Trinity 1
Dear friends in Christ. Today’s readings point out to us the Christian life—in particular that our Christian life is “practical” in this world because it leads us into a life of good works. Faith, which receives from the Lord the forgiveness of sins and that perfect reconciliation, now knows God as our dear loving heavenly Father and Savior who loves us and saves us from our sin. We, in faith, now love Him—why? Because He first loved us. Our faith clings to His love and work for us in Christ to save us from our sins and their well-deserved punishment.
With God—who is love—in us and we in Him, how then can we also not love others? St. John writes in today’s epistle: We love [that is, love both God and the neighbor] because he first loved us. As we love God, we will love others by showing them that same undeserved love we first experienced from God. Because of that connection between faith and love, St. John writes: If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. Faith, love, works all belong together.
This is precisely what we do not see with the rich man in today’s Gospel account: Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus. As we examine our text we will see that the rich man is a picture of the world that rejects the love of God; and we will see in Lazarus a picture of the Christian and of Christ.
1. Jesus begins the parable with a description of the rich man: There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. Just these few words, clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day, show that this man was concerned only about himself. According to the world’s standards, he was fortunate—purple for his outer garments was an expensive fabric only royalty or the wealthy could afford; the linen was a fine material for the inner garments. He could afford the best foods and could feast every day. He seemingly didn’t have a care in the world. Yes, according to the world’s standards, he had arrived! It’s not that riches and wealth are in and of themselves wrong, but what we see here is the worldliness of this rich man. He was the center of his world; all things revolved around him. This is heightened by Jesus’ next statement: And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. It wasn’t as if the rich man had a desire to show love and mercy and couldn’t find anyone. The opportunity literally lay at his doorstep. In this rich man is the perfect description of sin—it is pure and simple service to self. Ultimately every sin places self at the center and pushes away the will and desire of God; pushes away the needs of others and shows no mercy and does no good work.
That’s the sin that lurks in the heart of us all—even us Christians, you and me, who have the new self in us and the Holy Spirit—because we still have our old sinful nature and that desire to serve self. Often we will sin out of weakness or ignorance; but often we sin even though we know it is sin. That’s why it is vital that we daily repent of our sins and turn away from them and toward our Lord and His grace and forgiveness in Christ, lest by continued willful sin we drive out the Holy Spirit from our heart. When He is gone, there is no faith and thus no abiding in God and God in us and the resulting love and good works.
With all the good things this rich man had—things which he and all worldly-minded people think are good, he by his unbelief had rejected true treasures—the riches of God’s grace. But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things. Notice how different the judgment of Christian is from the judgment of the people of the world. Worldly people regard wealth, possessions, power, etc. as the good things—and strive after those things; the Christian strives after God’s kingdom, grace, faith and love.
This rich man in Jesus parable had neither faith nor love. His lack of faith in the true God showed itself in his not showing love. Again, it’s not that he would be in heaven if he had thrown Lazarus a few dollars; rather the very lack of good works, love, mercy is the outward sign/ symptom of no faith, love, and trust in the true God and His love, mercy and forgiveness. That’s why we read of his final fate: The rich man also died and was buried, and in hell, being in torment… His sin follows him there as he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ Even there he looks on Lazarus as some sort of underling to serve him. In hell, he is confirmed in his rejection of God.
What began already during the rich man’s life comes out so clearly now that he is in hell—he rejected the God given way of salvation. If he even thought about such things, he probably thought that he was ok with God; after all he was rich and had every material thing in abundance. He knew and cared little about sin and grace, repentance and faith—and so he didn’t at all care about God’s way of salvation: through His word and sacraments through which He offers and gives forgiveness of sins and eternal life and works faith to receive it. But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ The souls in hell will, given the chance, do like they did while on earth—contradict God.
The rich man in Jesus’ parable is a clear picture of the person without true fear, love and trust in God; a person of the world who cares nothing about the things of God; one in whom, because there is no faith, does not abide in God and God in him. It is a great grace to us that Jesus tells this parable. By it He warns us today to examine our own hearts and to repent where we see we reflect this rich man in our own hearts and lives. Now is the time of grace—the time of grace to return to our baptism and the gifts and graces Jesus gives us there, lest, rejecting it now we later long for the cooling and refreshing grace of the water of baptism and cry out like the rich man in hell: Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue.
2. Let us not forget the other main character in our Lord’s parable, Lazarus. Notice how Jesus describes Him: And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. Looking a Lazarus we see a man in a pitiable condition according to the world’s standards and certainly, outwardly, not one to be envied. He couldn’t walk for he was laid at the rich man’s gate; he was covered with sores; he suffered poverty and hunger—probably not surviving long at the rich man’s gate; his only associates were dogs licking his wounds—either because he was too weak to shoo them away or because by licking the sores they gave the only relief he got.
Lazarus is a picture of the Christian because in him we see the fruits of faith and thus faith in the true God has been worked and is present in his heart. Notice the fruits of faith in his life: he patiently bore poverty, hunger, grief; we don’t hear one word from him in the parable; he didn’t grumble or complain about the rich man, nor did he demand anything from him. Lazarus simply commended his plight to God. This is a true fruit of faith and the love of God. The fruit of faith that Lazarus showed was not an outwardly grand thing—“just” simple trust in the Lord and His help. The rich man, if he had faith, could have shown great acts like—using contemporary imagery—building a shelter for the beggars, giving job training, providing a free clinic, etc. The fruits of faith will show themselves in different ways according to how the Lord has blessed us with earthly gifts and abilities but ultimately, at its root is love flowing from faith.
How beautifully Lazarus’ faith and love shine through in that simple trust in the Lord! Although outwardly Lazarus was in great suffering and seemingly lacking everything, he was by faith possessing the greatest invisible treasures: forgiveness of sins, the certainty of God’s love and the sure hope of heaven. He had the greatest treasure, was holding on to it by faith, and showing the fruits of faith. He was abiding in God and God in him.
How much more so us! We, dear Christian, are in terms of earthly/ temporal blessings more like the rich man than Lazarus. No matter what we may think, overall we have a tremendously high standard of living. And so we, dear Christian, who inwardly/ spiritually are more like Lazarus, by faith possessing the greatest invisible treasures—what great outward things we can do, in how many different and “creative” ways we can show love and mercy to those in need of it. Warned by the example of this rich man against living and striving only for self, we let our Christian faith overflow in good works, works of love toward our neighbor. Like Lazarus, we have the fruits of faith: trust/ reliance in the true God no matter what our outward circumstance. Our faith will always show itself in love toward God—trusting in Him and striving to do His will; and toward neighbor, helping them in every spiritual and bodily need.
We also hear in the background Christ’s words He would later speak [Mt. 25.40]: Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me. In the parable, hearing the description of Lazarus, who was basically described as a thing of contempt and scorn to the world, how can we not think of Jesus? –Especially on Good Friday, as the prophet Isaiah describes Him [Is. 53.2-3]: He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. The good works we do—the love that flows from faith—are done to/ for Christ. Think of Lazarus; think of Christ! We serve Christ as we serve others with our good works, those works that flow from faith; those works we are led and prompted to do because we are abiding in God and He in us.
St. John tells us in today’s epistle: So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. Notice our glorious condition as Christians now! We are in God and He is in us. That “abiding” is that glorious connection that baptism works as it creates faith in Christ in our hearts and unites us with Him! Abiding in God continues all throughout life as Christ comes to us with His body and blood in the Blessed Sacrament joining Himself to us and making it clear to us that He is we are in Him and He in us; as the Holy Spirit continues to come and strengthen and preserve us in that faith—that very faith that connects us with the holy Triune God and He with us. What is so wonderful and comforting here as well is that the Christian’s death does not stop that. We go from life here on earth in the Lord to life in heaven with our Lord beholding Him. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side.
Dear Christian may our lives be lives lived in the Lord, full of faith and overflowing into every good work to the glory of God and in service to our neighbor. INJ