Welcome to our parish as we begin the fourth week of our message series, “Right on the Money.” Money is a fact of life. We all need it, and none of us can escape it. This is why for so many of us money congers up so many negative emotions.
Jesus understands money, and its place in our lives. That is why he spoke about it more than any other topic. He talked about it because he knows how much stress and tension it can cause in our lives and in our relationships. He understands how easily worry and concern for it dominates our thoughts and directs our lives. He knows how love for it can hold our hearts. Jesus teaches us the proper place that money should have in our lives.
Last week we looked at the fact we are stewards. The money in our hands does not belong to us it belongs to God. The money is God’s money. Jesus encourages us to use God’s money in our strategic best interest by investing in people. There is a long-term value to giving
that money doesn’t have.
Today, we are going to drill down a little more into that idea and get more specific. Again we are going to look at a parable from the Gospel of St. Luke. St. Luke was a physician and educated man, and he addressed his gospel to a sophisticated, well-educated, and affluent community. His gospel contains more of Jesus’ parables on money because he knew his audience had it and needed to use it wisely. Today’s parable should be read in contrast to the parable we looked at last week. It is the other side of the coin.
Last week the story was about a guy who used money to win friends. The guy we are looking at today does not. Too often, today’s parable is used to make people feel guilty. However, Jesus never once leveraged guilt because guilt is absolutely worthless and not the point here at all.
“Jesus said to the Pharisees, ‘There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day’” (Luke 16:19). There are three characters in this story, and the first is a wealthy man. Every aspect of his daily routine expresses extravagance.
Then we are introduced to a second character; “And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even would come to lick his sores” (Luke 16:20-21). In just a few words, Jesus describes Lazarus’ utter destitution.
So we have two characters living side by side in dramatically different circumstances. But eventually they actually discover something in common: death. St. Luke writes, “When the poor man died he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side” (Luke 16:22). Death has reversed their situations, and they are no longer living side-by-side, but far apart.
The rich man is in a place of torment and so he cries out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames” (Luke 16:23-24).
The Greek word used here for “mercy” is the same word used for “almsgiving.” In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, almsgiving is an important religious concept: giving to the poor is an expression of faith in God. In all three religious’ traditions it is considered a serious obligation. In Jewish theology almsgiving is giving to the poor when the giver and/or the receiver don’t know each other. It involves giving before being asked, or giving more than asked, and entails giving that enables the recipient to become self-reliant.
Abraham gently reminds him, “My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented” (Luke 16:25). Jesus has been addressing the parables we have heard the last three week, including this one, to the Pharisees, the corrupt religious leaders who gave him so much trouble. Yet even to them he can express gentleness. This parable isn’t meant to be a got ya, but one delivered in tenderness and compassion to people who get caught up and confused in the trappings of wealth.
The common view among pagans in the ancient world was that the afterlife formed a complete break with this life. Jesus teaches the opposite. The next life is a continuation of this one. That’s why our choices and decisions in this life matter. They carry into eternity in a way we cannot completely comprehend this side of death.
Abraham says he can’t help the rich man because there is a chasm between them, created by the rich man’s lack of charity. The opportunity for almsgiving is passed. It’s no longer an option.
Its the same for us. God has entrusted us with some money for a purpose, beyond its obvious current utility. He wants us to use it in our long-term best interest. Giving has a long-term value money does not.
The rich man had an opportunity to make an investment in his long-term future,
by assisting Lazarus with at least some of his wealth. He utterly and completely failed to do so, thereby hurting not Lazarus but himself in the long run. He made no investment in his long-term future, and he ends up with nothing, and there’s nothing he or Lazarus can do about it.
Over and over again Jesus teaches about giving, and when he does, he’s basically talking about two kinds of giving; giving as an act of worship in my place of worship, and giving to people, especially the poor. They are both important, but he actually didn’t talk much about giving as worship because everybody did it.
Rather Jesus talked about giving to the poor all the time, and typically he made three points. First, disciples give to the poor, who can represent themselves in many different ways. Second, there is no excuse for being ignorant of the poor and their needs. Finally, while we can’t meet all needs everywhere, we can have our eyes, and our hearts, open to the needs God specifically wants us to meet. When in doubt I give.
I am guessing that most people in this parish support charities from time to time. However what Scripture talks about are sustained commitments over time, all the time.
In deciding on what charity or charities to support you should consider what causes or missions touch your heart. For example I have been supporting a now young man named Francis who lives in Uganda. I have been paying for his education; first primary school, then secondary school, and now he has begun studying to be a pharmacist. Every month I pay for his tuition, room and board.
Consider also whether you can volunteer and build relationships with the people who are receiving the benefit of your giving? Francis and I exchange letters a few times a year, talking about our lives, our families, and our friends. In fact, I just wrote him a letter last week to see how pharmacy school is going.
It all comes down to a question of focus: do I focus primarily on money or on Jesus?