• "The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus :: A Lesson on Covetousness"
• Sermon for the First Sunday after Trinity
• May 29, 2005
• The Reverend David A. Brounstein

Parables are quite an effective way to tell a story and make a point. A story captivates our attention and draws us in. We are more inclined to remember when someone tells us a story than if someone is just telling us to change our ways. Jesus was the masterful storyteller, par excellence.

This morning's gospel lesson is the last in a series of five parables that comprise Chapters 15 and 16 of St. Luke's gospel. Along the way, we are introduced to the various groups to whom Jesus is speaking. We have all the usual suspects. In order of appearance, they include publicans and sinners, the disciples, and the Pharisees.

Immediately preceding this last parable, St. Luke tells us that the Pharisees, the leaders of Israel, were deriding Jesus for his teachings and that they were covetous. The tenth commandment, "Thou shalt not covet," was thought to apply solely to turning one's desire away from lusting after the physical goods and possessions of another. However, covetousness also encompasses greed and an unwillingness to share physical and spiritual blessings with others. It is one of the seven deadly sins. To make his point, Jesus tells them this parable of a rich man and Lazarus

At first glance, it is easy to interpret this parable as a polemic against the rich and an exultation of the poor. In Jewish culture, a person's name was often significant; how much more so when Jesus is crafting a parable. In Greek, the name Lazarus means "helpless." In Hebrew, Lazarus is a derivation of Eliazar, meaning, "God, help!" We are told that in this life Lazarus was laid at the gate. He was fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. It should be noted that Lazarus is not commended for anything he has done. There is mention of neither his faith nor his works.

From a spiritual perspective, Lazarus can be seen to represent the Gentiles: God fearers who were permitted to enter the Court of the Gentiles at the Temple but were denied further access. They congregated at the gate of the synagogue but were forbidden to enter in. These Gentile God fearers were fed with "crumbs," the Word of God that they could hopefully hear at a safe distance. They were systematically denied access to the presence of God as he had revealed himself to God's chosen people. The God fearers were indeed helpless of their own accord and in desperate need of God's help.

Our parable continues. Poor Lazarus dies and is carried away to what is described as Abraham's bosom. Now Abraham was one of the wealthiest men of his generation. He is remembered not for his physical possessions, which were all left behind at his death. He is remembered for his spiritual faith, which is an everlasting legacy unto all generations.

Separated from Lazarus and Abraham by a great gulf is the rich man, suffering in great torment. Who would the Pharisees listening to this story imagine this rich man to be? He is described as being arrayed in purple and fine linen. Scripture tells us that purple was the color of royalty worn by the kings, princes, and descendents from the tribe of Judah. Fine linen as described here was known to be the attire of Levitical priests. The Pharisees could readily see an unflattering portrait of themselves unfolding in this story.

The rich man fared sumptuously every day. He had exclusive access to God the Father, the creator of heaven and earth, through the temple and synagogue worship. The rich man had no desire to bring this message or knowledge to the world. Israel had been called to be God's light and to share this blessing with the Gentiles, but they failed to live out their calling. Rather than proclaiming and sharing the message of God to the world, the Israelites sought to keep it a secret and remain the sole and exclusive beneficiaries of this grace that had been bestowed upon them.

The desire of the rich man in Hades was for water to cool his tongue. If one is burning in physical flames, the tongue remains the most moist part of the body. It is in moments of dread fear that the body is cool and the mouth and tongue are totally parched. Denied any prospect of relief from the judgment of a life lived in selfishness, the rich man seeks to have his five brothers warned of their impending fate and the reversal of fortune.

What lessons about covetousness are we called to learn from this parable? First, and of most importance, is that the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins was not just for the exclusive benefit of a small intimate group of disciples or chosen people. It was a saving message and the only hope for a sinful world. St. Matthew's gospel concludes with what is called the Great Commission-marching orders, if you will, from Jesus to his disciples and all succeeding generations. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." (Mt. 28:19-20)

Unbelievers are not to be left at the door of the Church with their sickness, sores, and hunger. Patristic writers portrayed the Church as a hospital to bring wholeness. Indeed, the word salvation was often translated as healing. We are called to have that same welcoming attitude, sharing the blessings of salvation to the world, not just at our physical site here in Newport Beach, but in all the areas in which we have contact with the greater community and in outreach to others.

Secondarily, we are reminded the antidote for covetousness is generosity. Jesus reminded his disciples (Mt. 10:8), "Freely you have received, freely give." Lazarus in this morning's gospel also reminds us that ministry to others needs to be directed to the whole person. The Gospel is not intended to be intellectual gymnastics; it is something to be lived out in love. It is where faith and works join together that God may be glorified.