Complacency Leads To Death
Preaching
The Parables Of Jesus
Applications For Contemporary Life
Theme
The human condition into which we all are born does not allow us to avoid sin. Most people readily acknowledge that certain actions are sinful. Our sins of commission are before us and can often be easily identified and, therefore, corrected. There is, however, another category of sin that has nothing to do with action, but has everything to do with inaction. Failure to do what is necessary when situations present themselves is a problem, especially in our fast-paced world, where we hardly have time to do what is required let alone what seems to be something extra. Yet, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus clearly demonstrates that God is not satisfied with not doing evil; the Lord demands that we act when the need arises. Complacency in the face of need, want, or distress is sinful. We must meet others' needs or their need will be ours in the resurrection of the dead.
Spiritual Food For The Journey
It is all too common today for a person who is walking down a city street to come upon one who is in need. Sometimes the need is audible with the cry, "Have you any spare change?" Other times the want is only seen in the worn clothes, dirty bodies, and crazed looks of some people we pass along the way. When we encounter these men and women what has been our response?
Several years ago when I was in the seminary I was walking with a friend along a busy urban street. We were on our way to attend a movie. As we sauntered along, a "street person" came up to us and asked, "Do you have any spare change?" My initial reaction then, and all previous times, had been to bury my head in my chest or look to the other side and walk away without saying a word. Maybe I was afraid to make eye contact for fear of what I would see. I rationalized my action by telling myself, "He would only use my money for drugs." On this occasion, however, I learned a valuable lesson. My friend's response to the stranger was not what I expected at all. He told the man, "If you are hungry I will buy you a meal at McDonald's." The man's eyes lit up and he followed my friend down the street. I trailed behind. My friend was true to his word; he bought the man a hamburger, french fries, and soft drink. We then proceeded to our movie, arriving only a few minutes late.
That incident has over the years given me much food for thought. I learned a valuable lesson on what it means to live the Christian call to holiness. Before I thought I had done what was necessary by going to church, avoiding evil to the best of my ability, and making certain I was always in communication with the Lord. After that day, however, I knew that more was necessary. Simply to avoid error was insufficient; I needed to act when the situation to demonstrate my Christian faith presented itself. My complacent response in the past was no longer an option.
Social service agencies and numerous church-sponsored organizations today provide invaluable direct service to the poor, marginalized, and fractured of our society. Shelters provide a place to stay and soup kitchens dispense warm meals. Certain job services and agencies seek to match the lesser educated and hard-to-employ with gainful work. Church outreach, Alcoholics Anonymous, and several other organizations seek to arrest and/or treat those with addictive behavior.
The specific action of my friend and the general endeavors of church and civic social service groups must cause us to reflect and ask what our response has been in the past to those in need and what if any modifications are necessary. Have we used the mental excuse of over work or insufficient funds to shirk our responsibilities toward the anawim of American society? Have we told ourselves that others will take care of the situation -- there is no need for my involvement? Jesus was a man of action; he was never complacent when he perceived others in need -- whether it was a physical or spiritual want. Jesus never allowed his agenda to come before the needs of his brothers and sisters. Through his assistance to others Christ's message was made manifestly clear to those who walked in his footsteps. As Christians we have no choice but to act when a need is presented to us. We cannot be complacent as was the rich man in the parable; we must act or suffer a great reversal of fortune at the end of time. Let us have the courage to reach out and meet the need; our reward in heaven will be great.
Application Of The Parable To Contemporary Life
Sermon Openings
1. Willy Loman lived in a world of indifference, a world where nobody seemed to care. Willy was a traveling salesman and not a very good one. He had been on the road for years going from town to town, selling one product after the other. After so many years of being on the road, Willy was tired. He told his boss he no longer wanted to travel -- after all, Willy was now 63 years old. He wanted to have a desk job in the office; the road and sales were for younger people. But Willy's boss would not listen. The boss said that Willy was a road man; this was his expertise. If Willy did not want to continue on the road then he would be let go. And so it happened, Willy was discharged from his position after a lifetime of service.
The reaction of Willy's family was not what most might expect. His wife and children were very cold to him. Willy Loman's wife told him not to worry, that all would be well; he would eventually find another job. Her answer to Willy's dilemma was to get mad at the boss who had dealt him such a blow of injustice. She was not willing to help; she was not willing to listen. Willy's sons had a similar attitude. The boys were involved in their own lives; they could not stop long enough to feel the pain of their father and offer assistance.
Eventually Willy Loman died, a broken man. He did not die from disease or an accident; Willy Loman died from complacency. The lack of love, the indifference of those around him caused him more pain than the loss of his job ever could. Nobody seemed to care.
The world of Willy Loman, the world of indifference described in Arthur Miller's famous stage play, The Death of a Salesman, is the world of which our readings speak today. The Gospel story of the rich man and Lazarus gives us much food for thought. The rich man lived in a world of indifference; he did not see what was happening around him. He did nothing wrong, at least nothing of an outward nature. We cannot say that he was a great sinner nor can we say that he used his wealth in an unwise manner. The rich man, however, was complacent. He lived in a world of indifference. It did not matter to him that Lazarus was poor; he certainly could have done more. We are challenged to avoid the sin of omission of the rich man.
2. If you turn on the television or listen to the radio, sooner or later you will hear the Army recruiting commercial which says, "Be all that you can be." I like that expression because it encourages us not to be content, but rather to work hard in order to maximize our potential. Society has many such expressions which govern our life. Everyone has heard the expression, "The early bird gets the worm." If we begin first then the benefits will be ours. I especially like the adage which says, "The difficult we do today; the impossible we will do tomorrow." This is another way of saying nothing is impossible if we are willing to work hard.
Christian expressions are also common. Most people have heard the idea, "Live simply, so others may simply live." This expression challenges us to change our attitudes and ideas so that all men and women can benefit from God's gifts, and not just the few fortunate elect of the world. And, who can forget the great challenge of Pope Paul VI when he said, "If you want peace, work for justice."
All of these expressions, varied though they be, have one common denominator. They tell us that we cannot be satisfied with ourselves or with the conditions of the world around us. In other words we cannot be complacent.
Most people, I suspect, when they think of the word complacency view it in a negative or pejorative sense. This is not necessarily the case. A complacent person is not necessarily evil or bad. Rather, a complacent person is merely someone who through fear, lack of motivation, or present satisfaction with his life or situation has chosen to stay within the status quo. Obstacles or hurdles may exist on the outside, but the complacent one chooses to stay put. A complacent person is not evil -- yet he can miss some of the greatest opportunities and challenges from God in the process.
A well-remembered image comes to my mind when I think of complacency. Everyone remembers the long-running television show All in the Family and its main character, Archie Bunker. Archie was stereotypical in many ways, one of which was his sedentary lifestyle and complacent attitude. Archie was not an evil man -- but he was set in his ways. He had his chair, his ideas, and his way of doing things. No person or thing was going to make Archie move from the comfort that he had established in his life. In the process Archie missed many opportunities to grow, opportunities which presented themselves through people and events. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus challenges us to stay clear of complacency and to be active in our ministry to others, especially to the poor and marginalized of human society.
Points Of Challenge And Questions To Ponder
1. Christianity is an action-oriented faith. Do our actions demonstrate that we are followers of Jesus? When we have the opportunity, do we act or are we complacent and allow others to do our share of the work? Do we feel bothered by the requests of others?
2. Are we open to the actions, attitudes, words, and feeling of others? Do we "see" others' pain and act so as to alleviate it? Are we too content with who we are and what we believe? Do we need to be challenged more to meet others' needs?
3. How do we act in our society? How many times have we heard or said ourselves, "I don't want to get involved"? Have we been apathetic in our response to the call to serve?
4. Today's world often seems indifferent to the cares and needs of those who find themselves on the margins of society. Do we have the courage to break this evil cycle and respond to the cry of the poor, both the physically and socially deprived?
5. Do we keep extra busy to mask our reluctance to assist others? Because we would rather not get involved do we sometimes miss the opportunities to grow that God is providing? Are we afraid that we will discover that those on the margins of society have something to offer? Do we fear learning something from them?
Exegesis And Explanation Of The Parable
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is a two-section passage that presents dual themes that connect to earlier parts of Luke's Gospel and serves an example par excellence of contrasts between heaven and hell, compassion and indifference, inclusion and exclusion. The first theme, presented in verses 19-26, can be summarized as the great reversal in fortunes for the rich and poor. Not only does this section cap off the chapter's pronouncement of judgment on the rich, it also in many respects serves as a capstone to Luke's prophetic critique of wealth. While there is no indication that the rich man1 was a bad person, nor any way to say definitely Lazarus was righteous, the scene depicted is a complete reversal in fortunes from life to death. It seems apparent that the rich man was judged and received irrevocable damnation because he refused to act; he failed to go out of his way to help the beggar Lazarus. His inability to act demonstrated a heart that was never made tender by repentance.
The rich man may be intended by Luke as an example of the misuse of wealth. His riches were illustrated by his conspicuous consumption and especially his dress. Purple was worn by high ranking officials and members of the royal family. The Romans set standards on who could wear purple and how much they could wear. He was a lover of money who foolishly made poor use of his possessions, ideas that echo Luke 16:9-14. The rich man's actions must be seen in comparison with the proper use of riches described earlier in the chapter.
The second theme in this parable, found in verses 27-31, is that the law and the prophets are insufficient to call the rich to repentance; even the return of someone from the dead will not achieve the desired result and effect. Jesus adamantly refuses to produce a sign to satisfy his opponents. He is saying that a refusal to repent is not due to the lack of a sign; if one is sincere all that is necessary for faith is found in the Scriptures. God's word, not a sign, will lead one to repentance. For those who possess stone hearts, however, even a witness returned from the dead will not convince them to believe. Unbelief comes from within; it is not determined by outside factors or influences.
This parable is different and thus problematic for at least two important reasons. First, this is the only parable where one of the characters has a name, in this case Lazarus. The name, derived from Eleazar, meaning "God helps," is a part of his characterization. The second idea is that this parable is in two parts, making readers today contemplate if the second half is an addition to the original passage. The basic question is whether the two parts and themes can be linked in one parable, especially since the second part was seen as a post-Easter addition by the early Church in light of the Jewish failure to respond to the message of the Resurrection. Since non-Lucan vocabulary throughout the parable indicates the pericope is pre-Lucan, there is no reason to conclude that Jesus could not have spoken the parable in essentially the form it now exists.
The first half of this parable is a tableau that describes the lots of the rich man and Lazarus and, without a word of dialogue, speaks of their great reversals in roles after death. Scholars today are convinced that this idea, popular in Jewish society of the day, was derived from sources originally external to the Hebrew community. An Egyptian folk tale speaks of a man who was reincarnated after his death as Si-Osiris, the miraculous son of a childless couple. When his "father" one day remarked on how a rich man had been given a sumptuous funeral while a poor man had simply been buried, Si-Osiris took him to Amnte, the land of the dead, where he was able to see the rich man in torment and the poor man in luxury. The tale ends with these words, "He who has been good on earth will be blessed in the kingdom of the dead, and he who has been evil on earth, will suffer in the kingdom of the dead."
Contemporary Scripture scholars believe that Alexandrian Jews brought this tale into Jewish lore, found today in several versions. The earliest of these stories speaks of a poor scholar and a rich publican, Bar Ma'jan. Because of his one good deed in life Bar Ma'jan was given a great funeral, but the poor scholar received only a simple burial. One of the scholar's friends, however, had a dream in which he saw the poor man after his death in paradise, where beautiful gardens lay beside a flowing stream, while the publican was standing on the bank of the river but unable to reach the water. The scholar received no reward in this life, in order that he might have a full reward in the next, while the publican received his reward in life, so that he might have no reward in the next. It is clear that Jesus' parable is similar to this folk tale.
Jesus used the first half of this parable as a description of God's reign. In seeing Lazarus transported to the bosom of Abraham, regarded by the Jews as the highest place of blessedness (based on 2 Maccabees 7), while the one who withheld crumbs of bread from him pleads for mercy from Hades,2 we are glimpsing the reversal of conventional notions that the coming reign of God will bring. The rich man's inability to show mercy demonstrated that he had not fulfilled the righteousness demanded by the law and was, therefore, not righteous in the sight of God. This teaching would have been a major surprise for those who first heard it since the Jews believed that blessings in their life were a sign of God's favor, while illness, poverty, or hardship were signs of God's displeasure. The first hearers of the parable were thus challenged to see that the rich man was placed in torment because he never noticed Lazarus; he accepted him as part of the landscape, thinking it perfectly natural and inevitable that Lazarus should lie in pain and hunger while he wallowed in luxury. The rich man looked on the world's suffering and felt no need to answer.
Like other double-edged parables this one places emphasis on the message presented in the second half. This section is dominated by three separate verbal exchanges between Abraham and the rich man. In the first the rich man asks that Lazarus be sent for water, but this is impossible because of the great chasm that exists between them. 4 Ezra 7:36 speaks of this great barrier, "The pit of torment shall appear, and opposite it shall be be the place of rest; and the furnace of Hell shall be disclosed and opposite it the paradise of delight." When the rich man had the opportunity to act he chose to isolate himself and now is shut out forever. In the second exchange the rich man asks that Lazarus be sent to his brothers, but Abraham says that they have Moses and the prophets. They have the words of Isaiah (58:6-7): "Is this not the fast I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and to bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?" The third appeal from the rich man, the climax of the story and what many claim to be the focal point of the entire parable, is for someone to come from the dead to his brothers. Abraham's response foreshadows Jesus' own resurrection and connects us with the brothers who have failed to hear the Scriptures and repent.
Commentators have explained this section of the parable in various ways. Most have seen this section as an addition to the original parable. If true, then the first half is simply a story concerning the reversal of human lots in the after life and the finality of that reversal. The second section thus becomes a commentary on the failures of the Jews to be converted by the Resurrection and their blindness to the true meaning of the Scriptures. A few scholars have suggested this section of the pericope was directed against the Sadducees, who professed agnosticism concerning the after life. Still other exegetes have drawn a connection between these verses and John 11:1-44, the story of Lazarus' being raised from the dead by Jesus. The connection here is weak, being drawn completely through the common name of Lazarus in both stories.
The most prevalent understanding is best articulated by Joachim Jeremias. He states that Jesus is not commenting on a social problem, nor does he intend to present a teaching on the after life, but rather he tells the parable to warn those who resemble the brothers of the rich man, namely the present generation, and outlines the impending disaster that will befall them unless they change. This explanation makes Lazarus only a secondary figure who was introduced by Luke to demonstrate a contrast. Jeremias suggests that the passage would best be called the parable of the six brothers, not the rich man and Lazarus.
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus presents some important teachings. Jesus clearly shows that the possession of riches does not guarantee salvation, nor does the absence of wealth give one unrestricted access to eternal life. In demonstrating that riches cannot save, Jesus exposes the dangers of enslaving oneself to money. One who trusts in money is entrusting one's eternal destiny to what cannot save. The great sin of the rich man at its root is unbelief and hard-hearted contempt for the poor. What the rich man lacked and what the parable demands is fundamental neighborliness. This, the parable indicates, is a barometer for the soul, an indication of the condition of one's heart that is highly prized by God.
Context Of The Parable
Context In The Church Year
After a long hard day at the office it is a great pleasure to come home, kick off your shoes, and sit back comfortably in an easy chair. For a few moments we allow the world to go by and we purposefully choose to make no effort to engage it. For a few moments of solitude we want to be lazy so that the tensions and problems of the day can be eased and we can be renewed.
The need for relaxation and free time is something our busy world often does not allow. We are constantly running from one event to another. The business of our world forces us to make priorities, to choose what we will do and what we will skip. We become very wrapped up in what we do and the tendency is to lose perspective; the "big picture" becomes foggy or is even erased. Often we cannot even see the most obvious things because we are looking with tunnel vision at our world. The need that surrounds us does not impact us directly and thus is lost in the horizon.
Contemporary life can make us complacent, consciously or unconsciously, of many situations which are presented to us. We become content with who we are and what we are doing. There is a certain level of comfortability that we find and we don't want to jeopardize it. This modern tendency is precisely what Jesus is addressing in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Although there is no clear indication that the rich man was a bad person, he finds himself in eternal torment for his failure to act. We need to be reminded on a daily basis of our need to act. Opportunities to be a good neighbor, assist the poor, and act on the behalf of others are numerous. Let us not allow these moments of grace to pass us by. Let us hear the timeless message of today's parable and act to build the Kingdom in our world.
Context With Other Gospels
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is unique to Luke's Gospel and is drawn, in the opinion of most commentators, from the "L" material. A similar idea is found in Enoch 103:5-6 (part of the pseudepigrapha) where the author writes, "Woe [to those who say]: Blessed are the sinful. They have seen good fortune in their lives all their days and die illustrious, and no judgment has come during their lifetime." The message of this parable is, however, found throughout the Gospels. Luke consistently warns his readers against the dangers of wealth, expressing it best in the phrase heard in last week's parable, "You cannot serve God and wealth." Additionally, all of the Gospels are action oriented. The four evangelists understand that the Christian call to holiness does not allow one to be passive or for one to believe that all that is necessary is to avoid sin. Christianity requires us to act upon our beliefs as a response to the God who first loved us. Complacency in all its forms is to be avoided.
Context With First And Second Lessons
First Lesson: Amos: 6:1a, 4-7. This passage from Amos is similar to what we heard last week in that the rich and powerful in Israel are again the object of the prophet's attack. The rich are complacent. They lie on beds of ivory, eat and drink well, anoint themselves with the best oils, and play music on the harp. They are content with the money they possess and position they hold in society. For the rich and powerful things are fine; there is no need to look elsewhere.
Amos tells the people that their complacency will bring them to ruin as they will be the first to go into exile. Certainly the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel never thought they would be overrun by a foreign nation; they refused to listen to the warnings of the prophets such as Amos.
The message of Amos is the same as that spoken by Jesus in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. God will cast down the mighty and powerful in the reign of God. Those who are complacent today and refuse to see and meet the needs of those in our midst will not find eternal life with God. Amos' warning to the Hebrews of Israel is our warning as well.
Second Lesson: 1 Timothy 6:6-19. The Pauline author of 1 Timothy understood Jesus' warning to his disciples about the dangers of riches. He tells Timothy, "The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains" (6:10). The author tells Timothy to flee from the common human attraction to riches and instead seek integrity, piety, and a gentle spirit. He tells him that great faith is what is pleasing to God and will bring one to everlasting life.
Although the rich man might not have been a bad person, he was attached to his riches and refused to share them, even to alleviate the pain and suffering of Lazarus who lived in wretched misery. The love of wealth and one's concentration on it clouds the vision we must have of the world around us. If we are to follow Jesus we cannot hold our riches and forget about others. Complacency, the great sin of omission, can be as deadly as our evil actions. Let us take up the Pauline author's challenge to keep God's commandments without blame or reproach until Jesus Christ appears in glory.
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1. The rich man is not named in the parable. Papyrus 75, the oldest Greek manuscript of Luke, uses "by the name of Neues" to refer to the rich man. Traditionally he has been called Dives, which is a misreading of Saint Jerome's Vulgate, where the Latin word for rich, dives, was used as a proper name.
2. Commentators are divided on the issue of whether or not both the rich man and Lazarus were in Hades, following the old concept that Hades was a place of the dead, where both the righteous and the wicked resided and waited for judgment. By the first century people believed Hades to be divided into various regions, according to one's moral state.
The human condition into which we all are born does not allow us to avoid sin. Most people readily acknowledge that certain actions are sinful. Our sins of commission are before us and can often be easily identified and, therefore, corrected. There is, however, another category of sin that has nothing to do with action, but has everything to do with inaction. Failure to do what is necessary when situations present themselves is a problem, especially in our fast-paced world, where we hardly have time to do what is required let alone what seems to be something extra. Yet, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus clearly demonstrates that God is not satisfied with not doing evil; the Lord demands that we act when the need arises. Complacency in the face of need, want, or distress is sinful. We must meet others' needs or their need will be ours in the resurrection of the dead.
Spiritual Food For The Journey
It is all too common today for a person who is walking down a city street to come upon one who is in need. Sometimes the need is audible with the cry, "Have you any spare change?" Other times the want is only seen in the worn clothes, dirty bodies, and crazed looks of some people we pass along the way. When we encounter these men and women what has been our response?
Several years ago when I was in the seminary I was walking with a friend along a busy urban street. We were on our way to attend a movie. As we sauntered along, a "street person" came up to us and asked, "Do you have any spare change?" My initial reaction then, and all previous times, had been to bury my head in my chest or look to the other side and walk away without saying a word. Maybe I was afraid to make eye contact for fear of what I would see. I rationalized my action by telling myself, "He would only use my money for drugs." On this occasion, however, I learned a valuable lesson. My friend's response to the stranger was not what I expected at all. He told the man, "If you are hungry I will buy you a meal at McDonald's." The man's eyes lit up and he followed my friend down the street. I trailed behind. My friend was true to his word; he bought the man a hamburger, french fries, and soft drink. We then proceeded to our movie, arriving only a few minutes late.
That incident has over the years given me much food for thought. I learned a valuable lesson on what it means to live the Christian call to holiness. Before I thought I had done what was necessary by going to church, avoiding evil to the best of my ability, and making certain I was always in communication with the Lord. After that day, however, I knew that more was necessary. Simply to avoid error was insufficient; I needed to act when the situation to demonstrate my Christian faith presented itself. My complacent response in the past was no longer an option.
Social service agencies and numerous church-sponsored organizations today provide invaluable direct service to the poor, marginalized, and fractured of our society. Shelters provide a place to stay and soup kitchens dispense warm meals. Certain job services and agencies seek to match the lesser educated and hard-to-employ with gainful work. Church outreach, Alcoholics Anonymous, and several other organizations seek to arrest and/or treat those with addictive behavior.
The specific action of my friend and the general endeavors of church and civic social service groups must cause us to reflect and ask what our response has been in the past to those in need and what if any modifications are necessary. Have we used the mental excuse of over work or insufficient funds to shirk our responsibilities toward the anawim of American society? Have we told ourselves that others will take care of the situation -- there is no need for my involvement? Jesus was a man of action; he was never complacent when he perceived others in need -- whether it was a physical or spiritual want. Jesus never allowed his agenda to come before the needs of his brothers and sisters. Through his assistance to others Christ's message was made manifestly clear to those who walked in his footsteps. As Christians we have no choice but to act when a need is presented to us. We cannot be complacent as was the rich man in the parable; we must act or suffer a great reversal of fortune at the end of time. Let us have the courage to reach out and meet the need; our reward in heaven will be great.
Application Of The Parable To Contemporary Life
Sermon Openings
1. Willy Loman lived in a world of indifference, a world where nobody seemed to care. Willy was a traveling salesman and not a very good one. He had been on the road for years going from town to town, selling one product after the other. After so many years of being on the road, Willy was tired. He told his boss he no longer wanted to travel -- after all, Willy was now 63 years old. He wanted to have a desk job in the office; the road and sales were for younger people. But Willy's boss would not listen. The boss said that Willy was a road man; this was his expertise. If Willy did not want to continue on the road then he would be let go. And so it happened, Willy was discharged from his position after a lifetime of service.
The reaction of Willy's family was not what most might expect. His wife and children were very cold to him. Willy Loman's wife told him not to worry, that all would be well; he would eventually find another job. Her answer to Willy's dilemma was to get mad at the boss who had dealt him such a blow of injustice. She was not willing to help; she was not willing to listen. Willy's sons had a similar attitude. The boys were involved in their own lives; they could not stop long enough to feel the pain of their father and offer assistance.
Eventually Willy Loman died, a broken man. He did not die from disease or an accident; Willy Loman died from complacency. The lack of love, the indifference of those around him caused him more pain than the loss of his job ever could. Nobody seemed to care.
The world of Willy Loman, the world of indifference described in Arthur Miller's famous stage play, The Death of a Salesman, is the world of which our readings speak today. The Gospel story of the rich man and Lazarus gives us much food for thought. The rich man lived in a world of indifference; he did not see what was happening around him. He did nothing wrong, at least nothing of an outward nature. We cannot say that he was a great sinner nor can we say that he used his wealth in an unwise manner. The rich man, however, was complacent. He lived in a world of indifference. It did not matter to him that Lazarus was poor; he certainly could have done more. We are challenged to avoid the sin of omission of the rich man.
2. If you turn on the television or listen to the radio, sooner or later you will hear the Army recruiting commercial which says, "Be all that you can be." I like that expression because it encourages us not to be content, but rather to work hard in order to maximize our potential. Society has many such expressions which govern our life. Everyone has heard the expression, "The early bird gets the worm." If we begin first then the benefits will be ours. I especially like the adage which says, "The difficult we do today; the impossible we will do tomorrow." This is another way of saying nothing is impossible if we are willing to work hard.
Christian expressions are also common. Most people have heard the idea, "Live simply, so others may simply live." This expression challenges us to change our attitudes and ideas so that all men and women can benefit from God's gifts, and not just the few fortunate elect of the world. And, who can forget the great challenge of Pope Paul VI when he said, "If you want peace, work for justice."
All of these expressions, varied though they be, have one common denominator. They tell us that we cannot be satisfied with ourselves or with the conditions of the world around us. In other words we cannot be complacent.
Most people, I suspect, when they think of the word complacency view it in a negative or pejorative sense. This is not necessarily the case. A complacent person is not necessarily evil or bad. Rather, a complacent person is merely someone who through fear, lack of motivation, or present satisfaction with his life or situation has chosen to stay within the status quo. Obstacles or hurdles may exist on the outside, but the complacent one chooses to stay put. A complacent person is not evil -- yet he can miss some of the greatest opportunities and challenges from God in the process.
A well-remembered image comes to my mind when I think of complacency. Everyone remembers the long-running television show All in the Family and its main character, Archie Bunker. Archie was stereotypical in many ways, one of which was his sedentary lifestyle and complacent attitude. Archie was not an evil man -- but he was set in his ways. He had his chair, his ideas, and his way of doing things. No person or thing was going to make Archie move from the comfort that he had established in his life. In the process Archie missed many opportunities to grow, opportunities which presented themselves through people and events. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus challenges us to stay clear of complacency and to be active in our ministry to others, especially to the poor and marginalized of human society.
Points Of Challenge And Questions To Ponder
1. Christianity is an action-oriented faith. Do our actions demonstrate that we are followers of Jesus? When we have the opportunity, do we act or are we complacent and allow others to do our share of the work? Do we feel bothered by the requests of others?
2. Are we open to the actions, attitudes, words, and feeling of others? Do we "see" others' pain and act so as to alleviate it? Are we too content with who we are and what we believe? Do we need to be challenged more to meet others' needs?
3. How do we act in our society? How many times have we heard or said ourselves, "I don't want to get involved"? Have we been apathetic in our response to the call to serve?
4. Today's world often seems indifferent to the cares and needs of those who find themselves on the margins of society. Do we have the courage to break this evil cycle and respond to the cry of the poor, both the physically and socially deprived?
5. Do we keep extra busy to mask our reluctance to assist others? Because we would rather not get involved do we sometimes miss the opportunities to grow that God is providing? Are we afraid that we will discover that those on the margins of society have something to offer? Do we fear learning something from them?
Exegesis And Explanation Of The Parable
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is a two-section passage that presents dual themes that connect to earlier parts of Luke's Gospel and serves an example par excellence of contrasts between heaven and hell, compassion and indifference, inclusion and exclusion. The first theme, presented in verses 19-26, can be summarized as the great reversal in fortunes for the rich and poor. Not only does this section cap off the chapter's pronouncement of judgment on the rich, it also in many respects serves as a capstone to Luke's prophetic critique of wealth. While there is no indication that the rich man1 was a bad person, nor any way to say definitely Lazarus was righteous, the scene depicted is a complete reversal in fortunes from life to death. It seems apparent that the rich man was judged and received irrevocable damnation because he refused to act; he failed to go out of his way to help the beggar Lazarus. His inability to act demonstrated a heart that was never made tender by repentance.
The rich man may be intended by Luke as an example of the misuse of wealth. His riches were illustrated by his conspicuous consumption and especially his dress. Purple was worn by high ranking officials and members of the royal family. The Romans set standards on who could wear purple and how much they could wear. He was a lover of money who foolishly made poor use of his possessions, ideas that echo Luke 16:9-14. The rich man's actions must be seen in comparison with the proper use of riches described earlier in the chapter.
The second theme in this parable, found in verses 27-31, is that the law and the prophets are insufficient to call the rich to repentance; even the return of someone from the dead will not achieve the desired result and effect. Jesus adamantly refuses to produce a sign to satisfy his opponents. He is saying that a refusal to repent is not due to the lack of a sign; if one is sincere all that is necessary for faith is found in the Scriptures. God's word, not a sign, will lead one to repentance. For those who possess stone hearts, however, even a witness returned from the dead will not convince them to believe. Unbelief comes from within; it is not determined by outside factors or influences.
This parable is different and thus problematic for at least two important reasons. First, this is the only parable where one of the characters has a name, in this case Lazarus. The name, derived from Eleazar, meaning "God helps," is a part of his characterization. The second idea is that this parable is in two parts, making readers today contemplate if the second half is an addition to the original passage. The basic question is whether the two parts and themes can be linked in one parable, especially since the second part was seen as a post-Easter addition by the early Church in light of the Jewish failure to respond to the message of the Resurrection. Since non-Lucan vocabulary throughout the parable indicates the pericope is pre-Lucan, there is no reason to conclude that Jesus could not have spoken the parable in essentially the form it now exists.
The first half of this parable is a tableau that describes the lots of the rich man and Lazarus and, without a word of dialogue, speaks of their great reversals in roles after death. Scholars today are convinced that this idea, popular in Jewish society of the day, was derived from sources originally external to the Hebrew community. An Egyptian folk tale speaks of a man who was reincarnated after his death as Si-Osiris, the miraculous son of a childless couple. When his "father" one day remarked on how a rich man had been given a sumptuous funeral while a poor man had simply been buried, Si-Osiris took him to Amnte, the land of the dead, where he was able to see the rich man in torment and the poor man in luxury. The tale ends with these words, "He who has been good on earth will be blessed in the kingdom of the dead, and he who has been evil on earth, will suffer in the kingdom of the dead."
Contemporary Scripture scholars believe that Alexandrian Jews brought this tale into Jewish lore, found today in several versions. The earliest of these stories speaks of a poor scholar and a rich publican, Bar Ma'jan. Because of his one good deed in life Bar Ma'jan was given a great funeral, but the poor scholar received only a simple burial. One of the scholar's friends, however, had a dream in which he saw the poor man after his death in paradise, where beautiful gardens lay beside a flowing stream, while the publican was standing on the bank of the river but unable to reach the water. The scholar received no reward in this life, in order that he might have a full reward in the next, while the publican received his reward in life, so that he might have no reward in the next. It is clear that Jesus' parable is similar to this folk tale.
Jesus used the first half of this parable as a description of God's reign. In seeing Lazarus transported to the bosom of Abraham, regarded by the Jews as the highest place of blessedness (based on 2 Maccabees 7), while the one who withheld crumbs of bread from him pleads for mercy from Hades,2 we are glimpsing the reversal of conventional notions that the coming reign of God will bring. The rich man's inability to show mercy demonstrated that he had not fulfilled the righteousness demanded by the law and was, therefore, not righteous in the sight of God. This teaching would have been a major surprise for those who first heard it since the Jews believed that blessings in their life were a sign of God's favor, while illness, poverty, or hardship were signs of God's displeasure. The first hearers of the parable were thus challenged to see that the rich man was placed in torment because he never noticed Lazarus; he accepted him as part of the landscape, thinking it perfectly natural and inevitable that Lazarus should lie in pain and hunger while he wallowed in luxury. The rich man looked on the world's suffering and felt no need to answer.
Like other double-edged parables this one places emphasis on the message presented in the second half. This section is dominated by three separate verbal exchanges between Abraham and the rich man. In the first the rich man asks that Lazarus be sent for water, but this is impossible because of the great chasm that exists between them. 4 Ezra 7:36 speaks of this great barrier, "The pit of torment shall appear, and opposite it shall be be the place of rest; and the furnace of Hell shall be disclosed and opposite it the paradise of delight." When the rich man had the opportunity to act he chose to isolate himself and now is shut out forever. In the second exchange the rich man asks that Lazarus be sent to his brothers, but Abraham says that they have Moses and the prophets. They have the words of Isaiah (58:6-7): "Is this not the fast I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and to bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?" The third appeal from the rich man, the climax of the story and what many claim to be the focal point of the entire parable, is for someone to come from the dead to his brothers. Abraham's response foreshadows Jesus' own resurrection and connects us with the brothers who have failed to hear the Scriptures and repent.
Commentators have explained this section of the parable in various ways. Most have seen this section as an addition to the original parable. If true, then the first half is simply a story concerning the reversal of human lots in the after life and the finality of that reversal. The second section thus becomes a commentary on the failures of the Jews to be converted by the Resurrection and their blindness to the true meaning of the Scriptures. A few scholars have suggested this section of the pericope was directed against the Sadducees, who professed agnosticism concerning the after life. Still other exegetes have drawn a connection between these verses and John 11:1-44, the story of Lazarus' being raised from the dead by Jesus. The connection here is weak, being drawn completely through the common name of Lazarus in both stories.
The most prevalent understanding is best articulated by Joachim Jeremias. He states that Jesus is not commenting on a social problem, nor does he intend to present a teaching on the after life, but rather he tells the parable to warn those who resemble the brothers of the rich man, namely the present generation, and outlines the impending disaster that will befall them unless they change. This explanation makes Lazarus only a secondary figure who was introduced by Luke to demonstrate a contrast. Jeremias suggests that the passage would best be called the parable of the six brothers, not the rich man and Lazarus.
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus presents some important teachings. Jesus clearly shows that the possession of riches does not guarantee salvation, nor does the absence of wealth give one unrestricted access to eternal life. In demonstrating that riches cannot save, Jesus exposes the dangers of enslaving oneself to money. One who trusts in money is entrusting one's eternal destiny to what cannot save. The great sin of the rich man at its root is unbelief and hard-hearted contempt for the poor. What the rich man lacked and what the parable demands is fundamental neighborliness. This, the parable indicates, is a barometer for the soul, an indication of the condition of one's heart that is highly prized by God.
Context Of The Parable
Context In The Church Year
After a long hard day at the office it is a great pleasure to come home, kick off your shoes, and sit back comfortably in an easy chair. For a few moments we allow the world to go by and we purposefully choose to make no effort to engage it. For a few moments of solitude we want to be lazy so that the tensions and problems of the day can be eased and we can be renewed.
The need for relaxation and free time is something our busy world often does not allow. We are constantly running from one event to another. The business of our world forces us to make priorities, to choose what we will do and what we will skip. We become very wrapped up in what we do and the tendency is to lose perspective; the "big picture" becomes foggy or is even erased. Often we cannot even see the most obvious things because we are looking with tunnel vision at our world. The need that surrounds us does not impact us directly and thus is lost in the horizon.
Contemporary life can make us complacent, consciously or unconsciously, of many situations which are presented to us. We become content with who we are and what we are doing. There is a certain level of comfortability that we find and we don't want to jeopardize it. This modern tendency is precisely what Jesus is addressing in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Although there is no clear indication that the rich man was a bad person, he finds himself in eternal torment for his failure to act. We need to be reminded on a daily basis of our need to act. Opportunities to be a good neighbor, assist the poor, and act on the behalf of others are numerous. Let us not allow these moments of grace to pass us by. Let us hear the timeless message of today's parable and act to build the Kingdom in our world.
Context With Other Gospels
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is unique to Luke's Gospel and is drawn, in the opinion of most commentators, from the "L" material. A similar idea is found in Enoch 103:5-6 (part of the pseudepigrapha) where the author writes, "Woe [to those who say]: Blessed are the sinful. They have seen good fortune in their lives all their days and die illustrious, and no judgment has come during their lifetime." The message of this parable is, however, found throughout the Gospels. Luke consistently warns his readers against the dangers of wealth, expressing it best in the phrase heard in last week's parable, "You cannot serve God and wealth." Additionally, all of the Gospels are action oriented. The four evangelists understand that the Christian call to holiness does not allow one to be passive or for one to believe that all that is necessary is to avoid sin. Christianity requires us to act upon our beliefs as a response to the God who first loved us. Complacency in all its forms is to be avoided.
Context With First And Second Lessons
First Lesson: Amos: 6:1a, 4-7. This passage from Amos is similar to what we heard last week in that the rich and powerful in Israel are again the object of the prophet's attack. The rich are complacent. They lie on beds of ivory, eat and drink well, anoint themselves with the best oils, and play music on the harp. They are content with the money they possess and position they hold in society. For the rich and powerful things are fine; there is no need to look elsewhere.
Amos tells the people that their complacency will bring them to ruin as they will be the first to go into exile. Certainly the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel never thought they would be overrun by a foreign nation; they refused to listen to the warnings of the prophets such as Amos.
The message of Amos is the same as that spoken by Jesus in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. God will cast down the mighty and powerful in the reign of God. Those who are complacent today and refuse to see and meet the needs of those in our midst will not find eternal life with God. Amos' warning to the Hebrews of Israel is our warning as well.
Second Lesson: 1 Timothy 6:6-19. The Pauline author of 1 Timothy understood Jesus' warning to his disciples about the dangers of riches. He tells Timothy, "The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains" (6:10). The author tells Timothy to flee from the common human attraction to riches and instead seek integrity, piety, and a gentle spirit. He tells him that great faith is what is pleasing to God and will bring one to everlasting life.
Although the rich man might not have been a bad person, he was attached to his riches and refused to share them, even to alleviate the pain and suffering of Lazarus who lived in wretched misery. The love of wealth and one's concentration on it clouds the vision we must have of the world around us. If we are to follow Jesus we cannot hold our riches and forget about others. Complacency, the great sin of omission, can be as deadly as our evil actions. Let us take up the Pauline author's challenge to keep God's commandments without blame or reproach until Jesus Christ appears in glory.
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1. The rich man is not named in the parable. Papyrus 75, the oldest Greek manuscript of Luke, uses "by the name of Neues" to refer to the rich man. Traditionally he has been called Dives, which is a misreading of Saint Jerome's Vulgate, where the Latin word for rich, dives, was used as a proper name.
2. Commentators are divided on the issue of whether or not both the rich man and Lazarus were in Hades, following the old concept that Hades was a place of the dead, where both the righteous and the wicked resided and waited for judgment. By the first century people believed Hades to be divided into various regions, according to one's moral state.
