Christ Sent Faithful Lazarus into the Arms of Father Abraham

First Sunday after Trinity

May 29, 2016

Luke 16:19-31

Christ Sent Faithful Lazarus into the Arms of Father Abraham

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was a laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. (Luke 16:19-21 NIV 1984)

Who was better: the rich man or the dirty dogs? The rich man couldn't be bothered to put the tip of his finger into water and give Lazarus a drop to drink, but at least the dogs cared enough to lick his sores and give him some relief. If only some dogs go to heaven, these dogs would make the cut.

Why did Lazarus make the cut? Why was he in heaven in the embrace of Father Abraham, and not in the agony of eternal fire like the rich man?

First of all, we need to be clear that both men were sinners. Each one died because the wages of sin is death. If Lazarus had not been a sinner, he wouldn't have died. He was a sinner, and like the rich man, he sinned as much as he could.

So why did death bring Lazarus into everlasting life? Kindness or callousness didn't cause salvation or damn these men. The rich man never did anything for Lazarus, but Lazarus never did anything for the rich man, either. If kindness was the key to earning life eternal, then the dogs in the gutter would be in heaven before us.

Money isn't the answer, either. For a short time, the rich man had it all; Lazarus had nothing. But being rich or being poor didn't damn or save either of them.

This story can be easily misused to blast those who have much in a judgmental way. But that's not the point Jesus is making by telling this story.

Christ never said why Lazarus and the rich man were different, but using simple logic under the fullness of Holy Scripture, we can deduce the why.

But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (Romans 10:16-17 NIV 1984)

Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7 NIV 1984)

Lazarus is in heaven in the arms of Father Abraham because through faith in Christ Lazarus is a child of Abraham. And through death Lazarus went to his true home and family. In this life Lazarus had only one thing: the Holy Word, inspired by God and written down by Moses and the other prophets.

We learn this from the dialogue between the nameless rich man and Father Abraham. The rich man did not believe God's Word. He chose to believe in himself.

It's tragic to see the rich man still living for himself as the center of attention, even in hell. Notice how he still somehow thinks of Lazarus as someone who exists to serve him. “Make him get me some water,” he says. Father Abraham says no to this demand.

He also refuses the rich man's second demand: send Lazarus to warn his still living brothers that hell is for real. He says no because there is no good in his demand. Salvation is communicated through the Gospel Sacraments, the Word of God. The messenger does not make the Gospel more credible, whether he is a recently dead man or a even charming pastor.

When God's Word is rejected, then all the most glorious miracles are of no point. Think of how often Jesus' miracles and teaching were followed by unbelief, anger, and even attempted violence toward Him. When Jesus resurrected another Lazarus the village of Bethany, this merciful miracle caused Jesus' enemies to dig in and really get busy with the work of murdering Him!

Miracles don't cause faith in Christ.

“He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ” (Luke 16:30-31 NIV 1984)

Today we see something similar to the rich man's demand. There are those who become infatuated with stories of near-death trips into the afterlife. We don't need a heavenly travel tour guide for assurance that heaven is real; we already know this by faith in Christ. Dead men would tell us no new tales.

Our faith clings to the Jesus revealed to us in Scripture, the One who rose from the dead and will never die again. If Lazarus had been sent back to those five brothers, what might he have said? Listen to Moses and the prophets: they will you all you need to know about the Christ who saves.

This is why Lazarus made the cut: because Jesus cut him into everlasting life with His death and resurrection. Lazarus just lay there like a helpless baby and the dogs were the best nurse he had. But because Christ knew him, so did the Father. Not just Father Abraham, but our Father, who art in heaven.

You, too, have already made the cut because Christ has cut you into His death and resurrection. And so until He calls us into everlasting life, you are cared for by others and at other times you are the one doing the caring. As you care for others, be merciful to those both high and low, for each one is a precious soul for whom Christ died.

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. Alleluia! Amen!

2 Corinthians 5:21