Blessing the rich man's proceeds
Commentary
Note: This installment was originally published in 2001.
Everybody likes payday. Of course, it's time to pay the bills and set some money aside for a rainy day or retirement; but most enjoyable is putting some of that hard-earned money in the billfold to be used on a whim later in the evening or on the weekend.
Jeremiah, Paul and Jesus have a very interesting perspective on wealth that may change the way we go to the bank. Through buying a parcel of land, Jeremiah invests in his country when everything was falling apart. Paul urges Timothy and the congregation at Ephesus to be rich in godliness. Jesus tells a parable about material wealth not cutting it, when it comes time for death and the hereafter. The advice each would give us today is to head for the bank with "withdrawal slips" to invest one's assets for the kingdom of God rather than "deposit slips" for one's own benefit.
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
Babylon had already trampled the land. Nebuchadnezzer had besieged Jerusalem at the close of the seventh century B.C. and then again in 598 B.C. when he plundered the city. Judah was at the mercy of this new empire that had risen over the collapse of the Assyrians (Nineveh was destroyed in 612 B.C.). When Judah, under the token reign of Zedekiah, revolted against their new overlords, Babylon swept down once again, this time leveling Jerusalem and dismantling the glorious temple built by Solomon. During this time, Jeremiah had been imprisoned and left to starve to death (Jeremiah 37), but King Zedekiah took pity on him and kept him in the court of the guard instead (32:2).
There is no good reason not to include Jeremiah 32:3b-5 in the reading. It provides the reason that Jeremiah was imprisoned in the first place. It also sets in stark contrast Jeremiah's prophecy about the success of the Babylonians against Israel and Jeremiah's action parable of hope, in which he buys the field at Anathoth.
This purchase is a symbol of hope. If "actions speak louder than words," then this transaction demonstrates "loud and clear" that there is cause to hope in the future even in the face of such devastation in the present. Jeremiah took great pains to see that everything was done legally and publicly as a witness to his confidence. The land may be lost to this people, who will be carted off into exile, but the people will not be lost to God. This investment in the land foreshadows the return of the people to again occupy the land that the Lord had promised to Abraham.
What makes this hope so striking is that it is shaped by the same God who in "anger ... wrath and ... great indignation" (Jeremiah 32:37) is judging the people for unspeakable sins. Not only have they turned their backs on the God of Abraham and Sinai by worshiping Baal, they also turned their children into fodder for the god Moloch, who devoured the little ones in his fiery belly to appease his avaricious appetite for blood. How remarkable that the God of the covenant remains faithful over against his faithless people and holds out for them a hope that will carry them through this time of judgment!
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Paul gives Timothy lots of practical instructions in this letter to help him guide the church at Ephesus. The topics covered include public prayer, the place of women, the office of bishop and deacon, false doctrine, godly living, faithful service, care for widows and the role of elders and slaves. He accents the importance of what he explains by exhorting Timothy, "Teach and urge these duties" (1 Timothy 6:2c). Then, Paul moves on to his concluding remarks, which form the pericope for today.
Similar to what he wrote in Philippians 4:11, Paul reflects on the basic wisdom of contentment as the companion of godliness (6:6). Since we enter this world naked (literally) and leave it naked (figuratively; "you can't take it with you"), it is best to be concerned with what is truly essential. More than food and clothing (survival minimums), the Christian is to "pursue righteousness ..." (6:11). This is the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16-17; Galatians 2:16), to whom Paul offers a doxology (6:15-16). This righteousness means that one's life is understood as existing from, within, under and toward God.
One stands right with God because one stands in the shadow of the cross of Christ, submitting to the shape of that instrument of certain death and promised life. In the shadow of that cross, there can only be love for the One who gave up his life that we may know the extent of God's love for us. That is why Paul uses cruciform language ("pierced their hearts with many pangs"; 6:10, RSV) when talking about the danger of money-love, seducing one's heart "away from the faith," away from Jesus as one's Master.
In a very personal comment to Timothy, Paul commends him to the virtues of the Christian life: "righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness" (6:11; compare complementary lists in Galatians 5:22-23 and Colossians 3:12f). He charges him to "keep the commandment" (6:14), which is a reference not to any particular commandment among the Ten, but to the whole of the divine directive to live according to the will of God -- which is love!
Jesus defines it this way when asked about the greatest commandment; it is love for God with one's whole heart and love for the neighbor as for one self. When in the Upper Room on the night in which he was betrayed, Jesus bequeaths this commandment to his disciples (John 15:12; the same Greek word for "commandment" is used in these texts cited from 1 Timothy, Matthew and John).
Paul puts a time reference on this expectation he places on Timothy: "until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ" (6:14). As we learn elsewhere in Paul's letters, he expected the return of Jesus to occur sooner than later (Romans 13:11; 1 Corinthians 7:29). This puts a qualification on how Christians are to live their lives, not pursuing personal wealth and the pride and power and glory that can come with it, but "rich in good deeds" with liberality and generosity (6:18, RSV). In other words, daily life that invests itself in others in many (liberality) intense (generosity) ways "really is life" (6:19). The future is promised us as we stand on a solid foundation; the walls of good works come to rest on the foundation of the grace of God, "who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (6:17).
Luke 16:19-31
The word "Hades" is used only 10 times in the New Testament. The synoptic references in Matthew 11:23 and Luke 10:15 refer to Capernaum's fate due to lack of repentance in response to the ministry of Jesus. In Acts 2:27 and 31, Luke cites a psalm and relates it to the resurrection of Jesus, whom Hades could not contain. In Matthew 16:18 and Revelation 1:18, Hades is cast in a subjugated status before Christ. Although Hades gets to ride its day on earth (Revelation 6:8), in the final judgment before God, Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire, an apocalyptic image of final and eternal damnation (Revelation 20:13 and 14).
In this parable Jesus tells for the Pharisees, a rich man dies and goes to Hades, which is cast as a "place of torment." It is plain why he is there. He was self-absorbed in his earthly life and did not provide for the poor at his gate. This is a parable of simple morality, accentuating the seriousness of how those who have much relate to those who have little. The prophets themselves spoke of these things clearly throughout history. Leviticus 19:18 plainly says to all, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord." Micah 6:8 describes in no uncertain terms just what God expects: "He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?" It does not take someone rising from the dead to convince one of the rightness of such provisions.
If one's heart is hardened to this, repentance will be no easier should someone rise from the dead. One could "fast forward" to Easter morning and the tomorrows beyond, asking the question why the whole world is not converted to egalitarian care, if it were true that "if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent" (16:30). No! What one sows in this life will have eternal consequences; and it is no secret what the planting should be! It is as distinct as "a great chasm ... fixed," so as to distinguish between right and wrong.
In the context of the observation made in Luke 16:14-15, where the Pharisees are noted for their love of money, this parable calls for repentance in the here and now, for after death there will be no chance for recovery. The Pharisees certainly had the resources of blessings at their disposal. But, when they failed to act with compassion and share with those still in need, they exposed themselves as "an abomination in the sight of God."
Application
One of the fatal features of American culture is the growing gambling industry. The spirit of King Midas broods in our hearts with a "lust for lucre." Paul reminds us that the love of money is the root of all evil. Lotteries and all sorts of ploys are used by states, tribes and private businesses to seduce us to seek easy wealth by means of frivolous games.
Christians are urged instead to be "rich in good works" (1 Timothy 6:18). True wealth is found in the treasures of kingdom virtues, like righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness, etc. Here is where lifestyle will truly reveal one's priorities. It's not that wealth is to be shunned. There are those who know how to make an honest dollar and multiply it by hard work and shrewd investment. If we were all equally poor, we would probably all be equally dead. The wealth of the world has spurred invention and research and development to advance world civilization to new heights, upon which we can stand and praise and thank God. It is the use of all this wealth that is at issue, whether it is for personal gain or community good. These are not always totally separable, but each individual must go to the depth of the soul to search out the core values by which one lives and dies. The good foundation must be laid for the future, which includes eternal life.
This is what Jesus gets at with the story of the rich man and Lazarus. We really do not have to look far to see parallels to this story today. In American cities, many wealthy, gated communities are not far from some of the most poverty-stricken neighborhoods. Vacationers at posh island resorts or Third-World getaways can look out over their balconies and the walled enclosure to see people begging in the streets. It is probably the case that those who are reading this column, like the writer, have been privileged to enjoy the proceeds of the rich man. It is also probably the case that there are not too many Lazarus folks in the pews of churches whose pastors, along with the writer, are picking the fruits of this publication.
We cannot necessarily equate the good life with God's benediction upon our lifestyle. If there were but one poor person in the world, we would be called upon "to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share" (1 Timothy 6:18). How well are we Christians really doing that as individuals, as families and as congregations?
Allan H. Sager, in his book Gospel-Centered Spirituality, describes four spirituality types who listen to the gospel and hear what they are "typed" to hear. These types can be labeled: Societal Regeneration, Theological Renewal, Inner Life and Personal Renewal. Depending upon one's inclination of mind (knowing God) or of heart (sensing God) and one's response to the mystery of God or to the revealed God, Christians bear a certain type or cast to their spirituality.
With Societal Regeneration types, concerns for justice and peace and prayer tend toward social action. The Theological Renewal sort want to think correctly about the faith and prayer so as to gain insight. For Inner Life types, the order of the day and night is contemplation, inner peace and prayer leading to mystical union with God. And those of the Personal Renewal bent seek holiness of life and prayer that leads to experiencing the presence of God. These are not pure types, however, for though we may predominate in one, we may evidence some elements of the others.
What Jesus' parable does for us today is to awaken the Societal Regeneration type that is in each of us, because God calls it out from each of us. (On other Sundays with other texts, there may be other types that need to be awakened and nurtured; but, for today, let us focus on this one, since the texts call us to express ourselves actively, in concrete terms, to embody the Word of God.)
It certainly was called out of Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity. In his book The Theology of the Hammer, he writes, "Putting faith into practice and being relevant is at the very heart of 'the theology of the hammer.' " He goes on to explain how God's love indeed embraced all, but he also observes from scripture that God has "a preferential concern for the poor." Upon this understanding, he set a very lofty and generous goal, which has made his organization wealthy in good deeds: the complete elimination of poverty housing and homelessness.
This is the season of Pentecost, the cycle lifting up the life and ministry of the church, just as the other five seasons of the church year lift up the life and ministry of the Lord of the church. It is time to bear witness in our lifestyle to the very values that God imparts to us. As we mature in Christ (Colossians 1:28), we are equipped, motivated and empowered to live out the wealth of faith, hope and love with which the grace of God brings us.
Alternative Applications
You could call this "In Boon and Bane." Flags are burning in the Middle East as Palestinians and Israelis argue over land and governance and independence. The death toll in this latest period of unrest is over 500 adults and children. The world wonders if there will be any peace in this land of promise. In America, a land where so many promises do come true for so many (read Dan Rather's The American Dream), there are families besieged by one catastrophe after another and left wondering how many times can the heart break. Do we have the courage of Jeremiah to still hope in what appears to be a hopeless situation? What field at Anathoth are we willing to invest in as we peer into the future from under storm cloud days?
Jeremiah would have us invest in the promise and power of God, who has shown himself faithful in mighty acts throughout history. To borrow from a Christian hymn penned two-and-a-half millennia later, "When all around my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay" (from "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less").
Venturing deeper into the message of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 32:17 ff.), we hear him praising God for the great demonstrations of power and compassion that can be recalled from the Exodus event. Courage can be taken when one relies on this one, true God in any and all circumstances, for even when God acts in judgment, there is a word of promise attached. What God decrees comes to pass, both in wrath as well as blessing. The God of Exodus and the God of Exile are one and the same; he will have his people in boon and bane. Jesus knew this on the cross and committed himself into the hands of God. So too can we all in times of trial find a solid rock on which to stand (Psalm 18).
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By Elizabeth Achtemeier
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
There are times in the lives of nations and of individuals when there seems to be no hope for the future. Who thought, when Franklin Roosevelt died, that this nation could successfully be led during wartime by an obscure little man from Missouri named Harry Truman? Or who imagined, when the Berlin wall stood fortress-like and impregnable, that that barrier to human freedom would ever come crumbling down? On a personal scale, what woman diagnosed with breast cancer ever thought that she would be a five- or 10- or even 15-year survivor of that dread disease? Or what man, finding himself in a troubled marriage, could envision that forgiveness and new understandings would now grant him the joy of faithful family life? Circumstances can look very bleak on the human landscape sometimes, and there are moments in our lives when we think that there is no good future for us whatsoever.
That certainly was the situation with the biblical nation of Judah in 588 B.C. The armies of the great Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadrezzar had marched from Mesopotamia to the west and south, swallowing up tiny kingdoms as they went. Judah, reduced to the smallest land area around Jerusalem, now was the next to be conquered. The Holy City held out under siege for one and a half years, but conditions within her walls were terrible. There was little food and water, disease was rampant among the populace crowded inside the walls for protection, commerce was practically non-existent, and every person who could do so was escaping the doomed city. Worst yet, the prophet Jeremiah forecast that the city would fall to the invading army, and its weak king, Zedekiah, would be taken with most of his citizens into exile in Babylonia. Indeed, Jeremiah earlier counseled surrender to the Babylonians, and when the Babylonians momentarily lifted their siege, and Jeremiah tried to leave the city to purchase a piece of land that had fallen to him by right of inheritance, he was thrown into prison as a traitor (Jeremiah 37:11-21). For neither the prophet nor Judah as a whole did there seem to be any hope for good in the future.
Our mistake when we give up all hope, however, is that we never reckon with the plans and work of God. Nevertheless, the Lord God Almighty is always on the scene, and the future of Judah in our text and for all of us living right now is very much in the hands of that Lord.
As a result, Jeremiah is given a word from God to buy that piece of land in his hometown of Anathoth that is his by right of inheritance. It seems like an utterly senseless command to Jeremiah (cf. v. 25). But the prophet does not quibble with his Lord. Dutifully Jeremiah goes through all of the legal steps. He weighs out 17 shekels of silver for his cousin Hanamel, whom God has sent to him (cf. v. 7). In the presence of the two required witnesses to the sale, Jeremiah hands over both the sealed deed of purchase, and the open copy of the deed to his scribe Baruch. And he instructs Baruch to seal the deeds in an earthenware jar that will last a long time and attest to Jeremiah's ownership of the field. It all seems like a senseless exercise when the Babylonians are knocking at the gate.
But beyond all human calculations and apart from all hopeless human scenarios, God has a plan. And his plan is to give Judah "a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). Thus his promise through the prophet Jeremiah is that "houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land" (32:15). Beyond the ruin of Judah, beyond the desolation of the Babylonian exile, God promises a time for his people when the covenant relation will be restored, when he will be their God, and they will be his people (32:26-38). "I will rejoice in doing good," says the Lord, "and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and soul" (32:41).
God always plans a future for us. Does the past lay heavy upon your heart, so that you can never escape the burden of that guilt which you feel? Well, God had a plan -- and he forgave all your sins by nailing them to the cross of his Son. Do you face the prospect of old age and your inevitable death, when the memory of you will be nothing but an unknown name on a graying tombstone? God had a plan, and he abolished the finality of the grave by the resurrection of Jesus Christ on that first Easter morn. Do you sometimes think our society is going to the devil, shot through with immorality and cynicism and violence? And are the nations of this world destined simply to unending conflict, until finally we dissolve the earth in the cloud of a nuclear explosion? God, the Lord of all nations, has a plan that will not be defeated, but that will finally issue in his good kingdom of peace and love come to earth, even as it is in heaven.
Is there hope for the future? Oh yes, indeed, because God is the Lord of the past and present and future, and he is good, and nothing is impossible for him (Jeremiah 32:17, 27). And so, if we can truly sing the hymn that says, "our hope is in no other save in thee," then all time, all eternity, all God's great goodness lie before us, without bounds, without end, and surely, surely with mercies running over.
Lutheran Option -- Amos 6:1a, 4-7
This passage forms a pointed indictment of the statesmen, leaders and wealthy citizens of the northern kingdom of Israel. The date is about 760 B.C. during the reign of King Jeroboam II. It is a relatively peaceful time, when burgeoning commerce has led to the growth of lively merchant and wealthy government classes in Israel, people who have no concern for the poor peasants and indentured servants in the country. The passage forms the second "woe oracle" in the series of three which are found in Amos 5:18-20; 6:1-3, and 6:4-7. Such "woes" are usually pronounced over the dead in the Bible, and Amos' announcement of these woes from God presage the end of northern Israel at the hands of the Assyrian Empire.
The lectionary wisely omits verses 2-3, which compare the fates of Calneh, Hamath, and Philistia with that of Israel. Those city-states too fell victim to Assyria, but had not fallen at the time of Amos' prophecy, and the verses may be a later insertion into Amos' words.
The word "first" forms an inclusio for the passage. In verse 1, the "first" of the nations, that is Israel, will be the "first" to go into Assyrian exile (v. 7). And so it was. Israel fell to Assyria in 721 B.C. Judah to the Babylonians in 597 and 587 B.C.
Amos gives very telling descriptions of those whom he addresses. First are the leaders and members of the royal court, around whom the populace of Israel gathers. They feel themselves secure in their capital city of Samaria, beyond all threats to their well-being. But then follows the most devastating language, aimed at those whom we might call "the beautiful people," the wealthy, the leisure class, who enjoy a vita dolce. The prophet says, in the original Hebrew, that such indolent rich "sprawl" on luxurious ivory-trimmed couches during their feasts (v. 4). They eat the meat of lambs and calves, although a diet of meat was rather rare in Israel, and both lambs and calves were usually left to be fattened. But after all, the rich can afford lots of meat (v. 4). Revelry marks the parties and celebrations of such idle indulgers, and Amos makes bitter fun of their singing. They "screech," he proclaims, and improvise tuneless songs (v. 5). Often they get drunk, quaffing not from cups, but from large bowls of wine. And they preen and anoint themselves with fine oils and perfumes (v. 6).
The difficulty, however, is that neither the leaders of the country nor its wealthy inhabitants give one thought to God's attitude toward their indifference toward the poor and helpless. In fact, judging by the first woe oracle in 5:18-20, all the rich believe that because they have so many of life's comforts, they therefore live in God's favor. And when the final reckoning comes from the Lord on his Day of Judgment, they will be exalted above all others. They should not harbor such vain thoughts, however, for they will be at the head of the line, trudging the long and weary miles into exile, their songs and riches, their revelry and high life style a thing of the past.
It is very easy for those of us who are comfortable, who enjoy power or status, or who are even comparatively wealthy, to believe that God is on our side. But perhaps we should ponder the words of Amos, and indeed, the words that God first spoke to Cain: "Where is your brother?" Where are our poor brothers, our helpless brothers and sisters, those whom our affluent, secular society has passed by? And what does God think about it all, for after all, God's view makes all the difference.
Everybody likes payday. Of course, it's time to pay the bills and set some money aside for a rainy day or retirement; but most enjoyable is putting some of that hard-earned money in the billfold to be used on a whim later in the evening or on the weekend.
Jeremiah, Paul and Jesus have a very interesting perspective on wealth that may change the way we go to the bank. Through buying a parcel of land, Jeremiah invests in his country when everything was falling apart. Paul urges Timothy and the congregation at Ephesus to be rich in godliness. Jesus tells a parable about material wealth not cutting it, when it comes time for death and the hereafter. The advice each would give us today is to head for the bank with "withdrawal slips" to invest one's assets for the kingdom of God rather than "deposit slips" for one's own benefit.
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
Babylon had already trampled the land. Nebuchadnezzer had besieged Jerusalem at the close of the seventh century B.C. and then again in 598 B.C. when he plundered the city. Judah was at the mercy of this new empire that had risen over the collapse of the Assyrians (Nineveh was destroyed in 612 B.C.). When Judah, under the token reign of Zedekiah, revolted against their new overlords, Babylon swept down once again, this time leveling Jerusalem and dismantling the glorious temple built by Solomon. During this time, Jeremiah had been imprisoned and left to starve to death (Jeremiah 37), but King Zedekiah took pity on him and kept him in the court of the guard instead (32:2).
There is no good reason not to include Jeremiah 32:3b-5 in the reading. It provides the reason that Jeremiah was imprisoned in the first place. It also sets in stark contrast Jeremiah's prophecy about the success of the Babylonians against Israel and Jeremiah's action parable of hope, in which he buys the field at Anathoth.
This purchase is a symbol of hope. If "actions speak louder than words," then this transaction demonstrates "loud and clear" that there is cause to hope in the future even in the face of such devastation in the present. Jeremiah took great pains to see that everything was done legally and publicly as a witness to his confidence. The land may be lost to this people, who will be carted off into exile, but the people will not be lost to God. This investment in the land foreshadows the return of the people to again occupy the land that the Lord had promised to Abraham.
What makes this hope so striking is that it is shaped by the same God who in "anger ... wrath and ... great indignation" (Jeremiah 32:37) is judging the people for unspeakable sins. Not only have they turned their backs on the God of Abraham and Sinai by worshiping Baal, they also turned their children into fodder for the god Moloch, who devoured the little ones in his fiery belly to appease his avaricious appetite for blood. How remarkable that the God of the covenant remains faithful over against his faithless people and holds out for them a hope that will carry them through this time of judgment!
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Paul gives Timothy lots of practical instructions in this letter to help him guide the church at Ephesus. The topics covered include public prayer, the place of women, the office of bishop and deacon, false doctrine, godly living, faithful service, care for widows and the role of elders and slaves. He accents the importance of what he explains by exhorting Timothy, "Teach and urge these duties" (1 Timothy 6:2c). Then, Paul moves on to his concluding remarks, which form the pericope for today.
Similar to what he wrote in Philippians 4:11, Paul reflects on the basic wisdom of contentment as the companion of godliness (6:6). Since we enter this world naked (literally) and leave it naked (figuratively; "you can't take it with you"), it is best to be concerned with what is truly essential. More than food and clothing (survival minimums), the Christian is to "pursue righteousness ..." (6:11). This is the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16-17; Galatians 2:16), to whom Paul offers a doxology (6:15-16). This righteousness means that one's life is understood as existing from, within, under and toward God.
One stands right with God because one stands in the shadow of the cross of Christ, submitting to the shape of that instrument of certain death and promised life. In the shadow of that cross, there can only be love for the One who gave up his life that we may know the extent of God's love for us. That is why Paul uses cruciform language ("pierced their hearts with many pangs"; 6:10, RSV) when talking about the danger of money-love, seducing one's heart "away from the faith," away from Jesus as one's Master.
In a very personal comment to Timothy, Paul commends him to the virtues of the Christian life: "righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness" (6:11; compare complementary lists in Galatians 5:22-23 and Colossians 3:12f). He charges him to "keep the commandment" (6:14), which is a reference not to any particular commandment among the Ten, but to the whole of the divine directive to live according to the will of God -- which is love!
Jesus defines it this way when asked about the greatest commandment; it is love for God with one's whole heart and love for the neighbor as for one self. When in the Upper Room on the night in which he was betrayed, Jesus bequeaths this commandment to his disciples (John 15:12; the same Greek word for "commandment" is used in these texts cited from 1 Timothy, Matthew and John).
Paul puts a time reference on this expectation he places on Timothy: "until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ" (6:14). As we learn elsewhere in Paul's letters, he expected the return of Jesus to occur sooner than later (Romans 13:11; 1 Corinthians 7:29). This puts a qualification on how Christians are to live their lives, not pursuing personal wealth and the pride and power and glory that can come with it, but "rich in good deeds" with liberality and generosity (6:18, RSV). In other words, daily life that invests itself in others in many (liberality) intense (generosity) ways "really is life" (6:19). The future is promised us as we stand on a solid foundation; the walls of good works come to rest on the foundation of the grace of God, "who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (6:17).
Luke 16:19-31
The word "Hades" is used only 10 times in the New Testament. The synoptic references in Matthew 11:23 and Luke 10:15 refer to Capernaum's fate due to lack of repentance in response to the ministry of Jesus. In Acts 2:27 and 31, Luke cites a psalm and relates it to the resurrection of Jesus, whom Hades could not contain. In Matthew 16:18 and Revelation 1:18, Hades is cast in a subjugated status before Christ. Although Hades gets to ride its day on earth (Revelation 6:8), in the final judgment before God, Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire, an apocalyptic image of final and eternal damnation (Revelation 20:13 and 14).
In this parable Jesus tells for the Pharisees, a rich man dies and goes to Hades, which is cast as a "place of torment." It is plain why he is there. He was self-absorbed in his earthly life and did not provide for the poor at his gate. This is a parable of simple morality, accentuating the seriousness of how those who have much relate to those who have little. The prophets themselves spoke of these things clearly throughout history. Leviticus 19:18 plainly says to all, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord." Micah 6:8 describes in no uncertain terms just what God expects: "He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?" It does not take someone rising from the dead to convince one of the rightness of such provisions.
If one's heart is hardened to this, repentance will be no easier should someone rise from the dead. One could "fast forward" to Easter morning and the tomorrows beyond, asking the question why the whole world is not converted to egalitarian care, if it were true that "if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent" (16:30). No! What one sows in this life will have eternal consequences; and it is no secret what the planting should be! It is as distinct as "a great chasm ... fixed," so as to distinguish between right and wrong.
In the context of the observation made in Luke 16:14-15, where the Pharisees are noted for their love of money, this parable calls for repentance in the here and now, for after death there will be no chance for recovery. The Pharisees certainly had the resources of blessings at their disposal. But, when they failed to act with compassion and share with those still in need, they exposed themselves as "an abomination in the sight of God."
Application
One of the fatal features of American culture is the growing gambling industry. The spirit of King Midas broods in our hearts with a "lust for lucre." Paul reminds us that the love of money is the root of all evil. Lotteries and all sorts of ploys are used by states, tribes and private businesses to seduce us to seek easy wealth by means of frivolous games.
Christians are urged instead to be "rich in good works" (1 Timothy 6:18). True wealth is found in the treasures of kingdom virtues, like righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness, etc. Here is where lifestyle will truly reveal one's priorities. It's not that wealth is to be shunned. There are those who know how to make an honest dollar and multiply it by hard work and shrewd investment. If we were all equally poor, we would probably all be equally dead. The wealth of the world has spurred invention and research and development to advance world civilization to new heights, upon which we can stand and praise and thank God. It is the use of all this wealth that is at issue, whether it is for personal gain or community good. These are not always totally separable, but each individual must go to the depth of the soul to search out the core values by which one lives and dies. The good foundation must be laid for the future, which includes eternal life.
This is what Jesus gets at with the story of the rich man and Lazarus. We really do not have to look far to see parallels to this story today. In American cities, many wealthy, gated communities are not far from some of the most poverty-stricken neighborhoods. Vacationers at posh island resorts or Third-World getaways can look out over their balconies and the walled enclosure to see people begging in the streets. It is probably the case that those who are reading this column, like the writer, have been privileged to enjoy the proceeds of the rich man. It is also probably the case that there are not too many Lazarus folks in the pews of churches whose pastors, along with the writer, are picking the fruits of this publication.
We cannot necessarily equate the good life with God's benediction upon our lifestyle. If there were but one poor person in the world, we would be called upon "to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share" (1 Timothy 6:18). How well are we Christians really doing that as individuals, as families and as congregations?
Allan H. Sager, in his book Gospel-Centered Spirituality, describes four spirituality types who listen to the gospel and hear what they are "typed" to hear. These types can be labeled: Societal Regeneration, Theological Renewal, Inner Life and Personal Renewal. Depending upon one's inclination of mind (knowing God) or of heart (sensing God) and one's response to the mystery of God or to the revealed God, Christians bear a certain type or cast to their spirituality.
With Societal Regeneration types, concerns for justice and peace and prayer tend toward social action. The Theological Renewal sort want to think correctly about the faith and prayer so as to gain insight. For Inner Life types, the order of the day and night is contemplation, inner peace and prayer leading to mystical union with God. And those of the Personal Renewal bent seek holiness of life and prayer that leads to experiencing the presence of God. These are not pure types, however, for though we may predominate in one, we may evidence some elements of the others.
What Jesus' parable does for us today is to awaken the Societal Regeneration type that is in each of us, because God calls it out from each of us. (On other Sundays with other texts, there may be other types that need to be awakened and nurtured; but, for today, let us focus on this one, since the texts call us to express ourselves actively, in concrete terms, to embody the Word of God.)
It certainly was called out of Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity. In his book The Theology of the Hammer, he writes, "Putting faith into practice and being relevant is at the very heart of 'the theology of the hammer.' " He goes on to explain how God's love indeed embraced all, but he also observes from scripture that God has "a preferential concern for the poor." Upon this understanding, he set a very lofty and generous goal, which has made his organization wealthy in good deeds: the complete elimination of poverty housing and homelessness.
This is the season of Pentecost, the cycle lifting up the life and ministry of the church, just as the other five seasons of the church year lift up the life and ministry of the Lord of the church. It is time to bear witness in our lifestyle to the very values that God imparts to us. As we mature in Christ (Colossians 1:28), we are equipped, motivated and empowered to live out the wealth of faith, hope and love with which the grace of God brings us.
Alternative Applications
You could call this "In Boon and Bane." Flags are burning in the Middle East as Palestinians and Israelis argue over land and governance and independence. The death toll in this latest period of unrest is over 500 adults and children. The world wonders if there will be any peace in this land of promise. In America, a land where so many promises do come true for so many (read Dan Rather's The American Dream), there are families besieged by one catastrophe after another and left wondering how many times can the heart break. Do we have the courage of Jeremiah to still hope in what appears to be a hopeless situation? What field at Anathoth are we willing to invest in as we peer into the future from under storm cloud days?
Jeremiah would have us invest in the promise and power of God, who has shown himself faithful in mighty acts throughout history. To borrow from a Christian hymn penned two-and-a-half millennia later, "When all around my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay" (from "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less").
Venturing deeper into the message of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 32:17 ff.), we hear him praising God for the great demonstrations of power and compassion that can be recalled from the Exodus event. Courage can be taken when one relies on this one, true God in any and all circumstances, for even when God acts in judgment, there is a word of promise attached. What God decrees comes to pass, both in wrath as well as blessing. The God of Exodus and the God of Exile are one and the same; he will have his people in boon and bane. Jesus knew this on the cross and committed himself into the hands of God. So too can we all in times of trial find a solid rock on which to stand (Psalm 18).
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By Elizabeth Achtemeier
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
There are times in the lives of nations and of individuals when there seems to be no hope for the future. Who thought, when Franklin Roosevelt died, that this nation could successfully be led during wartime by an obscure little man from Missouri named Harry Truman? Or who imagined, when the Berlin wall stood fortress-like and impregnable, that that barrier to human freedom would ever come crumbling down? On a personal scale, what woman diagnosed with breast cancer ever thought that she would be a five- or 10- or even 15-year survivor of that dread disease? Or what man, finding himself in a troubled marriage, could envision that forgiveness and new understandings would now grant him the joy of faithful family life? Circumstances can look very bleak on the human landscape sometimes, and there are moments in our lives when we think that there is no good future for us whatsoever.
That certainly was the situation with the biblical nation of Judah in 588 B.C. The armies of the great Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadrezzar had marched from Mesopotamia to the west and south, swallowing up tiny kingdoms as they went. Judah, reduced to the smallest land area around Jerusalem, now was the next to be conquered. The Holy City held out under siege for one and a half years, but conditions within her walls were terrible. There was little food and water, disease was rampant among the populace crowded inside the walls for protection, commerce was practically non-existent, and every person who could do so was escaping the doomed city. Worst yet, the prophet Jeremiah forecast that the city would fall to the invading army, and its weak king, Zedekiah, would be taken with most of his citizens into exile in Babylonia. Indeed, Jeremiah earlier counseled surrender to the Babylonians, and when the Babylonians momentarily lifted their siege, and Jeremiah tried to leave the city to purchase a piece of land that had fallen to him by right of inheritance, he was thrown into prison as a traitor (Jeremiah 37:11-21). For neither the prophet nor Judah as a whole did there seem to be any hope for good in the future.
Our mistake when we give up all hope, however, is that we never reckon with the plans and work of God. Nevertheless, the Lord God Almighty is always on the scene, and the future of Judah in our text and for all of us living right now is very much in the hands of that Lord.
As a result, Jeremiah is given a word from God to buy that piece of land in his hometown of Anathoth that is his by right of inheritance. It seems like an utterly senseless command to Jeremiah (cf. v. 25). But the prophet does not quibble with his Lord. Dutifully Jeremiah goes through all of the legal steps. He weighs out 17 shekels of silver for his cousin Hanamel, whom God has sent to him (cf. v. 7). In the presence of the two required witnesses to the sale, Jeremiah hands over both the sealed deed of purchase, and the open copy of the deed to his scribe Baruch. And he instructs Baruch to seal the deeds in an earthenware jar that will last a long time and attest to Jeremiah's ownership of the field. It all seems like a senseless exercise when the Babylonians are knocking at the gate.
But beyond all human calculations and apart from all hopeless human scenarios, God has a plan. And his plan is to give Judah "a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). Thus his promise through the prophet Jeremiah is that "houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land" (32:15). Beyond the ruin of Judah, beyond the desolation of the Babylonian exile, God promises a time for his people when the covenant relation will be restored, when he will be their God, and they will be his people (32:26-38). "I will rejoice in doing good," says the Lord, "and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and soul" (32:41).
God always plans a future for us. Does the past lay heavy upon your heart, so that you can never escape the burden of that guilt which you feel? Well, God had a plan -- and he forgave all your sins by nailing them to the cross of his Son. Do you face the prospect of old age and your inevitable death, when the memory of you will be nothing but an unknown name on a graying tombstone? God had a plan, and he abolished the finality of the grave by the resurrection of Jesus Christ on that first Easter morn. Do you sometimes think our society is going to the devil, shot through with immorality and cynicism and violence? And are the nations of this world destined simply to unending conflict, until finally we dissolve the earth in the cloud of a nuclear explosion? God, the Lord of all nations, has a plan that will not be defeated, but that will finally issue in his good kingdom of peace and love come to earth, even as it is in heaven.
Is there hope for the future? Oh yes, indeed, because God is the Lord of the past and present and future, and he is good, and nothing is impossible for him (Jeremiah 32:17, 27). And so, if we can truly sing the hymn that says, "our hope is in no other save in thee," then all time, all eternity, all God's great goodness lie before us, without bounds, without end, and surely, surely with mercies running over.
Lutheran Option -- Amos 6:1a, 4-7
This passage forms a pointed indictment of the statesmen, leaders and wealthy citizens of the northern kingdom of Israel. The date is about 760 B.C. during the reign of King Jeroboam II. It is a relatively peaceful time, when burgeoning commerce has led to the growth of lively merchant and wealthy government classes in Israel, people who have no concern for the poor peasants and indentured servants in the country. The passage forms the second "woe oracle" in the series of three which are found in Amos 5:18-20; 6:1-3, and 6:4-7. Such "woes" are usually pronounced over the dead in the Bible, and Amos' announcement of these woes from God presage the end of northern Israel at the hands of the Assyrian Empire.
The lectionary wisely omits verses 2-3, which compare the fates of Calneh, Hamath, and Philistia with that of Israel. Those city-states too fell victim to Assyria, but had not fallen at the time of Amos' prophecy, and the verses may be a later insertion into Amos' words.
The word "first" forms an inclusio for the passage. In verse 1, the "first" of the nations, that is Israel, will be the "first" to go into Assyrian exile (v. 7). And so it was. Israel fell to Assyria in 721 B.C. Judah to the Babylonians in 597 and 587 B.C.
Amos gives very telling descriptions of those whom he addresses. First are the leaders and members of the royal court, around whom the populace of Israel gathers. They feel themselves secure in their capital city of Samaria, beyond all threats to their well-being. But then follows the most devastating language, aimed at those whom we might call "the beautiful people," the wealthy, the leisure class, who enjoy a vita dolce. The prophet says, in the original Hebrew, that such indolent rich "sprawl" on luxurious ivory-trimmed couches during their feasts (v. 4). They eat the meat of lambs and calves, although a diet of meat was rather rare in Israel, and both lambs and calves were usually left to be fattened. But after all, the rich can afford lots of meat (v. 4). Revelry marks the parties and celebrations of such idle indulgers, and Amos makes bitter fun of their singing. They "screech," he proclaims, and improvise tuneless songs (v. 5). Often they get drunk, quaffing not from cups, but from large bowls of wine. And they preen and anoint themselves with fine oils and perfumes (v. 6).
The difficulty, however, is that neither the leaders of the country nor its wealthy inhabitants give one thought to God's attitude toward their indifference toward the poor and helpless. In fact, judging by the first woe oracle in 5:18-20, all the rich believe that because they have so many of life's comforts, they therefore live in God's favor. And when the final reckoning comes from the Lord on his Day of Judgment, they will be exalted above all others. They should not harbor such vain thoughts, however, for they will be at the head of the line, trudging the long and weary miles into exile, their songs and riches, their revelry and high life style a thing of the past.
It is very easy for those of us who are comfortable, who enjoy power or status, or who are even comparatively wealthy, to believe that God is on our side. But perhaps we should ponder the words of Amos, and indeed, the words that God first spoke to Cain: "Where is your brother?" Where are our poor brothers, our helpless brothers and sisters, those whom our affluent, secular society has passed by? And what does God think about it all, for after all, God's view makes all the difference.
