Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Whom Are We Ignoring?

Today's Scripture Readings

Amos 6:1a, 4-7 (NRSV)

Alas for those who are at ease in Zion,

and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria.

Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory,

and lounge on their couches,

and eat lambs from the flock,

and calves from the stall;

who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp,

and like David improvise on instruments of music;

who drink wine from bowls,

and anoint themselves with the finest oils,

but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!

Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile,

and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.

Psalm 146 (BCP., p.803)


1 Timothy 6:6-19 (NRSV)

There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time-- he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

Luke 16: 19-31 (NRSV)

Jesus said, "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He 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.' But 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. Besides 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.' He said, `Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house-- for I have five brothers-- that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.' Abraham replied, `They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' He said, `No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He 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.'"

Blog Reflection

In her book The Monastery of the Heart: An Invitation to A Meaningful Life, Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB writes:

We are all Seekers of the God who is here but invisible to the blind eye; who calls to us but is unheard by those who do not listen; who touches our lives wherever we are, but is unfelt by those whose hearts are closed to the presence of God-- who is everywhere, in everyone at all times (page 21).

The parable in today's Gospel Reading contains some fascinating images.  It is not unlike the image in the Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55.   The rich are brought down, while the poor are raised up.  Yet, in  Luke 16:19-31, Jesus is taking us a step further. It is another timely message for the events we are currently living through.  

The United States House of Representatives is prepared to shut down the government which includes services to the poor and disadvantaged, Education, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and more.  They are prepared to close the government to keep that many more people from purchasing health insurance this year.   What is wrong with this picture?  Our Gospel has some thoughts about that for us.

According to William Barclay in The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Luke, the problem with the rich man is that he is so blinded by all that he has that he does not even notice poor Lazarus hungry and in need outside his gate.  In those days, people ate with their hands and not silverware.   They did not have napkins either.  They wiped their hands on pieces of bread that was later thrown out.   Lazarus longed to eat the bread crumbs that fell from the rich man's table.  The rich man was so absorbed by what he had, that he could not see past them to see his suffering brother at his gate.   He ignored Lazarus.  He chose to forget about Lazarus.  He had everything.  He had nothing to lose, or so he thought.

Before we get too lost in the judgement rendered, I think we need to look at it from the stand point of what affects one person, affects us all.   What goes around, comes around.   When the rich man having to face the reality of what his actions did to one man, he now has to face what they meant for him too.  Not only has his choice to ignore Lazarus brought him an eternal hell, it has also affected others whom he left behind.   Now he finds himself in the place of need, only to learn that the man whom he ignored now serves a greater master.  A master who did not forget his suffering, but shared in it with him and rewarded him for his faith in God, despite his poor state in life.   For the rich man, ignoring Lazarus meant he ignored God.

When we ignore others around us, we are ignoring Jesus.  The Jesus who is present and calling out to us from those places where He has been forgotten.  In the immigrant seeking to be welcomed into a country where she/he can find a peaceful place to raise a family.  Jesus is in the lesbian teen being bullied in school. Jesus is in the transgender homecoming queen who has gotten hate messages from all over.   Jesus is in the LGBT people being terrorized in Russia.  Jesus is in the millions of Americans who cannot get health insurance, who need food stamps, the women who need reproductive health care.   Jesus is present in the mother of an African American son who was gunned down, just because of his skin color.  When we ignore these, we ignore Jesus.

Who and where do we hear Jesus calling out to us to recognize him?

Are our ears open to Jesus as He calls to us?

Are we walking past Jesus as He cries out for help?

What would make us listen better?

I would suggest that if we are not taking time to spend in silence with Jesus in our hearts and lives, we will become deaf as He calls us elsewhere.   If we do not open our own hearts to Jesus who wants to share room in our hearts and lives, to nourish us in the Eucharist, we will not hear Jesus in those who are in need.   Our hearts become cold.  We become complacent.  We ignore the call of Christ in our sisters and brothers.

Jesus is calling us today.   Are we listening for Jesus?


Prayers

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing
mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we,
running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of
your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for
ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 21, Book of Common Prayer, p. 234).

Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you
all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us
to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick,
and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those
who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow
into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for
our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  (Prayer for the Poor and Neglected, Book of Common Prayer, p.826).




Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this
land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as
their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to
eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those
who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law
and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of
us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  (Prayer for the Oppressed, Book of Common Prayer, p.826).