Sunday Homily, Sept 30, 2007, 26th in Ordinary Time
Readings: Amos (again), 6,1-7; Psalm 146; 1 Timothy 6, 11-16; Luke 16, 19-31 (Rich Man & Lazarus).
Amos: Just a reminder from last week. Amos, a prophet, lives about 800 years before Christ. A prosperous time for the Jews, but a prosperity built on defrauding the poor. Amos warns the people that Yahweh will punish them for cheating the poor and amassing fortunes.
In our selection today Amos is putting it to the rich. Which leads, of course, to our Gospel on the Rich Man & Lazarus.
The Rich Man’s Sin of Blindness
Some months ago when we were getting ready to work on the Rowlett house, I met with the man from Lake Point Church to estimate what the house needed. We were going to team up. While we were standing outside looking the place over, I hesitatingly mentioned the huge Sycamore tree leaning over the house. Dangerous. "Alex, do you have any people in your community who could take that tree down?" "I’ll see," he says. Alex was pretty taciturn, so I left it at that.
A couple of weeks later on perhaps our second Saturday to work on the house, we were all gathering at 8:00 when a line of about ten pickups arrives and one pulls a large enclosed trailer. The Lake Point Emergency Team. They open the trailer, pull out chain saws, ropes, equipment, hard hats, and head for the tree. There must have been 15 people, including two young women. We occasionally stopped work and stood in awe as they brought down some gigantic overhanging limb. Three hours later they were done, thanked us for inviting them, declined to join us for lunch, and departed, leaving only a huge pile of Sycamore branches ready to be picked up by the township.
I am humbled by this team and wish I could join them. They go where they are needed in almost any emergency. They look for places where their help is needed.
I thought of them when I read about the Rich Man & Lazarus. As usual, there are symbolic elements to this parable.
First, there are three clues that inform the people who are tuned in that the guy is very rich: he has not just food, but sumptuous food; he dresses in purple, which also meant he was holy; and he had a funeral, which meant he was in Yahweh’s favor. Being rich, of course, meant good and favored by Yahweh.
Secondly, Lazarus. He is the only person in all the parables to be named. Meaning? Predilection for the poor? He also is painted as such a wretch that even dogs licked his sores.
Then, watch the switch. Both men die. Lazarus is in Abraham’s bosom. He is the rich one now. Only free people recline at table, especially on the chest of the host. The Rich Man, however, is in a place of torment.
So what was the Rich Man’s sin? Being rich? Not necessarily. The Rich Man did not care for the Lazarus at his door. He did not even see him. Granted, the parable indicates that his richness contributed to his blindness. He had to stop focusing on himself, look around him for the Lazarus nearby, and care for him.
We are rich, too, folks. No way we can deny it or escape it, despite events in our lives that may cause poverty of spirit. The people from the Lake Point Emergency team were rich. They, however, are looking for the Lazarus in their lives, and they were caring for him.
Who is the Lazarus in your life and how are your caring for him?
AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2007-09-30.mp3