Sunday, September 28, 10:00 am

There’s nothing quite so satisfying as a good reversal of fortunes story. Today’s gospel fills the bill. There’s the rich man - clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasts sumptuously every day. And every day he walks by and ignores the poor man - Lazarus – whose body is covered in sores and who is desperately hungry. With death, the powerful man goes to Hades while the poor, sick, and starving Lazarus ascends to the side, or on the lap, or on the bosom of Abraham, depending on your translation.

Justice is served.

And like all parables it so much richer than that. It’s absolutely about wealth, inequality and ultimate justice. But it’s so much more - dense with meaning, including a theme that resonates with creation care. How do we understand this last parable in the context of Luke’s account of Jesus’ life and final journey to Jerusalem within the broader narrative of Luke’s account of the Kingdom of God?

Where might we discover wisdom that resonates with the Season of Creation and inspires us to take action?

Let’s approach this in three acts: first, dig deeper into the context of today’s Gospel, second, ask how we learn to see with Jesus’ eyes, and finally, how is this connected with our care of creation?

Context is everything and Luke’s gospel has a definite point of view.

This parable is the climax of Luke's consistent message that God's kingdom flips social hierarchies. Recall in the very first chapter of Luke he shares Mary's Magnificat (1:52-53): "He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty."

Luke announces this reversal from the very beginning.

By the time we get to Luke 16 we basically have Jesus' entire economic sermon in one chapter - and understanding the flow makes the rich man/Lazarus parable even more powerful. Let’s do a quick spin through the warm-up acts.

The Dishonest Manager (16:1-13): The dishonest manager parable is one of Jesus' most puzzling stories, but it makes perfect sense in Luke's economic context.

The Story: A property manager is about to be fired for mismanaging his boss's estate. Before he gets the boot, he calls in all the debtors and slashes their bills - "You owe 100 jugs of oil? Make it 50. You owe 100 containers of wheat? Make it 80." He's basically buying future favors by giving away his master's money.

The Shocking Twist: The master actually commends the dishonest manager for acting shrewdly! Not for being honest - for being clever about securing his future.

Jesus' Point: "The children of this world" (secular people) are smarter about money than "the children of light" (religious people). Worldly people understand that money is a tool to build relationships and secure their future. They use wealth strategically. They share – and build community.

The Application: Wealthy religious individuals often treat money as an end in itself, hoarding it or being paralyzed by guilt about their wealth. But Jesus says, "Be as smart as that crooked manager! Use money strategically for the kingdom - make friends with it, build relationships, secure your eternal future by caring for the poor."

Does this resonate? It should! We at St Andrew’s understand mutual aid, sharing resources when someone's in crisis, using whatever little they have strategically to help each other.  Think of neighbors feeding neighbors – the resources of not just food but the loving care of preparing it!

We are already more "shrewd" about kingdom economics than many wealthy Christians who just write charity checks.

Jesus' Economic Principle (16:13): "No slave can serve two masters... You cannot serve God and wealth." This isn't about being poor vs. rich - it's about ultimate loyalty. Wealth demands total allegiance.

The Pharisees' Response (16:14): They "were lovers of money" and "ridiculed" Jesus. Luke literally says they "turned up their noses" at him. They're offended because Jesus just told them their wealth is their master, not God.

Jesus Doubles Down (16:15): "What is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God." Jesus isn't backing down from their mockery - he's escalating.

Then Comes Lazarus: This isn't a random parable - it's Jesus' ultimate illustration of what he just taught. The rich man perfectly embodies someone who served wealth instead of God, someone who prized what humans value over what God values.

The Literary Genius: Luke shows Jesus moving from general principles to concrete story to devastating application. The chapter builds to this climactic story, which reveals the eternal consequences of the choice between God and wealth. This is Luke's final major teaching before Jesus' journey to Jerusalem. It's his ultimate statement on economic justice before the cross reveals God's solidarity with the suffering.

How do we learn to see with Jesus’ eyes? Or where is Lazarus today?

Who is invisible? Who is outside the gate? So many invisible people right now. Lazarus is our neighbors.

Week after week, I go to meetings about immigration raids.  We hear from our leaders of La Ristra and other organizations about children afraid to go to school, families afraid to go get groceries or come to church.

Our neighbors are becoming invisible, disappearing, erased.

Who is invisible when we think about creation care and climate change?

To take one example, Lazarus is our farmworkers

·  Working in 115°F heat in the fields around Yuma and Tucson, often without adequate water breaks or shade

·  Exposed to pesticides while harvesting the food that ends up on wealthy tables

·  Living in substandard housing without air conditioning during deadly heat waves

·  When they suffer heat stroke or chemical exposure, they often can't seek medical help due to their immigration status.

And, once again, in a season of creation context, around the world, there are communities that are suffering and invisible

·  Pacific Island nations are disappearing beneath rising seas, caused by greenhouse gas emissions they barely contributed to

·  Farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are facing unprecedented droughts while having among the world's smallest carbon footprints

 But let’s be careful here – the Gospel Message isn't about calling out privilege - it's about naming the dignity, the belovedness, the worth of the ” invisible” in God's eyes.

It's about saying "You matter. Your suffering is seen. The environmental injustices you face daily - God sees them."

 Jesus does not just make the invisible visible – he has a warning.

The parable takes a turn when the rich man starts to make demands.

First Request: "Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool my tongue" (v.24)

Even in torment, he still sees Lazarus as his servant! He doesn't ask Abraham to help him - he wants Lazarus to serve him. Death hasn't changed his attitude about who exists to serve whom.

Second Request: "Send him to my father's house... to warn them" (v.27-28)

Again - send Lazarus! The rich man still thinks Lazarus exists to do his bidding. And notice what he wants: he wants his brothers to avoid consequences, not to repent and change their behavior.

What He's Really Asking For:

·         Keep the system intact where Lazarus serves and he benefits

·         Let his family keep living the same way, just with better information

·         A miraculous sign that lets them avoid the hard work of justice

·         Maintenance of his privilege even in death

What He's NOT Asking For:

·         Forgiveness for how he treated Lazarus

·         Justice for Lazarus

·         Real change in how his family treats the poor

·         To cross the chasm himself

Abraham's Refusal: Abraham basically says, "No more servants. No more shortcuts. No more ignoring what God already told you. If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets calling for justice, they won't listen to a miracle either.

Or – in other words - The rich man is like, 'Send Lazarus back from the dead - that'll convince them!' And Abraham basically says, 'Seriously? They've got the entire Hebrew Bible sitting on their shelf and they're asking for MORE evidence? If they won't listen to Moses, they're not gonna listen to a zombie either.’

The rich man wants salvation without transformation. He wants his brothers warned but not changed. Abraham says that's impossible - the gospel demands both seeing Lazarus AND crossing the chasm to him.

Abraham's Warning Becomes Liberation: "You have Moses and the prophets" - meaning you already know God is on the side of the poor, the marginalized, the forgotten. You don't need to wait for someone else to validate your experience or speak for you.

But wait -- The words of Moses and the Prophets speak not only to justice but also to the Season of Creation. Just two examples from many:

Sabbath for the Land (Leviticus 25:1-7): Every seventh year was a "sabbath to the Lord" where you couldn't plant, prune, or harvest. The land got to rest and regenerate. Whatever grew naturally was free for everyone - landowner, poor person, wild animals. God literally commanded sustainable agriculture and made it a religious obligation. It's like God saying, "The earth isn't your machine - it's my creation that needs rest."

Isaiah 24:4-6: When humans "break the everlasting covenant," the earth literally "mourns and withers." Environmental destruction isn't separate from spiritual unfaithfulness - it's the same thing. The land suffers when we break covenant with God.

Abraham's Point: This isn't new theology! Creation care and economic justice have been part of God's plan since Mount Sinai. Our community doesn't need miraculous signs - they need to remember what God already said.

Final Thoughts

Luke’s Gospel is distinct and it’s important – especially in this moment. Where did this understanding come from? How did he come to so clearly see Jesus’ life and teachings through the lens of inequality?

Recall how Luke’s understanding of Jesus was formed. He never knew Jesus. Instead, Luke’s formation was deeply grounded in his travels and ministry with Paul. He learns from Paul:

·         Money creates power dynamics that can corrupt gospel community

·         The gospel transforms economic relationships - it's not just spiritual

·         Wealthy Christians have obligations to use their resources for justice

·         The poor aren't charity cases but full members whose dignity must be protected

Luke's Innovation: While Paul addressed these tensions in letters to specific communities, Luke universalizes them. He presents Jesus' entire ministry as God's economic revolution - showing that what Paul navigated in individual churches reflects the very heart of the gospel.

This is familiar to our parish.  Today’s gospel helps us see how power and money work, how the wealthy "help" while maintaining distance. We understand what it means when someone with resources says they want to "help" but doesn't want to change the systems that create the need. We know the difference between genuine solidarity and performative generosity.

And we are a community of solidarity seeking paths to increase that solidarity in these challenging times.

Let us pray.

God of Moses and the prophets, help us to see what you see, hear what you hear, and love what you love. Give us eyes to see our invisible neighbors, courage to cross every chasm, and faith to believe that your kingdom is breaking in right here, right now. In Jesus' name. Amen.