A Good Life Now
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Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 2224 Wait and See
2224 Wait And See
Some time ago, a man brought forward his strong argument against the Bible, declaring, “I am seventy years of age, and have never seen such a place as hell, after all that has been said about it.” His little grandson, of about seven years of age, who was all the while listening, asked him, “Granddaddy, have you ever been dead yet?”
Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed. Make it a Word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith. May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip, and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You send it, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Books that tell us how to live well, sell well. An article on the website, “bookstr.com” by Mahogany Turner-Francis entitled “Book Genres That Make the Most Money” came up with this list:
1) Romance/Erotica – $1.44 billion. 2) Crime/Mystery – $728.2 million. 3) Religious/Inspirational – $720 million. 4) Science Fiction/Fantasy – $590.2 million. 5) Horror – $79.6 million.
1) Romance/Erotica – $1.44 billion. ...2) Crime/Mystery – $728.2 million. ...3) Religious/Inspirational – $720 million. ...4) Science Fiction/Fantasy – $590.2 million. ...5) Horror – $79.6 million.Jan 6, 2017
Of those five categories, I’m not sure about the last one, but I believe that the other four share a common trait: in the end, you win! By that, I mean that the character with whom you, the reader, are most likely to identify with, comes out on top. For the last one, perhaps simply surviving is winning!
Today’s Gospel text presents us with a bit of a dilemma in that regard though. After all, who would actually choose to have the life of Lazarus? Let’s review:
(ESV) — 19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
Lazarus was homeless, Lazarus suffered from a major malady, he apparently was barely clothed, if at all, and had no idea where his next meal was coming from. On top of which, the dogs - not puppies, mind you, but dogs - added to his misery by licking his sores.
We don’t know how long this went on, but we are to understand that Lazarus and the unnamed rich man were at opposite ends of the spectrum of life. As an aside, isn’t it interesting that only the homeless, destitute man is identified by name? That isn’t what we see in media today, is it? How many poor people, how many destitute people, how many suffering people, manage to become known by name, except, generally speaking, when they are used as a tool for the advancement of the social or political agendas of others?
Mercifully, Jesus’ story continues:
(ESV) — 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
Now, the moral of this story is not simply that heaven promises to reverse the fortunes of the poor and the rich. That would provide a measure of comfort, perhaps, to those who were embittered by their lot in life, but it wouldn’t make suffering any more bearable, nor would it lessen the desires for pleasure that the bible critiques in various places, like
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
and
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?
The word, “ἡδονῶν,” which is the genitive plural of ἡδονή, translates as “passions” in the ESV; it is defined as follows:
① state or condition of experiencing pleasure for any reason, pleasure, delight, enjoyment, pleasantness
ἡδονή, ῆς, ἡ (s. prec. entry; Pre-Socr., Trag., Hdt.+).
① state or condition of experiencing pleasure for any reason, pleasure, delight, enjoyment, pleasantness
② pleasurable experience of sensation, agreeable taste
ἡδονή, ῆς, ἡ (s. prec. entry; Pre-Socr., Trag., Hdt.+).
William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 434–435.
① state or condition of experiencing pleasure for any reason, pleasure, delight, enjoyment, pleasantness
William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 434–435.
② pleasurable experience of sensation, agreeable taste
The English word “Hedonism” is derived from this word. The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines it as follows:
he•do•nism \ˈhē-də-ˌni-zəm\ noun
[Greek hēdonē pleasure; akin to Greek hēdys sweet—more at SWEET] 1856
1: the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life
2: a way of life based on or suggesting the principles of hedonism—he•do•nist \-nist\ noun—he•do•nis•tic \ˌhē-də-ˈnis-tik\ adjective—he•do•nis•ti•cal•ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb
If we are honest, and the church is the place where you can find a safe space for honesty, because it is the place where, in the Divine Service, you receive, in your very hearing, the forgiveness of your sins, many of us are hedonists at heart. This is why the 9th and 10th Commandments find a target in many a Christian’s heart.
The Book of Concord The Ninth Commandment
[17] The Ninth [Commandment]
You are not to covet your neighbor’s house.
[18] What is this? Answer:
We are to fear and love God, so that we do not try to trick our neighbors out of their inheritance or property or try to get it for ourselves by claiming to have a legal right to it and the like, but instead be of help and service to them in keeping what is theirs.
[19] The Tenth [Commandment]
You are not to covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, cattle, or whatever is his.
[20] What is this? Answer:
We are to fear and love God, so that we do not entice, force, or steal away from our neighbors their spouses, household workers, or livestock, but instead urge them to stay and fulfill their responsibilities to our neighbors.
What is our enjoyment of such programs like the “Real Housewives” franchise - especially the Atlanta version that specifically targets African American women - but the simultaneous coveting of their lifestyles and enjoyment of their comeuppance? Not only that, but much of what now passes for political discourse sounds like little more than griping that some people have it better than the rest of us, and the Government should, in the words of “Two Can Play That Game’s” Shante Smith, “punish him - punish him hard!” At the least, even if the government did tax them to the point that they took home the same amount as you do, it wouldn’t make your life any better, would it?
To be honest, much of what now passes for political discourse sounds like little more than griping that some people have it better than the rest of us, and the Government should, in the words of “Two Can Play That Game’s” Shante Smith, “punish him - punish him hard!” how else do you explain that we simultaneously complain about our tax liabilities while demanding that theirs should increase? I’m not saying that they shouldn’t, but why so much anger, so much vehemence? At the least, even if the government did tax them to the point that they took home the same amount as you do, it wouldn’t make your life any better, would it?
So what is Jesus really getting at here?
(ESV) — 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
(ESV) — 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
Abraham recognized both of these men as being part of the promise that God gave to him. He calls him, “child,” not “stranger.” He does point out that there has been some sort of evening of the scales, or perhaps, the judgment of the Law that when he had the opportunity to address Lazarus’ suffering state, he did nothing, and now he was experiencing what he allowed Lazarus to experience when Lazarus was at his very doorstep, for, now, in the words of Abraham,
(ESV) — 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
But no, not even this is the point of Jesus’ teaching here, for He continues:
(ESV) — 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”
And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And 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 hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”
God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked who materially prosper; instead, He warns thew wicked concerning his way. Note the words of from our 1st Reading:
(ESV) — 4 “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, 5 who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, 6 who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! 7 Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.”
“Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.”
In terms of riches, no one is richer than God, for as it is written,
The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,
So self-sufficient is God that, as His children, we are told to enjoy what comes to us without question, yet always recognizing that the test concerning that which is good, is not merely that which we enjoy, nor that which is not prohibited by God. God says through St. Paul the Apostle:
(ESV) — 23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”
“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”
God lies behind every good thing that we enjoy, every blessing that we receive, and our preservation in times of trouble, and the opportunities that we have to be a blessing to our neighbor. God has spoken to us through His Law, and through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has declared His hatred of sin, and His love for sinners. In neither declaration is anyone exempted, for just as the Law condemns all under sin, so the Gospel offers a free pardon to all who hear.
Jesus Christ is the true “Lazarus” - from the Hebrew “Eliazar” - “God has helped.” Jesus helps us, and has sent the Holy Spirit to be “another Helper.” “The Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.”
In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.
Jesus Christ is the true “Lazarus” from the Hebrew “Eliazar” - “God has helped.” Jesus helps us, and has sent the Holy Spirit to be our Helper.” The Holy Spirit “has called me by the Gospel,” and “kept me in the one true faith,” and has made me a member of the Church, which is the Bride of Christ.
Paul Timothy McCain, ed., Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2005), 330.
Robert Kolb, Timothy J. Wengert, and Charles P. Arand, The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2000), 355–356.
Luther, Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2017), 17.
The Church testifies that “Jesus Christ is risen, hallelujah.” For over two thousand years the Church, both East and West, both Orthodox and heterodox, whether Confessional or not, has consistently proclaimed to all the world that “this Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses” ().
God has called us through the Gospel so that we can live as citizens of His Kingdom, and as Children of His household. As such, we are to be “grieved over the ruin of Joseph.” We are to be concerned when our neighbor is suffering from insufficiency, from sickness, from sorrow. We are to care for one another, even when our brother or sister disappoints us by going contrary to God’s will concerning them. At the same time, God does call us, not to run faster than the guy who is behind us, but to run our race to win, using the promises of God to sustain us to the end:
(ESV) — 1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load. 6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.
(ESV) — 1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load.
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
What is the good life? It is the life that we live in Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the life that we live “to the praise of His glorious grace.” It is the peace of Christ that we share with one another and offer to our neighbor here, throughout this community, and around the world through the work of national and international missionaries like me with your prayers, financial contributions, and supportive acts of ministry.
So let the peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.