Day 26 Thursday March 18 2010
TODAY’S INTRO
Jesus spoke about the issue of possessions over and over and over again- not to make people feel bad, but so that they would get it right! It’s a challenging subject for many people but one that Jesus never shied away from- nor should we. Kind of a complex passage. Usually this would be chopped up in sermons into more than one story and we’d have an abundance of time to focus on the various pieces. Phil Hirsch, our Assistant to the Bishop in my area spoke on the first story in today’s text in a forum last Sunday at Good Shepherd. Read on.
TODAY’S TEXT- Luke 16
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. 2So he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ 3Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’ 5So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ 7Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’ 8And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. 9And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. 10“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. 11If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? 13No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” 14The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they ridiculed him. 15So he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others; but God knows your hearts; for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God. 16“The law and the prophets were in effect until John came; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone tries to enter it by force. 17But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one stroke of a letter in the law to be dropped. 18“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.
19“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. 24He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’ 25But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27He said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— 28for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ 29Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ 30He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
TODAY’S STATUS UPDATES
When Jesus told a parable, he was being extremely clever and provocative. Parables teach us something about God and God’s ways but they also invite us to participate- to identify with one of the characters. Who do we identify with today?
At first glance, I can’t see myself as the man who feasted “sumptuously” every day. I looked up the definition for sumptuous. It means “extremely costly, rich, luxurious, or magnificent”. At first glance, it would be easy for me to say- “that’s not me!” It’s easy to jump quickly and say- “look at that persons clothing, or the car they drive, or the homes in that zip code. It’s easy to think about the vacations that “others’ take. But. . . . .that’s hiding from the reality so let me say it- “In the grand scheme of the globe, I am that man in the story who has an abundance”. I suspect many of you reading this are as well! I may not live in the fanciest or costly home but God has provided for me magnificently throughout my life. I was raised by two loving parents who gave me plenty of attention and lots of nurture. I have had the luxuries of a good education including college and graduate school. I have had a safety net along the way. I have never been in any dramatic financial need. I have access to technology, books. I can go on vacation. If I need to buy new clothes at some point, I can do that.
I will send my kids to college as I was “sent” by my parents. ETC. I know many people like myself who have been blessed abundantly in similar ways. We’re in the same boat.
Long list. . .but the point I have come to is that I stand on the side of one who has been blessed and cared for throughout life. ! The call in this story, for people who identify with that man (as I do), is to see beyond self and to learn (or continue) to be generous. And . . ..not only hear the call, but to “answer that call” over and over and over again.
One of the great joys in sharing is that we truly express our worldview! When we learn to give from the abundance that God provides, we trust: 1) that God will continue to provide; and 2) we express our value that all people deserve to be cared for in tangible ways.
The man in the story stayed on one side of the chasm. He expressed his world view. I want to be the next chapter. I want to be a person who builds a bridge or jumps over the chasm. I want God to help me overflow with generosity to help bless the lives of others- family, friends, the church, and people in need. I want to be challenged by Jesus to do that more and more as I think that leads to the “abundant life” that Jesus spoke about. I hope you do as well. It’s a process, a journey. The more we can be open about topics such as this and encourage each other, think about how the world will benefit. Think about how the man on the side of the chasm would have benefited with some gently nudging from some of his friends. Might that have changed his life?
Tough stuff. We are always told, “it’s better to give than receive”. Do we believe that?
Friends Added
Lazarus' of the world
those who dare to cross the chasm
Opponents/”Annoyed”
Pharisees
No comments:
Post a Comment