Haunted by Haughtiness
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
For September 25, 2022:
Haunted by Haughtiness
by Chris Keating
1 Timothy 6:6-19, Amos 6:1a,4-7
While many Americans were winding up summer or mesmerized by the British monarchy, planeloads of undocumented immigrants have been arriving in Martha’s Vineyard. Overnight, the luxury vacation getaway became ground zero in the ongoing debates about immigration policy. But these new arrivals to the Vineyards aren’t coming for parties or lobster rolls. They’re victims of the latest act of American political buffoonery.
While it may sound like the premise of an Owen Wilson/Vince Vaughn buddy comedy, the sad reality is that human lives are at stake. Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, both of whom are Republicans, loaded scores of asylum-seeking immigrants on chartered planes and dropped them in Martha’s Vineyard. The planes originated in Texas but were paid for by Florida.
DeSantis said Florida spent $12 million relocating the immigrants, and that he’s willing to send more to Democrat-controlled parts of the country. Since April Abbot has sent more than 6,200 migrants from Texas to the nation’s capital, overwhelming social service agencies and creating a logjam in the nation’s immigration courts. Other migrants were offered free bus rides to Washington, DC, and dropped off outside the Vice President’s official residence without shelter or other assistance.
Even by the already low standards of contemporary politics, the antics of Governors DeSantis and Abbott have struck many as mean-spirited and cruel, revealing an agenda of manipulation designed to rally votes at the expense of human lives.
Notice, however, how this week’s lectionary texts offer guidance in checking privileges of power and wealth against strategically twisting the arms of the poor. The prophet Amos rejects a passive tolerance of cruelty and inhumane actions. Paul, or the one writing in his name, provides pastoral guidance for those wealthy believers consumed by oversized egos and conceit. Those preoccupied by their prideful arrogance and puffed-up haughtiness are missing the point.
For Amos, it’s akin to the sort of puffed-up nationalism he sees as causing Israel’s inability to care for the poor. “Alas for those who are at ease in Zion,” proclaims Amos, “the notables of the first of the nations” who believe they are better than the other kingdoms. (Amos 6:2).
To borrow from 1 Timothy, it seems biblical faith is calling us to stop being haunted by haughtiness so that we can pursue the good fight of faith. Perhaps it is time to set aside cruel antics and consider immigration reform centered on protects human dignity and life instead of preserving political power.
In The News
There’s no disputing that the numbers of people crossing the US/Mexico border has become unmanageable. What escapes most conversations about immigration is that nearly all undocumented people entering the United States are seeking political refuge. Part of a massive refugee crisis that includes as many of 100 different nationalities, they’re fleeing chaos in search of asylum.
Most of the people crossing the border from Mexico hail from countries like Venezuela, Cuba, Peru, or Columbia. United Nations refugee officials estimate that as many as six million Venezuelans have fled the turmoil in their homeland, making this the second largest displacement crisis in the world. Once across, they generally are willing to surrender to border officials, and eagerly cooperate with law enforcement. They come peacefully, desperate for a new beginning.
But leaving behind political chaos and violence, it seems many of the Venezuelans are trading one political drama for another. Currently as many 1,000 a day are being apprehended and processed. Because the United States is reluctant to send asylum seekers back to their countries of origin, the immigrants face lengthy legal processes. Large scale migrations from Venezuela have been underway since 2014, creating a backlog of cases and ongoing misery. (Check out a more detailed explanation here.)
Some southern governors, including DeSantis and Abbot, have blamed the crisis on President Biden and mayors of progressive cities. DeSantis’ recent “relocation efforts” have followed efforts by Abbot to bus immigrants to New York or Washington.
Many of those recruited for the Martha’s Vineyard trip told stories of being approached by operatives who provided food, promises of expedited work papers, and a free trip to Boston. To some who had just been released from US custody, the offers seemed nearly too good to be true.
One man, a 30-year-old from Venezuela, was promised help from a woman named “Perla.” He was staying at a homeless shelter in San Antonio, Texas, when Perla approached him with the opportunity to find a new beginning in Massachusetts.
"She (Perla) offered us help. Help that never arrived," Duarte Andres told NPR. "Now we are here. We got on the plane with a vision of the future, of making it." He explained that when you have few options, any offer of help sounds promising. "Look, when you have no money and someone offers help, well, it means a lot."
None of those flown to Martha’s Vineyard were living in Florida. DeSantis took to the airwaves to tout his relocation plan, which had been funded by a $12 million bill passed by the Florida Legislature. For his part, Abbot upped the ante by dropping off busloads of migrants outside the official residence of Vice President Kamala Harris.
“She’s the border czar,” Abbott told a Lubbock radio station. “And we felt that if she won’t come down to see the border, if President [Joe] Biden will not come down and see the border, we will make sure they see it firsthand.… And listen, there’s more where that came from.”
With a wink and a nod, Abbott and DeSantis’ plans were designed to generate smug giggles from members of their political base rather than trying to helping people in crisis. Gustavo Garcia-Siller, the Roman Catholic archbishop of San Antonio, decried the relocations. “Texas is not overwhelmed by refugees,” the archbishop said on Twitter. “We are a big State. Aren’t we! Comprehensive immigration reform is urgent. Our leaders are doing sick actions without doing little about the issue. The problem is not the refugees, it is leaders that cannot accept; we are one with humanity."
Other faith leaders added that the governors are vying for who can be the most cruel. “Their rhetoric is presenting a distorted image of migrants, and they are using the weapons of fear and misinformation as a political strategy,” said Carlos Malave, president of the Latino Christian National Network. “They are using the rhetoric that has been used and maximized by President Trump to make points on other political issues.”
DeSantis and friends may have expected the residents of Martha’s Vineyard to hide behind their lush estates. As Jamelle Bouie from the New York Times noted, “To DeSantis and his amen corner, asylum seekers are disposable, and they believe that liberals will want to dispose of them too.”
Instead, the locals rallied, providing shelter, food, and emergency assistance until relief agencies could get organized. Donations poured in, with residents stepping up. “We’ve been through Covid, we’ve been through hurricanes, we’ve been through this, we’ve been through a lot of things imaginable for a small community and every one of those we’ve risen up as the Vineyard, ’cause we’re resilient,” Edgartown, MA, town administrator James Hagerty said. “We take care of our own, we take care of the community, we help people out.”
It’s a reminder of what can happen when privilege is leveraged for the common good instead of being weaponized as conceited haughtiness.
In the Scriptures
Preachers shy away from the pastoral epistles for good reasons. This includes the painful hermeneutical maneuvers required to interpret Paul’s words about women in chapter two, and his explorations of slavery at the beginning of chapter six. Rather than avoiding these painful sections, the preacher’s exegetical skills can assist the congregation in addressing what Ken Evers-Hood calls the “problematic question of what thoughtful believers are to do when we encounter scriptural claims that contradict what the contemporary church affirms.” (Connections, Year C, Volume 3, p. 347).
Moving into chapter six, Paul resumes his mentoring of the younger pastor by addressing what constitutes the good life. Tom Long suggests that advice in chapter six be seen as words of encouragement for leaders of a community struggling to find its sea legs. “It involves leadership that grows out of a quality of life and faith,” Long writes. “It’s not just about doing things in logical steps — 1, 2, 3 — it’s about being a certain kind of person whose leadership endures and can be trusted.” (Thomas G. Long, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus A. P. Pauw & W. C. Placher, Eds., pp. 170–171, Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2016). The center of such a life emanates from shunning conceit and embracing simplicity.
Yet simplicity is hardly ever that simple. Paul imagines that some, including those who seem bent on creating controversy and harboring envy, might see the pursuit of godliness as a “means for gain” (6:5). Instead, there is great gain in a life centered around contentment. Such a life eschews materialism, recalling that we brought nothing into this life, and shall take nothing out.
The challenge to the good life, of course, grows from an uncontrolled desire for wealth. Unlike Luke 16, 1 Timothy does not suggest that wealth is inevitably dangerous. Instead, Paul seems to understand that the wealthy members of the church need to be reminded of how unchecked privilege and wealth, like any uncontrolled allegiance, leads one away from God.
Humans who pursue wealth and ego-driven conceit and haughtiness exchange their primary commitment to God. They trade contentment for “senseless and harmful desires” that plunge people into ruin. Take, for example, the rich man in Jesus’ parable in Luke 16. The good life, Paul advises, is found in the pursuit of simplicity and righteousness, just as Amos advised centuries before. Those who ignore the poor end up piercing themselves with painful wounds (1 Timothy 6:10).
In the Sermon
While there seems to be no end to the depths some will plunder in their political quests, Governor DeSantis’ schemes of playing games with homeless refugees seem particularly devilish and cruel. DeSantis, a Roman Catholic who often paraphrases scripture in his speeches, has said he is willing to take the “flaming arrows” lobbed at him by “the left’s schemes.” Ironically, DeSantis is also the grandchild of Italian immigrants.
The sermon, however, need not be rooted in partisan politics. Instead, it can explore what it means to seek the good life. The sermon can illustrate how fighting the good fight is not a matter of pouncing on desperate siblings in Christ. Scripture deflates the haughtiness that corrupts and blinds. The gifts of the villagers of Cape Cod — people who gave of their abundance — can serve as an illustration of the way God’s people are called to respond to human need.
The noisy rhetoric of haughty politicians across the political spectrum threatens to keep us from hearing Amos’ clarion call to seek justice. Their antics hinder our understanding of Paul’s entreaties to avoid “senseless and harmful desires.” The ego-infused conceit of people who play around with human lives is deflated by recalling Lazarus’ repeated experiences of being denied scraps of food. These can all be named in the sermon as revelations of God’s promises.
Following Paul’s suggestions, the sermon can renew our hopes for a good life that stores up “the treasures of a good foundation for the future.”
Yet his calls to fight the good fight ring hollow when compared to Amos’ clarion call to seek justice, or Paul’s entreaties to avoid “senseless and harmful desires.” But the scriptures this week go beyond a partisan appeal or critique. 1 Timothy is not concerned about turning out voters; instead, the standards advanced by Paul establish a framework that exposes the shallow preoccupation conceit that consistently ignores the desperate cries of those who have so little.
The relocation of migrants is only an attempt to grab power. It is vainglorious, a strutting around of economic privilege of power that masquerades as faith while ignoring the underlying issue.
* * * * *
SECOND THOUGHTS
Death Cares Little for The Color Purple
by Quantisha Mason-Doll
Luke 16:19-31
Jesus, according to the gospel of Luke, should be given a reward because never once are we offered a cut and dried answer to moral dilemmas. Jesus offered parables and challenged those gathered to find the moral high ground in a narrative deeply entrenched in free choice. Though there is free choice the outcomes are not free from consequences. For the purpose of our arguments, parable should be understood as similar in style and construction to fable or fairytale, coupled with the higher morals of a religious overtone. Parables, fables, and fairytales are literary tools specifically designed to communicate lessons of morality that require the listener to use critical thinking skills. Often these stories can be lost on modern readers or interpreters because these stories are heavily based in culturally specific social mores that might not stand the test of time. For listeners in the day of Jesus there would have been a gravitas that might be lost on us listeners today. While this reality does not make the parables of Jesus null and void, it does require some additional leg work for us to hear the breath of God.
Jesus tells us there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linens. Listeners during Jesus’ era would understand the significance of a person dressed in purples. This purple was made from the rock snails and required a mass amount of shells and labor to produce the dye. To clarify, Tyrian purple also known as imperial purple, was considered the color of the upper elite. Your average wealthy person could not afford this kind of luxury. It was typically reserved for the oligarchy or plutocracy. To borrow from the African-American English linguistic practice of reduplication: this man was rich rich. Think multi-millionaire but not quite billionaire. And then we have Lazarus. Like the first Lazarus, this one is suffering too. No shade to Jesus and his friend Lazarus, it all turned out great in the end. In this case, Lazarus, the one that sat by the rich man’s gates, invokes similarities to the interaction between Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman. In that narrative Jesus essentially tells the Syrophoenician woman that she is less than a dog, yet she argues back that dogs will still eat crumbs from their masters table. Maybe this is an instance of Jesus taking the lessons he learned during that interaction and turning it into a parable to teach the masses. Lazarus only wanted the crumbs from the rich man’s table, the crumbs the rich man didn’t care about, yet the rich man even refused Lazarus the crumbs that fell on the ground. The rich man dressed in purple could not even bring himself to offer the smallest token of kindness simply because he viewed the suffering of Lazarus as unworthy of his scraps. So, Lazarus suffered and died and in his death the Lord reached out and spared him from the void and brought him into the kingdom of heaven.
Lazarus is sick, injured, ritually impure, and is being licked by dogs. It is easy to assume that Lazarus’ spirit was broken so that when he cried out to the rich man for aid, it was Lazarus’ last attempt at saying “I am human.” In this moment the rich man could have seen the humanity in Lazarus as he laid sick, dying at his gates. Yet the rich man was so blinded by his own wealth and his proximity to power and pleasure that he refused Lazarus even the crumbs.
The rich man goes about his life none the wiser to Lazarus’ plight. We assume the rich man grows old and dies surrounded by his earthly wealth. It is at this point where the narrative gives us our first glimpse into Hades (or Hell depending on your translation). It should be noted that Hades or Hell is very much Roman in origin and Hades is not a Jewish concept. This is that Hellenization of a culture, that bleeding in, making new moral touchstones to scare people into doing what was right. This image of Hades as a place of endless torment provides listeners, even modern ones, a way to conceptualize a separate place from God’s eternal love. I'm going to skip over contextualization of this section of the parable and focus on the actions of the rich man, now that he is confined to Hades and unable to cross the chasm that separates him from the paradise promised to him in the scriptures. While he's being tormented in Hades the rich man looks up and sees Abraham with Lazarus by his side. Unfazed by his current situation, the once formally rich man demands of the progenitor of his nation that Lazarus be sent to cool his tongue with drops of water. He is refused multiple times, but the primary point is that he had the audacity to ask in the first place. Even though their stations in death have been switched, he still cannot see the humanity in Lazarus and refuses to treat him with dignity.
There is an assumption among those in close proximity to power and privilege that power and privilege will protect them from the consequences of their actions. We see it here in this parable and we also see it in our modern day with the onset of climate change, among other things. The wealthy and mega rich desperately searching for Planet B or push for laws and regulations that make the poor poorer and themselves richer.
A good example of this is with the death of the Queen of England. She ruled for over 70 years and during her lifetime there was much bloodshed, subjugation, the stealing of wealth from the Global South, and the wholesale murder of people of darker skin tones. This transpired because of colonization and the subjugation of people. The billions of dollars of wealth that is being passed down to her children, her grandchildren and her great-great grandchildren was built off the backs of dead BIPoC and PoC. There are countless nations that, though they mourned the death of the Queen of England because she is a person, they rejoice because her legacy of pain and subjugation has technically come to an end. With her death there is a call for the return of material wealth that was stolen from cultures the world over to bolster the monarchy.
There is a global obsession with monarchies. Monarchies are outdated and are the last vestiges of white imperialism and subjugation. The obsession we have is with monarchies proximity to power and privilege. We romanticize being a monarch because there is this assumption that if you have that kind of power you are safe from facing the consequences of your actions. While it is true that power and privilege does protect some from the rule of law and social mores, it does not protect all from becoming spiritually corrupt.
Back to the rich man — think of the kind of egotism, arrogance, and narcissistic tendencies it requires for a person suffering in Hades to look at the progenitor of their nation and make a demand of them. The riches he gained corrupted him so fully that he still perceives himself as a person placed on a pedestal. The rich man, much like monarchies in today's society, was given so much leeway in life that even in death he felt that he was entitled to the glitz and glamour that is wealth. In this case, he felt that he was entitled to Lazarus’ position simply because in his earthly life he was perceived as better, and that Lazarus was subhuman.
When confronted with the reality that Lazarus, this person that he saw in life as beneath him, unworthy of even the crumbs that fell off his table, was not going to help him. He became indignant. Wealthy people assume that because they are wealthy, they are entitled to whatever they want. It takes a tragedy for the rich to realize that in the grand scheme of things, their riches no longer matters when confronted with the kingdom of heaven — built on the concepts of justice and righteousness. The rich man’s status no longer mattered — only the weight of his sins could be counted. Sins committed against not only against Lazarus but also all of creation. This weight keeps the rich man from seeing that it is his own fault that he cannot cross the chasm. The rich man could not accept that his wealth would not save him. Even in death the rich man refused to acknowledge the humanity and inherent dignity of Lazarus simply because of his perceived proximity to power and privilege. Wealth, earthly wealth, can corrupt so deeply that we lose sight of what God has called us to do. Abraham tells us those who are living have Moses and the prophets to guide us. We know what we are called to do — all we have to do is follow them and if we choose not to, the weight of our sins will keep our soul tethered to hell.
Where is the good news in all of this? To be honest, good news does not always mean it is good. In this parable Jesus is drawing a line in the sand that even we as modern readers can understand. Listeners then and now understand that this parable is not a morally gray area. There is a distinct right and wrong and the answer to the moral dilemma proposed here has already been given.
When we turn our backs on our call to care for those who are less fortunate than ourselves, to care for those that need to be advocated for, we separate ourselves from the kingdom of God and death, real death, will be our only reward. As I stated earlier, there is no Planet B, there is no safety for the uber rich. There will come a day when all of creation testifies against us and creation will be like Lazarus — the one God helps.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Mary Austin:
1 Timothy 6:6-19
The Good Fight
“Fight the good fight of the faith,” this epistle advises. In a different setting, faith is playing a big part in Ukraine’s recent success against Russian troops. In an opinion piece, Fareed Zakaria reports on a recent trip to Ukraine. He believes that intangible qualities are giving Ukraine a military advantage. “Ukraine’s response is society-wide, starting with its elected government but involving almost all the country’s citizens. One key aspect of the astonishing advance of Ukraine’s army in the east — and the astonishing collapse of Russian forces — is the gap in morale. Ukraine’s soldiers are fighting for their country and freedom. Russians are fighting out of fear and for money.” As examples, he lifts up ““Ukrainian heroes…” For example, a 15-year-old boy by the name of Andriy Pokrasa explained that he used his own drone to provide the Ukrainian army with the coordinates of Russian armored vehicles and tanks — thus reportedly helping to destroy 100 of them. Or Ukraine’s rock legend, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, who talked about going around the country and performing for free, even in the trenches, even when just a dozen soldiers were his audience.”
Meanwhile, some Russian soldiers are reportedly tired of the fight. Letters left behind when they retreated show their distress. One “soldier asked to be released, citing “the worsening of my health and not receiving the necessary medical aid.” Still another said he was experiencing “physical and moral exhaustion.” Others wrote complaining that they were denied vacation time for family obligations, including to get married and to witness the birth of a child. The similar style in which the 10 letters were written suggests the troops, weary and disheartened, banded together to draft them.”
* * *
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
Jeremiah is in luck, or maybe not
“Buy the field,” God tells Jeremiah, as a sign of hope. If Jeremiah lived in our time, and wanted to buy a nice condo in Chicago or a family home in Columbus, his chances would be better right now. Home prices are falling from their recent high, which was fueled by pandemic buying and low interest rates. Or, maybe Jeremiah would be out of luck. First time buyers are still priced out of the market by high prices and high interest rates. People who have outgrown their homes are also stuck. “Homeowners who were trading up to more desirable homes when rates were low are now effectively locked into their current home. Most homeowners have refinanced their mortgages over the years when rates dropped, and the typical homeowner now has a mortgage with about a low 3.5 percent rate. If she wants to sell her current home and get a new one, she will also need to give up her existing mortgage and get a new one at 6 percent. Few homeowners can afford it.”
There is also a “current shortage of homes. The percent of homes for sale that are vacant is as low as it has ever been, and the vacancy rate for homes for rent is close to its lowest. Home builders have struggled to keep up with the households that formed since the financial crisis, most recently because of the disruptions to supply chains for building materials and appliances. A decade ago, housing was vastly overbuilt, and the housing vacancy rate was at a record high. The current shortage of homes puts a figurative floor under house prices.”
The transaction is much simpler for Jeremiah than for many current buyers.
* * *
Luke 16:19-31
Trying not to be the rich man
Money turns people into jerks, unless they deliberately work against the trend. Robert Sutton, in The No Asshole Rule, says, "Pay is a vivid sign of power differences, and a host of studies suggest that when the difference between the highest- and lowest-paid people in a company or team is reduced, a host of good things happen — including improved financial performance, better product quality, enhanced research productivity, and, in baseball teams, a better win-loss record.” Reducing the pay gap, he says, “sends the message to both the CEO and the average worker that they are not superstars or superior beings.”
He offers the example of James D. Sinegal, co-founder and CEO of Costco, a warehouse retailer. “His salary in 2003 was $350,000, which is just about ten times what is earned by his top hourly employees and roughly double that of a typical Costco store manager. Costco also pays 92.5% of employee health-care costs.”
In trying not to be a wealthy jerk, “even Costco’s compensation committee acknowledges that he is underpaid. Sinegal believes that by taking care of his people and staying close to them, they will provide better customer service, Costco will be more profitable, and everyone (including shareholders like himself) will win. Sinegal takes other steps to reduce the “power distance” between himself and other employees. He visits hundreds of Costco stores a year, constantly mixing with the employees as they work and asking questions about how he can make things better for them and Costco customers…Treating employees fairly also helps the bottom line in other ways, as Costco’s “shrinkage rate” (theft by employees and customers) is only two-tenths of 1%; other retail chains suffer ten to fifteen times the amount.” (from The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't by Robert I. Sutton)
The wealthy man in the house doesn’t have to be a jerk to Lazarus — he chooses to be.
* * *
Luke 16:19-31
So many yachts
If one updated the parable of Lazarus and the rich man to our era, you would get oligarchs and the suffering people of Ukraine. In contrast to the hungry people in Kyiv and Kharkiv, the oligarchs who shelter Vladimir Putin’s money remain comfortable — except for the seizure of their yachts. Some had to move their yachts to places without law enforcement relationships with the US. “With that, some of Russia’s wealthiest are moving their boats to other locations, potentially with the hope they can avoid having those items seized. Vagit Alekperov, who is president of Russia-based Lukoil, is sailing his yacht to Montenegro…[the] yacht is known as Galactica Super Nova and, according to Superyacht Fan, which tracks the comings and goings of these types of vessels, it features a “a 6-meter glass-bottom swimming pool with a waterfall. And a touch-and-go helipad, an elevator, and a large beach club.” Alekperov has a net worth of just under $25 billion, according to Forbes.”
In a Lazarus-like reversal, “the US, European and Ukrainian governments have suggested that the sale of yachts, private jets and other items would help finance Ukraine’s reconstruction from a war that has destroyed or damaged almost 1,000 health centers and will cost billions of dollars.”
* * *
Luke 16:19-31
Please return our stuff
We see the parable of Lazarus and the wealthy man playing out as countries around the globe ask for the return of cultural treasures, following the death of Queen Elizabeth. The British empire brought home art and religious objects from all over the world, overlooking their original owners in the same way the moneyed homeowner overlooks the man outside his gate.
South Africa would like to have the Cullinan diamond, also called the Great Star, back from its current place in a royal scepter. “When South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa posted a tweet eulogizing the Queen, some South Africans hijacked the post to complain about the return of the Great Star diamond.”
Britain holds numerous items that other countries have asked to have back. “Requests for the permanent return of items taken without their owners’ consent, known as restitution, have gathered pace in recent years. A few months before Hirut’s visit to the U.K., the governor of Easter Island, the Chilean territory, gave an emotional press conference on the steps of the British Museum asking for the return of a stone moai head taken by a British warship in 1868 and given to Queen Victoria; indigenous islanders believe the head is the reincarnation of their relatives. Nigeria has been asking for the return of the Benin bronzes, sculptures that decorated the royal palace of Benin before it was sacked by the British in 1897 (again, a loan has been offered). In January, the British Museum was forced once again to explain publicly why it would not return the Parthenon Marbles — subject to a high-profile and long-running claim from the Greek state — to Athens.”
The parable, 2022 version, will play out in interesting ways in the months to come.
* * * * * *
From team member Tom Willadsen:
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Contentment
In “Soak up the Sun,” rock star Sheryl Crow sang, “It’s not having what you want/It’s wanting what you got.” Crow was paraphrasing Rabbi Hyman Schachtel, whose quote is, “happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.” The wisdom of this sentiment is clear and it appears in a less pithy way in today’s epistle reading.
* * *
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Greed
Extreme avarice almost always defeats itself. No passion more often fails of its object, and in none does present self-interest wield such compelling power to the prejudice of the future. — Maxims of Rochefoucauld
* * *
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Penny perspective
“Hold a penny at arm’s length, and it will appear as a dot against the sun; hold it next to the eye and it will cover the sun.” (Preaching the New Common Lectionary, Year C, After Pentecost Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1988, p. 182.)
* * *
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Godliness, piety, religion?
The NRSV renders the Greek ευςεβεια as “godliness.” A better translation would be “religion,” though other translations come close with “piety.” The point is that true faith, religion that is lived, integrated into one’s everyday life, will bring contentment. Striving for more, especially more money, will not lead to contentment.
* * *
Luke 16:19-31
Lazarus…and some other guy
This parable is a little unusual in that one of the characters is named (the poor man) Lazarus. It does not appear that this Lazarus is the same man whom Jesus brought back from the dead in John’s gospel. There are many details in this parable. The rich man, for example, died and was buried, presumably because his survivors could afford to bury him. Lazarus was carried away by angels, thus sparing his family some expenses.
The really interesting detail is that it is the poor character that is named, while the rich one is identified only by his wealth, unnamed. This may be another very subtle way that points to the Lord’s preferential option for the poor.
* * * * * *
From team member Katy Stenta:
Luke 16:19-31
Two Justice Systems
This parable illustrates how there are two justice systems in heaven — one for the rich and one for the poor. It is in stark opposition to the reality on earth. On earth the rich are able to get away with almost everything and the poor are punished for meager crimes that can ruin their lives forever, especially if you are a person of color. The Trumps, Bezos, Epsteins, and even the royal family of Britain, can treat human beings like tools of the empire. When the rich man wants to return to earth to warn his brothers, God informs him of the sad truth, there is nothing you can do to convince these people that actions have consequences. The rich think that they can pay for their responsibilities with money in the end. They think of everything as a payoff and will not understand things differently unless they do not have money anymore. Schitt’s Creek is a wonderful study in the humanization of rich people — though you have to make it through the first season when the characters are the most repugnant from being rich. This is why 1 Timothy 6:10 says that the love of money is the root of all evil.
* * *
Psalm 146
No Princes
Do not look for the government to save you.
In the era of Covid, threats to democracy, and all the woes that come with the behemoth of capitalism — I am heartened. “Do not put your trust in princes.” After all, they are but mere mortals. They make mistakes, they are not perfect, they are ephemeral, their documents are imperfect, they were bigoted, they did not think of everything. There is no such thing as a perfect person or ruler. There is a reason we do not put one person in charge. But God is for justice for the forgotten ones. I am a recovering perfectionist. When I was five I cried because I knew I could not be perfect, but I did not want to make any mistakes. When I was older, I reluctantly knew I had to make mistakes, but thought it was unfair to make the same ones over and over again. Alas, I am human, there is no such thing as perfection, but I think we humans long for perfection when God longs for relationship instead. God knows what to prioritize.
* * *
Amos 6:1a, 4-7
Puerto Rico, etc.
We play a train game called EuroRails where a disaster often strikes, and if the disaster does not strike near anyone’s track to destroy it, we say “It’s not near anyone it doesn’t matter.” Obviously in a game, this is true, and it actually does not affect real people. However, it is hard to see how deeply the Queen’s death is taken in America versus Hurricane Fiona of Puerto Rico. The Queen is an admirable woman, but is just one person, whereas Hurricane Fiona affects many more people, and is directly affecting people who are American. The contrast is sharp and real, and it is not good to think we are lounging about people who cannot see or do not know. One cannot help but worry that it is because they are brown, or not afforded full citizenship. How can we not grieve over the ruin of Puerto Rico? It is similar to the reaction of the world regarding Ukraine verses when Russia attacked Armenia, Georgia or even the climate crises migration that had to happen in Syria? Those who we feel more akin to, i.e., those who are more white or European, we do more for. This is problematic. The point is, the Bible does not advise us to sit on our couches when crises happen, just because we do not feel directly affected. We who have more resources are told to help. We have responsibilities to those in suffering in drought, disease, and war. This is not a train game. How can we not grieve when our siblings are in crises?
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by Katy Stenta
Call to Worship (Psalm 146)
One: Happy are those whose help is in God
All: Our hope is in our Lord our God
One: God made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in it
All: God will keep faith forever
One: God executes justice for the oppressed, feeds the hungry an sets the prisoner free
All: God watches over the strangers, and upholds the orphan, Come let us praise our just and mighty God!
Call to Worship
One: Our God is the God of the least of these
All: We put our trust not in princes, mortals or governments, but in God alone
One: God’s justice is beautiful
All: Come let us sing to the God of all generations!
Prayer of the Day/Collect
God, though our actions seem of the moment, your hope stands forever, and your justice is mighty. Remind us that you are the God of generations, inspire us with your Holy Spirit to do your work we pray. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
God, we confess that we too often put our trust in mortal things. We long for Kings, Queens and governments to be the answer to the world woes. And yet, you tell us that the things we should invest in the immigrants, the orphaned, the poor, the imprisoned and the hungry. Help us to seek out the oppressed. Forgive us when we forget we pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
God, you are our hope and salvation, remind us that we are forgiven in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Prayers of the People
God we will praise you as long as we live. You are the God of Jacob and all of the generations. As such we are able to pray with the entire all the invisible church—so we are lifting up today all those who particularly need your hope, care and justice. Give them your peace everlasting. We lift up those who are in special need of your healing:
(Prayers of Concern)
God, we also give to you those who we can give you praise for, those who have moments of celebration and joy. We pray for them as a community of hope:
(Prayers of Celebration)
God, we pray you hold all these people in your Shepherd’s care, and we do so using the prayer your Son taught us to pray saying…
(The Lord’s Prayer)
Amen.
Hymns and Songs
Amazing Grace
UMH: 378
H82: 671
PH: 280
AAHH: 271/272
NNBH: 161/163
NCH: 547/548
CH: 546
LBW: 448
ELW: 779
W&P: 422
AMEC: 226
STLT: 205/206
Renew: 189
Take My Life
AMEC: 535
PH: 381
We Give Thee But Thy Own
AMEC: 645, 646
CH: 382
ELW: 686
H: 384
PH: 428
The God of Abraham Praise
ELW: 831
PH: 488
UMH: 116, 801b
Renew: 51
Praise Ye the Lord, The Almighty
AAHH: 117
AMEC: 3
CH: 25
ELW: 858
PH: 482
Renew: 57
STLT: 278
UMH: 139, 826
All Creatures of My God and King
AAHH: 147
AMEC: 50
CH: 22
PH: 455
H82: 400
Renew: 47
UMH: 62, 764b, 861
Music Resources Key
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
CH: Chalice Hymnal
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
W&P: Worship & Praise
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Money
by Dean Feldmeyer
Luke 16:19-31
You will need:
A dollar bill. Two drawings. One of two stick figures encircled by dollar signs (Drawing A). And one with a wall of dollar signs dividing the same two stick figures (Drawing B).
When the children have gathered at the front, say:
Good morning. Welcome. It’s good to see you all. Today we’re going to talk about something that Jesus talked about a lot. In fact, he talked about it almost more than anything else except God. Can you imagine what that might be?
(Take out dollar bill and fumble with it as the children think. If they take the hint, great. If they don’t get it, help them out by being more obvious.)
Money! That’s right. Jesus talked a lot about money. And according to Jesus, money isn’t good or bad. What’s important is what we do with money. Money can be used to bring us together as friends (show drawing A) or it can be used to divide and separate us (show drawing B).
And whether it divides and separates us or brings us together as friends all depends on what we do with our money.
Like, what if I have a lot of money and keep it all for myself and don’t let anyone else have any. Picture A? Or Picture B? (Hold them up as you speak.)
Or what if I use my money to help other people who don’t have any. Picture A? Or Picture B?
What if you’re poor and hungry and don’t have any money or food and I just walk by and keep my money to myself and don’t help you. A? Or B?
What if you’re poor and hungry and I use my money to buy you some food and clothing and help you find someplace to stay. A? Or B?
According to Jesus, money isn’t good or bad. What he asks is, if we have money, to use it to help others so we can all be closer to each other. And to him. And to God.
End with a prayer thanking God for giving us much and asking for the strength to share what we have with others so that we can come together and not be divided by our money.
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 25, 2022 issue.
Copyright 2022 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
- Haunted by Haughtiness by Chris Keating. Faithfulness is characterized by centering our pursuit of righteousness in the integrity and simplicity of the gospel, and not in material possessions, status, or wealth.
- Death Cares Little for The Color Purple by Quantisha Mason-Doll. Based on Luke 16:19-31.
- Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen, Katy Stenta.
- Worship resources by Katy Stenta.
- Children's sermon: Money by Dean Feldmeyer.
Haunted by Haughtinessby Chris Keating
1 Timothy 6:6-19, Amos 6:1a,4-7
While many Americans were winding up summer or mesmerized by the British monarchy, planeloads of undocumented immigrants have been arriving in Martha’s Vineyard. Overnight, the luxury vacation getaway became ground zero in the ongoing debates about immigration policy. But these new arrivals to the Vineyards aren’t coming for parties or lobster rolls. They’re victims of the latest act of American political buffoonery.
While it may sound like the premise of an Owen Wilson/Vince Vaughn buddy comedy, the sad reality is that human lives are at stake. Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, both of whom are Republicans, loaded scores of asylum-seeking immigrants on chartered planes and dropped them in Martha’s Vineyard. The planes originated in Texas but were paid for by Florida.
DeSantis said Florida spent $12 million relocating the immigrants, and that he’s willing to send more to Democrat-controlled parts of the country. Since April Abbot has sent more than 6,200 migrants from Texas to the nation’s capital, overwhelming social service agencies and creating a logjam in the nation’s immigration courts. Other migrants were offered free bus rides to Washington, DC, and dropped off outside the Vice President’s official residence without shelter or other assistance.
Even by the already low standards of contemporary politics, the antics of Governors DeSantis and Abbott have struck many as mean-spirited and cruel, revealing an agenda of manipulation designed to rally votes at the expense of human lives.
Notice, however, how this week’s lectionary texts offer guidance in checking privileges of power and wealth against strategically twisting the arms of the poor. The prophet Amos rejects a passive tolerance of cruelty and inhumane actions. Paul, or the one writing in his name, provides pastoral guidance for those wealthy believers consumed by oversized egos and conceit. Those preoccupied by their prideful arrogance and puffed-up haughtiness are missing the point.
For Amos, it’s akin to the sort of puffed-up nationalism he sees as causing Israel’s inability to care for the poor. “Alas for those who are at ease in Zion,” proclaims Amos, “the notables of the first of the nations” who believe they are better than the other kingdoms. (Amos 6:2).
To borrow from 1 Timothy, it seems biblical faith is calling us to stop being haunted by haughtiness so that we can pursue the good fight of faith. Perhaps it is time to set aside cruel antics and consider immigration reform centered on protects human dignity and life instead of preserving political power.
In The News
There’s no disputing that the numbers of people crossing the US/Mexico border has become unmanageable. What escapes most conversations about immigration is that nearly all undocumented people entering the United States are seeking political refuge. Part of a massive refugee crisis that includes as many of 100 different nationalities, they’re fleeing chaos in search of asylum.
Most of the people crossing the border from Mexico hail from countries like Venezuela, Cuba, Peru, or Columbia. United Nations refugee officials estimate that as many as six million Venezuelans have fled the turmoil in their homeland, making this the second largest displacement crisis in the world. Once across, they generally are willing to surrender to border officials, and eagerly cooperate with law enforcement. They come peacefully, desperate for a new beginning.
But leaving behind political chaos and violence, it seems many of the Venezuelans are trading one political drama for another. Currently as many 1,000 a day are being apprehended and processed. Because the United States is reluctant to send asylum seekers back to their countries of origin, the immigrants face lengthy legal processes. Large scale migrations from Venezuela have been underway since 2014, creating a backlog of cases and ongoing misery. (Check out a more detailed explanation here.)
Some southern governors, including DeSantis and Abbot, have blamed the crisis on President Biden and mayors of progressive cities. DeSantis’ recent “relocation efforts” have followed efforts by Abbot to bus immigrants to New York or Washington.
Many of those recruited for the Martha’s Vineyard trip told stories of being approached by operatives who provided food, promises of expedited work papers, and a free trip to Boston. To some who had just been released from US custody, the offers seemed nearly too good to be true.
One man, a 30-year-old from Venezuela, was promised help from a woman named “Perla.” He was staying at a homeless shelter in San Antonio, Texas, when Perla approached him with the opportunity to find a new beginning in Massachusetts.
"She (Perla) offered us help. Help that never arrived," Duarte Andres told NPR. "Now we are here. We got on the plane with a vision of the future, of making it." He explained that when you have few options, any offer of help sounds promising. "Look, when you have no money and someone offers help, well, it means a lot."
None of those flown to Martha’s Vineyard were living in Florida. DeSantis took to the airwaves to tout his relocation plan, which had been funded by a $12 million bill passed by the Florida Legislature. For his part, Abbot upped the ante by dropping off busloads of migrants outside the official residence of Vice President Kamala Harris.
“She’s the border czar,” Abbott told a Lubbock radio station. “And we felt that if she won’t come down to see the border, if President [Joe] Biden will not come down and see the border, we will make sure they see it firsthand.… And listen, there’s more where that came from.”
With a wink and a nod, Abbott and DeSantis’ plans were designed to generate smug giggles from members of their political base rather than trying to helping people in crisis. Gustavo Garcia-Siller, the Roman Catholic archbishop of San Antonio, decried the relocations. “Texas is not overwhelmed by refugees,” the archbishop said on Twitter. “We are a big State. Aren’t we! Comprehensive immigration reform is urgent. Our leaders are doing sick actions without doing little about the issue. The problem is not the refugees, it is leaders that cannot accept; we are one with humanity."
Other faith leaders added that the governors are vying for who can be the most cruel. “Their rhetoric is presenting a distorted image of migrants, and they are using the weapons of fear and misinformation as a political strategy,” said Carlos Malave, president of the Latino Christian National Network. “They are using the rhetoric that has been used and maximized by President Trump to make points on other political issues.”
DeSantis and friends may have expected the residents of Martha’s Vineyard to hide behind their lush estates. As Jamelle Bouie from the New York Times noted, “To DeSantis and his amen corner, asylum seekers are disposable, and they believe that liberals will want to dispose of them too.”
Instead, the locals rallied, providing shelter, food, and emergency assistance until relief agencies could get organized. Donations poured in, with residents stepping up. “We’ve been through Covid, we’ve been through hurricanes, we’ve been through this, we’ve been through a lot of things imaginable for a small community and every one of those we’ve risen up as the Vineyard, ’cause we’re resilient,” Edgartown, MA, town administrator James Hagerty said. “We take care of our own, we take care of the community, we help people out.”
It’s a reminder of what can happen when privilege is leveraged for the common good instead of being weaponized as conceited haughtiness.
In the Scriptures
Preachers shy away from the pastoral epistles for good reasons. This includes the painful hermeneutical maneuvers required to interpret Paul’s words about women in chapter two, and his explorations of slavery at the beginning of chapter six. Rather than avoiding these painful sections, the preacher’s exegetical skills can assist the congregation in addressing what Ken Evers-Hood calls the “problematic question of what thoughtful believers are to do when we encounter scriptural claims that contradict what the contemporary church affirms.” (Connections, Year C, Volume 3, p. 347).
Moving into chapter six, Paul resumes his mentoring of the younger pastor by addressing what constitutes the good life. Tom Long suggests that advice in chapter six be seen as words of encouragement for leaders of a community struggling to find its sea legs. “It involves leadership that grows out of a quality of life and faith,” Long writes. “It’s not just about doing things in logical steps — 1, 2, 3 — it’s about being a certain kind of person whose leadership endures and can be trusted.” (Thomas G. Long, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus A. P. Pauw & W. C. Placher, Eds., pp. 170–171, Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2016). The center of such a life emanates from shunning conceit and embracing simplicity.
Yet simplicity is hardly ever that simple. Paul imagines that some, including those who seem bent on creating controversy and harboring envy, might see the pursuit of godliness as a “means for gain” (6:5). Instead, there is great gain in a life centered around contentment. Such a life eschews materialism, recalling that we brought nothing into this life, and shall take nothing out.
The challenge to the good life, of course, grows from an uncontrolled desire for wealth. Unlike Luke 16, 1 Timothy does not suggest that wealth is inevitably dangerous. Instead, Paul seems to understand that the wealthy members of the church need to be reminded of how unchecked privilege and wealth, like any uncontrolled allegiance, leads one away from God.
Humans who pursue wealth and ego-driven conceit and haughtiness exchange their primary commitment to God. They trade contentment for “senseless and harmful desires” that plunge people into ruin. Take, for example, the rich man in Jesus’ parable in Luke 16. The good life, Paul advises, is found in the pursuit of simplicity and righteousness, just as Amos advised centuries before. Those who ignore the poor end up piercing themselves with painful wounds (1 Timothy 6:10).
In the Sermon
While there seems to be no end to the depths some will plunder in their political quests, Governor DeSantis’ schemes of playing games with homeless refugees seem particularly devilish and cruel. DeSantis, a Roman Catholic who often paraphrases scripture in his speeches, has said he is willing to take the “flaming arrows” lobbed at him by “the left’s schemes.” Ironically, DeSantis is also the grandchild of Italian immigrants.
The sermon, however, need not be rooted in partisan politics. Instead, it can explore what it means to seek the good life. The sermon can illustrate how fighting the good fight is not a matter of pouncing on desperate siblings in Christ. Scripture deflates the haughtiness that corrupts and blinds. The gifts of the villagers of Cape Cod — people who gave of their abundance — can serve as an illustration of the way God’s people are called to respond to human need.
The noisy rhetoric of haughty politicians across the political spectrum threatens to keep us from hearing Amos’ clarion call to seek justice. Their antics hinder our understanding of Paul’s entreaties to avoid “senseless and harmful desires.” The ego-infused conceit of people who play around with human lives is deflated by recalling Lazarus’ repeated experiences of being denied scraps of food. These can all be named in the sermon as revelations of God’s promises.
Following Paul’s suggestions, the sermon can renew our hopes for a good life that stores up “the treasures of a good foundation for the future.”
Yet his calls to fight the good fight ring hollow when compared to Amos’ clarion call to seek justice, or Paul’s entreaties to avoid “senseless and harmful desires.” But the scriptures this week go beyond a partisan appeal or critique. 1 Timothy is not concerned about turning out voters; instead, the standards advanced by Paul establish a framework that exposes the shallow preoccupation conceit that consistently ignores the desperate cries of those who have so little.
The relocation of migrants is only an attempt to grab power. It is vainglorious, a strutting around of economic privilege of power that masquerades as faith while ignoring the underlying issue.
* * * * *
SECOND THOUGHTSDeath Cares Little for The Color Purple
by Quantisha Mason-Doll
Luke 16:19-31
Jesus, according to the gospel of Luke, should be given a reward because never once are we offered a cut and dried answer to moral dilemmas. Jesus offered parables and challenged those gathered to find the moral high ground in a narrative deeply entrenched in free choice. Though there is free choice the outcomes are not free from consequences. For the purpose of our arguments, parable should be understood as similar in style and construction to fable or fairytale, coupled with the higher morals of a religious overtone. Parables, fables, and fairytales are literary tools specifically designed to communicate lessons of morality that require the listener to use critical thinking skills. Often these stories can be lost on modern readers or interpreters because these stories are heavily based in culturally specific social mores that might not stand the test of time. For listeners in the day of Jesus there would have been a gravitas that might be lost on us listeners today. While this reality does not make the parables of Jesus null and void, it does require some additional leg work for us to hear the breath of God.
Jesus tells us there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linens. Listeners during Jesus’ era would understand the significance of a person dressed in purples. This purple was made from the rock snails and required a mass amount of shells and labor to produce the dye. To clarify, Tyrian purple also known as imperial purple, was considered the color of the upper elite. Your average wealthy person could not afford this kind of luxury. It was typically reserved for the oligarchy or plutocracy. To borrow from the African-American English linguistic practice of reduplication: this man was rich rich. Think multi-millionaire but not quite billionaire. And then we have Lazarus. Like the first Lazarus, this one is suffering too. No shade to Jesus and his friend Lazarus, it all turned out great in the end. In this case, Lazarus, the one that sat by the rich man’s gates, invokes similarities to the interaction between Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman. In that narrative Jesus essentially tells the Syrophoenician woman that she is less than a dog, yet she argues back that dogs will still eat crumbs from their masters table. Maybe this is an instance of Jesus taking the lessons he learned during that interaction and turning it into a parable to teach the masses. Lazarus only wanted the crumbs from the rich man’s table, the crumbs the rich man didn’t care about, yet the rich man even refused Lazarus the crumbs that fell on the ground. The rich man dressed in purple could not even bring himself to offer the smallest token of kindness simply because he viewed the suffering of Lazarus as unworthy of his scraps. So, Lazarus suffered and died and in his death the Lord reached out and spared him from the void and brought him into the kingdom of heaven.
Lazarus is sick, injured, ritually impure, and is being licked by dogs. It is easy to assume that Lazarus’ spirit was broken so that when he cried out to the rich man for aid, it was Lazarus’ last attempt at saying “I am human.” In this moment the rich man could have seen the humanity in Lazarus as he laid sick, dying at his gates. Yet the rich man was so blinded by his own wealth and his proximity to power and pleasure that he refused Lazarus even the crumbs.
The rich man goes about his life none the wiser to Lazarus’ plight. We assume the rich man grows old and dies surrounded by his earthly wealth. It is at this point where the narrative gives us our first glimpse into Hades (or Hell depending on your translation). It should be noted that Hades or Hell is very much Roman in origin and Hades is not a Jewish concept. This is that Hellenization of a culture, that bleeding in, making new moral touchstones to scare people into doing what was right. This image of Hades as a place of endless torment provides listeners, even modern ones, a way to conceptualize a separate place from God’s eternal love. I'm going to skip over contextualization of this section of the parable and focus on the actions of the rich man, now that he is confined to Hades and unable to cross the chasm that separates him from the paradise promised to him in the scriptures. While he's being tormented in Hades the rich man looks up and sees Abraham with Lazarus by his side. Unfazed by his current situation, the once formally rich man demands of the progenitor of his nation that Lazarus be sent to cool his tongue with drops of water. He is refused multiple times, but the primary point is that he had the audacity to ask in the first place. Even though their stations in death have been switched, he still cannot see the humanity in Lazarus and refuses to treat him with dignity.
There is an assumption among those in close proximity to power and privilege that power and privilege will protect them from the consequences of their actions. We see it here in this parable and we also see it in our modern day with the onset of climate change, among other things. The wealthy and mega rich desperately searching for Planet B or push for laws and regulations that make the poor poorer and themselves richer.
A good example of this is with the death of the Queen of England. She ruled for over 70 years and during her lifetime there was much bloodshed, subjugation, the stealing of wealth from the Global South, and the wholesale murder of people of darker skin tones. This transpired because of colonization and the subjugation of people. The billions of dollars of wealth that is being passed down to her children, her grandchildren and her great-great grandchildren was built off the backs of dead BIPoC and PoC. There are countless nations that, though they mourned the death of the Queen of England because she is a person, they rejoice because her legacy of pain and subjugation has technically come to an end. With her death there is a call for the return of material wealth that was stolen from cultures the world over to bolster the monarchy.
There is a global obsession with monarchies. Monarchies are outdated and are the last vestiges of white imperialism and subjugation. The obsession we have is with monarchies proximity to power and privilege. We romanticize being a monarch because there is this assumption that if you have that kind of power you are safe from facing the consequences of your actions. While it is true that power and privilege does protect some from the rule of law and social mores, it does not protect all from becoming spiritually corrupt.
Back to the rich man — think of the kind of egotism, arrogance, and narcissistic tendencies it requires for a person suffering in Hades to look at the progenitor of their nation and make a demand of them. The riches he gained corrupted him so fully that he still perceives himself as a person placed on a pedestal. The rich man, much like monarchies in today's society, was given so much leeway in life that even in death he felt that he was entitled to the glitz and glamour that is wealth. In this case, he felt that he was entitled to Lazarus’ position simply because in his earthly life he was perceived as better, and that Lazarus was subhuman.
When confronted with the reality that Lazarus, this person that he saw in life as beneath him, unworthy of even the crumbs that fell off his table, was not going to help him. He became indignant. Wealthy people assume that because they are wealthy, they are entitled to whatever they want. It takes a tragedy for the rich to realize that in the grand scheme of things, their riches no longer matters when confronted with the kingdom of heaven — built on the concepts of justice and righteousness. The rich man’s status no longer mattered — only the weight of his sins could be counted. Sins committed against not only against Lazarus but also all of creation. This weight keeps the rich man from seeing that it is his own fault that he cannot cross the chasm. The rich man could not accept that his wealth would not save him. Even in death the rich man refused to acknowledge the humanity and inherent dignity of Lazarus simply because of his perceived proximity to power and privilege. Wealth, earthly wealth, can corrupt so deeply that we lose sight of what God has called us to do. Abraham tells us those who are living have Moses and the prophets to guide us. We know what we are called to do — all we have to do is follow them and if we choose not to, the weight of our sins will keep our soul tethered to hell.
Where is the good news in all of this? To be honest, good news does not always mean it is good. In this parable Jesus is drawing a line in the sand that even we as modern readers can understand. Listeners then and now understand that this parable is not a morally gray area. There is a distinct right and wrong and the answer to the moral dilemma proposed here has already been given.
When we turn our backs on our call to care for those who are less fortunate than ourselves, to care for those that need to be advocated for, we separate ourselves from the kingdom of God and death, real death, will be our only reward. As I stated earlier, there is no Planet B, there is no safety for the uber rich. There will come a day when all of creation testifies against us and creation will be like Lazarus — the one God helps.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Mary Austin:1 Timothy 6:6-19
The Good Fight
“Fight the good fight of the faith,” this epistle advises. In a different setting, faith is playing a big part in Ukraine’s recent success against Russian troops. In an opinion piece, Fareed Zakaria reports on a recent trip to Ukraine. He believes that intangible qualities are giving Ukraine a military advantage. “Ukraine’s response is society-wide, starting with its elected government but involving almost all the country’s citizens. One key aspect of the astonishing advance of Ukraine’s army in the east — and the astonishing collapse of Russian forces — is the gap in morale. Ukraine’s soldiers are fighting for their country and freedom. Russians are fighting out of fear and for money.” As examples, he lifts up ““Ukrainian heroes…” For example, a 15-year-old boy by the name of Andriy Pokrasa explained that he used his own drone to provide the Ukrainian army with the coordinates of Russian armored vehicles and tanks — thus reportedly helping to destroy 100 of them. Or Ukraine’s rock legend, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, who talked about going around the country and performing for free, even in the trenches, even when just a dozen soldiers were his audience.”
Meanwhile, some Russian soldiers are reportedly tired of the fight. Letters left behind when they retreated show their distress. One “soldier asked to be released, citing “the worsening of my health and not receiving the necessary medical aid.” Still another said he was experiencing “physical and moral exhaustion.” Others wrote complaining that they were denied vacation time for family obligations, including to get married and to witness the birth of a child. The similar style in which the 10 letters were written suggests the troops, weary and disheartened, banded together to draft them.”
* * *
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
Jeremiah is in luck, or maybe not
“Buy the field,” God tells Jeremiah, as a sign of hope. If Jeremiah lived in our time, and wanted to buy a nice condo in Chicago or a family home in Columbus, his chances would be better right now. Home prices are falling from their recent high, which was fueled by pandemic buying and low interest rates. Or, maybe Jeremiah would be out of luck. First time buyers are still priced out of the market by high prices and high interest rates. People who have outgrown their homes are also stuck. “Homeowners who were trading up to more desirable homes when rates were low are now effectively locked into their current home. Most homeowners have refinanced their mortgages over the years when rates dropped, and the typical homeowner now has a mortgage with about a low 3.5 percent rate. If she wants to sell her current home and get a new one, she will also need to give up her existing mortgage and get a new one at 6 percent. Few homeowners can afford it.”
There is also a “current shortage of homes. The percent of homes for sale that are vacant is as low as it has ever been, and the vacancy rate for homes for rent is close to its lowest. Home builders have struggled to keep up with the households that formed since the financial crisis, most recently because of the disruptions to supply chains for building materials and appliances. A decade ago, housing was vastly overbuilt, and the housing vacancy rate was at a record high. The current shortage of homes puts a figurative floor under house prices.”
The transaction is much simpler for Jeremiah than for many current buyers.
* * *
Luke 16:19-31
Trying not to be the rich man
Money turns people into jerks, unless they deliberately work against the trend. Robert Sutton, in The No Asshole Rule, says, "Pay is a vivid sign of power differences, and a host of studies suggest that when the difference between the highest- and lowest-paid people in a company or team is reduced, a host of good things happen — including improved financial performance, better product quality, enhanced research productivity, and, in baseball teams, a better win-loss record.” Reducing the pay gap, he says, “sends the message to both the CEO and the average worker that they are not superstars or superior beings.”
He offers the example of James D. Sinegal, co-founder and CEO of Costco, a warehouse retailer. “His salary in 2003 was $350,000, which is just about ten times what is earned by his top hourly employees and roughly double that of a typical Costco store manager. Costco also pays 92.5% of employee health-care costs.”
In trying not to be a wealthy jerk, “even Costco’s compensation committee acknowledges that he is underpaid. Sinegal believes that by taking care of his people and staying close to them, they will provide better customer service, Costco will be more profitable, and everyone (including shareholders like himself) will win. Sinegal takes other steps to reduce the “power distance” between himself and other employees. He visits hundreds of Costco stores a year, constantly mixing with the employees as they work and asking questions about how he can make things better for them and Costco customers…Treating employees fairly also helps the bottom line in other ways, as Costco’s “shrinkage rate” (theft by employees and customers) is only two-tenths of 1%; other retail chains suffer ten to fifteen times the amount.” (from The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't by Robert I. Sutton)
The wealthy man in the house doesn’t have to be a jerk to Lazarus — he chooses to be.
* * *
Luke 16:19-31
So many yachts
If one updated the parable of Lazarus and the rich man to our era, you would get oligarchs and the suffering people of Ukraine. In contrast to the hungry people in Kyiv and Kharkiv, the oligarchs who shelter Vladimir Putin’s money remain comfortable — except for the seizure of their yachts. Some had to move their yachts to places without law enforcement relationships with the US. “With that, some of Russia’s wealthiest are moving their boats to other locations, potentially with the hope they can avoid having those items seized. Vagit Alekperov, who is president of Russia-based Lukoil, is sailing his yacht to Montenegro…[the] yacht is known as Galactica Super Nova and, according to Superyacht Fan, which tracks the comings and goings of these types of vessels, it features a “a 6-meter glass-bottom swimming pool with a waterfall. And a touch-and-go helipad, an elevator, and a large beach club.” Alekperov has a net worth of just under $25 billion, according to Forbes.”
In a Lazarus-like reversal, “the US, European and Ukrainian governments have suggested that the sale of yachts, private jets and other items would help finance Ukraine’s reconstruction from a war that has destroyed or damaged almost 1,000 health centers and will cost billions of dollars.”
* * *
Luke 16:19-31
Please return our stuff
We see the parable of Lazarus and the wealthy man playing out as countries around the globe ask for the return of cultural treasures, following the death of Queen Elizabeth. The British empire brought home art and religious objects from all over the world, overlooking their original owners in the same way the moneyed homeowner overlooks the man outside his gate.
South Africa would like to have the Cullinan diamond, also called the Great Star, back from its current place in a royal scepter. “When South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa posted a tweet eulogizing the Queen, some South Africans hijacked the post to complain about the return of the Great Star diamond.”
Britain holds numerous items that other countries have asked to have back. “Requests for the permanent return of items taken without their owners’ consent, known as restitution, have gathered pace in recent years. A few months before Hirut’s visit to the U.K., the governor of Easter Island, the Chilean territory, gave an emotional press conference on the steps of the British Museum asking for the return of a stone moai head taken by a British warship in 1868 and given to Queen Victoria; indigenous islanders believe the head is the reincarnation of their relatives. Nigeria has been asking for the return of the Benin bronzes, sculptures that decorated the royal palace of Benin before it was sacked by the British in 1897 (again, a loan has been offered). In January, the British Museum was forced once again to explain publicly why it would not return the Parthenon Marbles — subject to a high-profile and long-running claim from the Greek state — to Athens.”
The parable, 2022 version, will play out in interesting ways in the months to come.
* * * * * *
From team member Tom Willadsen:1 Timothy 6:6-19
Contentment
In “Soak up the Sun,” rock star Sheryl Crow sang, “It’s not having what you want/It’s wanting what you got.” Crow was paraphrasing Rabbi Hyman Schachtel, whose quote is, “happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.” The wisdom of this sentiment is clear and it appears in a less pithy way in today’s epistle reading.
* * *
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Greed
Extreme avarice almost always defeats itself. No passion more often fails of its object, and in none does present self-interest wield such compelling power to the prejudice of the future. — Maxims of Rochefoucauld
* * *
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Penny perspective
“Hold a penny at arm’s length, and it will appear as a dot against the sun; hold it next to the eye and it will cover the sun.” (Preaching the New Common Lectionary, Year C, After Pentecost Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1988, p. 182.)
* * *
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Godliness, piety, religion?
The NRSV renders the Greek ευςεβεια as “godliness.” A better translation would be “religion,” though other translations come close with “piety.” The point is that true faith, religion that is lived, integrated into one’s everyday life, will bring contentment. Striving for more, especially more money, will not lead to contentment.
* * *
Luke 16:19-31
Lazarus…and some other guy
This parable is a little unusual in that one of the characters is named (the poor man) Lazarus. It does not appear that this Lazarus is the same man whom Jesus brought back from the dead in John’s gospel. There are many details in this parable. The rich man, for example, died and was buried, presumably because his survivors could afford to bury him. Lazarus was carried away by angels, thus sparing his family some expenses.
The really interesting detail is that it is the poor character that is named, while the rich one is identified only by his wealth, unnamed. This may be another very subtle way that points to the Lord’s preferential option for the poor.
* * * * * *
From team member Katy Stenta:Luke 16:19-31
Two Justice Systems
This parable illustrates how there are two justice systems in heaven — one for the rich and one for the poor. It is in stark opposition to the reality on earth. On earth the rich are able to get away with almost everything and the poor are punished for meager crimes that can ruin their lives forever, especially if you are a person of color. The Trumps, Bezos, Epsteins, and even the royal family of Britain, can treat human beings like tools of the empire. When the rich man wants to return to earth to warn his brothers, God informs him of the sad truth, there is nothing you can do to convince these people that actions have consequences. The rich think that they can pay for their responsibilities with money in the end. They think of everything as a payoff and will not understand things differently unless they do not have money anymore. Schitt’s Creek is a wonderful study in the humanization of rich people — though you have to make it through the first season when the characters are the most repugnant from being rich. This is why 1 Timothy 6:10 says that the love of money is the root of all evil.
* * *
Psalm 146
No Princes
Do not look for the government to save you.
In the era of Covid, threats to democracy, and all the woes that come with the behemoth of capitalism — I am heartened. “Do not put your trust in princes.” After all, they are but mere mortals. They make mistakes, they are not perfect, they are ephemeral, their documents are imperfect, they were bigoted, they did not think of everything. There is no such thing as a perfect person or ruler. There is a reason we do not put one person in charge. But God is for justice for the forgotten ones. I am a recovering perfectionist. When I was five I cried because I knew I could not be perfect, but I did not want to make any mistakes. When I was older, I reluctantly knew I had to make mistakes, but thought it was unfair to make the same ones over and over again. Alas, I am human, there is no such thing as perfection, but I think we humans long for perfection when God longs for relationship instead. God knows what to prioritize.
* * *
Amos 6:1a, 4-7
Puerto Rico, etc.
We play a train game called EuroRails where a disaster often strikes, and if the disaster does not strike near anyone’s track to destroy it, we say “It’s not near anyone it doesn’t matter.” Obviously in a game, this is true, and it actually does not affect real people. However, it is hard to see how deeply the Queen’s death is taken in America versus Hurricane Fiona of Puerto Rico. The Queen is an admirable woman, but is just one person, whereas Hurricane Fiona affects many more people, and is directly affecting people who are American. The contrast is sharp and real, and it is not good to think we are lounging about people who cannot see or do not know. One cannot help but worry that it is because they are brown, or not afforded full citizenship. How can we not grieve over the ruin of Puerto Rico? It is similar to the reaction of the world regarding Ukraine verses when Russia attacked Armenia, Georgia or even the climate crises migration that had to happen in Syria? Those who we feel more akin to, i.e., those who are more white or European, we do more for. This is problematic. The point is, the Bible does not advise us to sit on our couches when crises happen, just because we do not feel directly affected. We who have more resources are told to help. We have responsibilities to those in suffering in drought, disease, and war. This is not a train game. How can we not grieve when our siblings are in crises?
* * * * * *
WORSHIPby Katy Stenta
Call to Worship (Psalm 146)
One: Happy are those whose help is in God
All: Our hope is in our Lord our God
One: God made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in it
All: God will keep faith forever
One: God executes justice for the oppressed, feeds the hungry an sets the prisoner free
All: God watches over the strangers, and upholds the orphan, Come let us praise our just and mighty God!
Call to Worship
One: Our God is the God of the least of these
All: We put our trust not in princes, mortals or governments, but in God alone
One: God’s justice is beautiful
All: Come let us sing to the God of all generations!
Prayer of the Day/Collect
God, though our actions seem of the moment, your hope stands forever, and your justice is mighty. Remind us that you are the God of generations, inspire us with your Holy Spirit to do your work we pray. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
God, we confess that we too often put our trust in mortal things. We long for Kings, Queens and governments to be the answer to the world woes. And yet, you tell us that the things we should invest in the immigrants, the orphaned, the poor, the imprisoned and the hungry. Help us to seek out the oppressed. Forgive us when we forget we pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
God, you are our hope and salvation, remind us that we are forgiven in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Prayers of the People
God we will praise you as long as we live. You are the God of Jacob and all of the generations. As such we are able to pray with the entire all the invisible church—so we are lifting up today all those who particularly need your hope, care and justice. Give them your peace everlasting. We lift up those who are in special need of your healing:
(Prayers of Concern)
God, we also give to you those who we can give you praise for, those who have moments of celebration and joy. We pray for them as a community of hope:
(Prayers of Celebration)
God, we pray you hold all these people in your Shepherd’s care, and we do so using the prayer your Son taught us to pray saying…
(The Lord’s Prayer)
Amen.
Hymns and Songs
Amazing Grace
UMH: 378
H82: 671
PH: 280
AAHH: 271/272
NNBH: 161/163
NCH: 547/548
CH: 546
LBW: 448
ELW: 779
W&P: 422
AMEC: 226
STLT: 205/206
Renew: 189
Take My Life
AMEC: 535
PH: 381
We Give Thee But Thy Own
AMEC: 645, 646
CH: 382
ELW: 686
H: 384
PH: 428
The God of Abraham Praise
ELW: 831
PH: 488
UMH: 116, 801b
Renew: 51
Praise Ye the Lord, The Almighty
AAHH: 117
AMEC: 3
CH: 25
ELW: 858
PH: 482
Renew: 57
STLT: 278
UMH: 139, 826
All Creatures of My God and King
AAHH: 147
AMEC: 50
CH: 22
PH: 455
H82: 400
Renew: 47
UMH: 62, 764b, 861
Music Resources Key
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
CH: Chalice Hymnal
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
W&P: Worship & Praise
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMONMoney
by Dean Feldmeyer
Luke 16:19-31
You will need:
A dollar bill. Two drawings. One of two stick figures encircled by dollar signs (Drawing A). And one with a wall of dollar signs dividing the same two stick figures (Drawing B).
When the children have gathered at the front, say:
Good morning. Welcome. It’s good to see you all. Today we’re going to talk about something that Jesus talked about a lot. In fact, he talked about it almost more than anything else except God. Can you imagine what that might be?
(Take out dollar bill and fumble with it as the children think. If they take the hint, great. If they don’t get it, help them out by being more obvious.)
Money! That’s right. Jesus talked a lot about money. And according to Jesus, money isn’t good or bad. What’s important is what we do with money. Money can be used to bring us together as friends (show drawing A) or it can be used to divide and separate us (show drawing B).
And whether it divides and separates us or brings us together as friends all depends on what we do with our money.
Like, what if I have a lot of money and keep it all for myself and don’t let anyone else have any. Picture A? Or Picture B? (Hold them up as you speak.)
Or what if I use my money to help other people who don’t have any. Picture A? Or Picture B?
What if you’re poor and hungry and don’t have any money or food and I just walk by and keep my money to myself and don’t help you. A? Or B?
What if you’re poor and hungry and I use my money to buy you some food and clothing and help you find someplace to stay. A? Or B?
According to Jesus, money isn’t good or bad. What he asks is, if we have money, to use it to help others so we can all be closer to each other. And to him. And to God.
End with a prayer thanking God for giving us much and asking for the strength to share what we have with others so that we can come together and not be divided by our money.
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 25, 2022 issue.
Copyright 2022 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
