume the reason for using the name is in its meaning. Lazarus is derived from the Hebrew ‘Eleazar’ which means ‘God has helped’
So the great reversal comes at the point of death. Both men expire, and their fortunes are as different as they were in life. Only now it is Lazarus who enjoys a sumptuous afterlife, and the rich man who is tormented in Hades. It’s a perfect illustration of the verse earlier in Chapter 13 when we are told that ‘some who are last will be first and some who are first will be last’. And there is clearly a deliberate link back to Luke’s version of the Beatitudes in Chapter 6 where the blessings are followed by ‘woes’ which sharpen the judgement to come:
But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.The rich man is so remarkably arrogant that even in death he thinks Lazarus is his servant – demanding that Abraham send him to moisten his tongue with water to ease his torment – and when that isn’t possible he tries to have Lazarus sent to warn his brothers of their impending doom.
‘They have Moses and the prophets’ Abraham replies ‘they should listen to them.’ ‘No, Father Abraham’ he says ‘but if someone goes to them from the dead they will repent.’ Then Abraham delivers the punchline of the parable – ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’
Coming so close to the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son in the preceding chapter Luke is really spoiling his readers with the most rich and wonderful imagery. Along with those ‘lost’ parables which capture our imagination and our hearts, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is so rich and so vivid. In fact it was one of the most painted of Jesus’s parables in medieval art. So many layers. So many themes. So many contrasts.
But what is it about?
Well strictly speaking, despite its many layers and potential for allegorical detail, as a parable this ought to have one simple message. So whatever else we may make of it, this is fundamentally a warning against rejection. More than in any other of the gospels, the framework for Jesus teaching in Luke is the road to Jerusalem, to his passion. And on that road, as much as Jesus accepts and welcomes the poor and outcast and they welcome him, by contrast the religious leaders do not.
Even if someone were to come back from the dead still the rich man’s brothers would not believe. Just like us, the first readers of Luke’s gospel knew how the story ends. Luke is boldly making the point that the religious leaders are rejecting those who they ought to welcome. Remember why it is that Jesus tells the parables of the lost sheep, coin and son? It’s because the religious leaders were questioning why Jesus welcomed outcasts and sinners. Questioning why Jesus didn’t reject them as they thought he should.
And in today’s parable the rich man, the man of wealth, privilege and good standing rejects the poor man at his gate. Jesus is having another pop at the pharisees and religious leaders and ALL who fail to seek and save the lost, who won’t even share the scraps from their table, and are hardened to the call of Moses and the prophets. Even after the resurrection, Jesus is saying, even then you will be blind to the vision of the kingdom of God where ALL are welcome. ALL are loved.
And Jesus has a pop at us, and the church of which we are a part as well when we lose sight of the scandalous vision of the kingdom of God that rejects no-one.
Last Sunday was a fantastic celebration of Harvest – I add it to the list of things about St Saviour’s of which I am proud. But the day ended with Beer & Hymns. Not everyone’s cup of tea I know, but around 50 folk gathered to sing some of the old favourites. One of those was All things bright and beautiful, that much beloved and equally much bewailed 19th century hymn. And just to put it into perspective, for the people who first worshipped in this building, that hymn would have been the equivalent of Shine Jesus Shine….
Well last Sunday evening we sang the full version, including the verse which is no longer deemed to be acceptable:
The rich man in his castle,In 1848 Mrs Cecil Alexander and many of her Christian contemporaries were content to believe that God had destined some to be rich and others to be poor. And they were oblivious to the fact that like the religious leaders of Jesus’ own day they had a massive cultural and theological blindspot.
The poor man at his gate,
God made them high and lowly,
And ordered their estate.
How does this parable speak to you today? Who in your book (in your life) are the last who need to be put first? Who are the people you are inclined to reject or dismiss or overlook? What is your cultural or theological blindspot? How is God challenging you to broaden your vision of his love, of his church, of his kingdom?
And how are we – here in this place - going to model that kingdom which welcomes all people – rich or poor, male or female, old or young, annoying or amenable, interesting or boring, gay or straight, traditional or modern, bullish or gentle, shy or outgoing….the list is endless.
But Jesus is quite clear. No one is to be left at the gate.