Checking the Blind Spots

Context

Jesus’ Parables are all meant to reveal a spiritual truth which had been neglected or missed among the religious leaders. The Pharisees, for all of their reading, praying, religious activity…were spiritually blind. And this blindness was reflected in the way they lived. It was a heart issue.

They were lovers of money, and the early part of this chapter deals with stewardship, and that they can not serve God and money. There was an enormous blind spot they were missing

Luke 16:14–15 ESV

14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

Understand that Jesus’ words are intentional and every parable purposeful. This parable doesn’t end with Jesus explaining the meaning as in others, but the context, instead tells us Jesus’ point. He is dealing the issue of the heart of the Pharisees, their love of money…and challenging them to see the poor around them. They had an enormous blind spot for the hurting..but that wasn’t thier only blind spot. There was another even more costly.

Check Your Blind Spots

Luke 16:19–21 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.

The parable has two main characters: the Rich Man and Lazaras.

The Rich Man

Luke: An Introduction and Commentary 6. The Rich Man and Lazarus (16:19–31)

Jesus pictures a rich man. Purple was cloth dyed with a very costly dye (obtainable from the shellfish murex). It would be used for the outer garment and the fine linen for the undergarment. The combination stands for the ultimate in luxury. Feasted (euphrainomenos) sounds the note of happiness, for the same verb is used of merriment in 12:19; 15:23, 32. This man had all he asked in life and lived a life of enjoyable ease. He is not said to have committed any grave sin, but he lived only for himself. That was his condemnation.

The Poor Man (Lazaras)

Luke: An Introduction and Commentary 6. The Rich Man and Lazarus (16:19–31)

20–21. In contrast is the poor man, called Lazarus (i.e. Eleazar; the name means ‘God has helped’ and may be significant; certainly man did not help this unfortunate). He is the only character given a name in Jesus’ parables. Sometimes the rich man is called ‘Dives’, but this is simply the Latin for ‘rich man’. Lazarus lay at the gate of the other, the word denoting a large gate or portico like that of a city or a palace. The house was a grand one. Full of sores points to physical misery and this is emphasized with the detail that the pariah dogs licked his sores. His destitution comes out in the information that he desired to be fed (not necessarily was fed) with what fell from the rich man’s table. The one man had all he wanted; the other had nothing.

The location of the parable changes, but it opens at the gate of the rich man. While the bible talks about the gates of cities often, this speaks of the Rich Man’s gate..denoting his house would have been grand..a large one. And it would’ve been a place he walked by, in and out of frequently.

The text is not saying that having wealth is a sin, no more than being poor makes your righteous. But the rich man was condemned. He was able to walk past Lazaras every day, at the door of his house, in need of food, medicine, water…and leave him there. The dogs offered him more comfort than the rich man did, because at least they would lick his wounds. And so he was condemned..and he see his condemnation because in the next verses he is in hell. Now I want to get to the root of the rich man’s problem here in a second..but it is clear that whatever was wrong with the rich man, it could be seen by the fact he neglected the man at the gate.

Jesus opens up by calling the Pharisees, and all who would listen then and now..to seek out the poor!

Jesus Calls Us to Seek Out the Poor

Why is this important?

God Helps the Poor. Lazaras (named “God Helps”) is significant. Some will argue it is because this isn’t a parable but an actual person. This seems unlikely because of the similar language in this story, and that Jesus opens it just like he has other parables. The name is not a real person..but its significant. Lazaras means “God Helps”..so by God naming the poor man “Lazaras”..Jesus is saying God Helps the poor…God knows the name of the poor. The rich man remains nameless but God sees and knows the name of the poor! Do you?

So the text reads, The Rich Man, and the Poor “whom God helps”. So If Jesus has gone as far as to name this poor man in the parable and reveal that God’s heart and help is for the poor…It is Jesus’ challenge to the Pharisees and us today, that any one for God is for the poor. Could a man truly be blesssed, even if he is rich, who would not bless the poor. Could a man truly have the help of God without helping whom God helps.

Jesus demonstrates the responsibility we have have to the poor because God himself has identified himself as a helper of the poor.

1Samuel 2:8

1 Samuel 2:8 ESV

8 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world.

Psalm 140:12

Psalm 140:12 ESV

12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy.

Luke 7:20-22

Luke 7:20–22 ESV

20 And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’ ” 21 In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. 22 And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.

God Helps the Poor in the OT! Jesus (God the Son) Helps the Poor in the New Testament! And so the question is…do we?

Deuteronomy 15:7-11

Deuteronomy 15:7–11 ESV

7 “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. 9 Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin. 10 You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. 11 For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’

2. Our Heart Towards The Poor ALWAYS Reveals Our Heart Towards God

A Closed Hand Reflects a Hard Heart

A lot can be learned about yourself and about…through serving the poor

Wealth has a profound ability to harden our hearts to the needs of the poor. And this happens because wealth has the same profound ability to harden our hearts towards God.

Your wealth can cost you!

Spurgeon says it like this : “The hasty desire to rise is the cause of many a fall. . . . It is hard to keep great riches without sin, and we have heard that it is harder still to get them. Walk warily, successful friend! Growing wealth will prove no blessing to thee unless thou gettest growing grace”

Radical:

I can think of at least one glaring blind spot in American Christian history. Slavery. How could Christians who supposedly believed the gospel so easily rationalize the enslavement of other human beings? Churchgoers with good intentions worshiping God together every Sunday and reading the Bible religiously all week long, all the while using God’s Word to justify treating men, women, and children as property to be used or abused. They actually thought they were generous when they gave their slaves an extra chicken at Christmas. This frightens me. Good intentions, regular worship, and even study of the Bible do not prevent blindness in us. Part of our sinful nature instinctively chooses to see what we want to see and to ignore what we want to ignore. I can live my Christian life and even lead the church while unknowingly overlooking evil. Not long ago God began uncovering a blind spot in my life. An area of disobedience. A reality in God’s Word that I had pretended did not exist. More aptly put, I had lived as if it did not exist. But God brought me to a place of confession before him, before my family, and before the faith family I lead. Today more than a billion people in the world live and die in desperate poverty. They attempt to survive on less than a dollar per day. Close to two billion others live on less than two dollars per day. That’s nearly half the world struggling today to find food, water, and shelter with the same amount of money I spend on french fries for lunch.

We look back on slave-owning churchgoers of 150 years ago and ask, “How could they have treated their fellow human beings that way?” I wonder if followers of Christ 150 years from now will look back at Christians in America today and ask, “How could they live in such big houses? How could they drive such nice cars and wear such nice clothes? How could they live in such affluence while thousands of children were dying because they didn’t have food and water? How could they go on with their lives as though the billions of poor didn’t even exist?” Is materialism a blind spot in American Christianity today? More specifically, is materialism a blind spot in your Christianity today?

The way we use our money is a barometer of our present spiritual condition. Our neglect of the poor illustrates much about where our hearts lie. But even more than that, the way we use our money is an indicator of our eternal destination. The mark of Christ followers is that their hearts are in heaven and their treasures are spent there.- Radical by David Platt

Blind Spot 1: “Christian” Materialism

We are too disconnected, disengaged, and blind to the poor around us! We are blind to the damage that our obsession with wealth is doing to our souls.

So notice:Lazaras Being at Rich Man’s own gate is significant. Because it symbolizes that God placed Lazaras within his reach and power to help. God had placed Lazaras at the rich man’s gate…and his heart was revealed by his neglect and callous to Lazaras.

Now Lazaras is within the rich man’s reach and power to help. The rich man had the resources to help, and he could physically get to him. There was no excuse.’

The problem wasn’t simply that the rich man didn’t give…giving to the poor would not have saved the Rich. He wasn’t condemned because of his lack of mercy…that was the symptom. His problem was his heart...he had a heart that could walk past a man hurting and in need every day and it not faze him.

Our problem isn’t that we don’t give to the poor, church..thats a problem, but thats not ultimately what condemns us. Our problem is deeper. Its that we don’t feel the need or compassion to. Its that we, for all of the suffering in Robeson County, are ok with it as long as we don’t suffer.

You see if we think our problem is we don’t give, or we can read and think that the problem was the rich man didn’t give. That was a problem..but that wasn’t what condemend him. we will think we can fix it..by just giving more money or whatever it is. But when your problem is your heart, you can’t fix it..God has to change that.

Its a heart issue.

God calls us to reach out the poor! We have to open our eyes to the blind spot we have to those at the gate. Those within our reach and power to serve.

You know who’s at the gate because it is those that God has placed within your reach and your power to serve. You can’t serve everybody..but theres somebody!

Who/What is Within Your Reach and Your Power?

Why is it easier to spend on my luxuries than other’s needs?

Why is it easier to invite people to join us on Sunday morning than to go to them Monday for lunch?

Why does the idea of “giving more” make me mad or upset?

Why is it so easy to go through my life day by day..without seeking out people who are in need physically and spiritually?

Why is it easier to go out of our way to avoid hurting people, than to go out of our way to serve them.

If God seeks and knows the name of the poor..why don’t I?

Who’s at my gate?

Ignoring or avoiding the poor doesn’t get us off the hook.

Doing other good things doesn’t get us off the hook.

Being too busy doesn’t get us off the hook.

Why is it easier to say, “I’m doing enough.”..than “I could give more”.

Is Materialism a blind spot in my life?

So we understand that God has called us to the poor…but dealing with poverty is a lot more complex than we realize. And we can not truly help the poor until we understand poverty.

Jesus Changes Our Understanding Of Poverty

Luke 16:22–26 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. 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.’

Poverty Is Deeper than We Think

We get to this next section and are faced with a startling realization. The Rich Man finds himself in hell..and the poor man in Heaven. The Rich Man is now the beggar…and for all of his luxurious living..and for all of his comforts and excess…we now see that he was spiritually bankrupt. There was a much deeper since of poverty in his soul that could not be solved materialistically. Now He is the beggar…on the outside looking in. He was the one in need..but at a much deeper level. He couldn’t see it!

Living in Robeson county I am sure you have experienced someone coming up to you to at the gas station or restaurant to ask you for money. I have experienced it many times in many places, Knoxville, Greeneville, Pembroke..you name it. And on the surface what we see are people without adequate clothing or food..and as people in the West, American People specifically we tend to view poverty through materialistic terms becasue we are materialistic people. We often think that poverty is simply a matter of these basic physical needs. But interestingly enough..when you ask people in poverty what poverty means to them they use different language. They will say to be poor is to be “full of shame”, “embarrassed”, “ignored”, “forgotten”, “not part of society”...and so while poverty is certainly materialistic…the poor seem to speak to more phycological and social dimensions. And this all stems from something spiritual. And so the solution is not simply financial or materialistic. When we think about poverty the wrong way, we can actuallty try and help the poor in a way that is destructive. Poverty is complex! Jesus’ life, death and resurrection deals with these complexities.

Giving money is good, but the problem is deeper than that.

God is fundamentally a relational being (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) and has wired us for relationship.

Poverty involves 4 Different Relationships

(Look at the slide)

Our Relationship With God

Ourself

Others

Creation

These four relationships sum are all part of what it means to be human!

Being in Right relationship with God affects and overflows to our relationships with ourself (how we see ourself), others (how we love and care for others), and creation (how we steward creation).

But once the fall came..these relationships were destroyed. Our relationship with God was broken..and so every other relationship was also broken. Our relationship with ourself changed…(shame, guilt). Our relationship with creation ( it will come by the sweat of your brow, thorns and thistles), and eachother (blame, Cain and Able..violence and murder) And it is this broken relationship with God…which has resulted in the depth of poverty we see.

Look at slide 2

So the rich man’s problem wasn’t that he didn’t help Lazaras..that was the symptom. His problem was that his relationship with God was broken, he didn’t trust in God…and needed to be restored. And that affected the way he viewed himself, the wealth he had, and others.

2. Poverty is primarily an issue of broken relationships (God, Ourself, Others, and Creation)

So when we look at the man or woman begging that doesn’t have adequate clothing or food…that is rooted in something deeper…namely the brokenness she is experiencing in their relationships with God, herself, others, and creation…and so to help the poor we have to come out of this strictly materialistic approach..but see poverty as primarily as relational issue! That it is broken relationships, caused by sin which is the root.

“Every human being, regardless of income level, is made in the image of God, meaning that we are wired for relationship: with God, with ourselves, with others, and with the rest of creation. When we experience these four relationships in the way that God designed them, we experience humanness the way that He intended. This is the ‘good life’ that we are all seeking. Unfortunately, the fall has broken these four relationships for all people. For some, this brokenness manifests itself in material poverty.”- Helping Without Hurting

So hear me..its not just the beggar at the gas station thats poor, but me with my comforts and house and full stomach, that is poor. Why, because I also am also not experiencing the fulness of these relatioships that God has intended. I also need my relationship with God continually renewed and strengthened, myself (my self image and identity), relationship with others (how I love and serve), and creation (how i steward what God has given me restored).

This comes from Jesus. Jesus deals with poverty at its root..by restoring these relationships so that we can be fully human!

So..what was the rich man’s problem? Not that he was selfish..that was the symptom. It was broken relationships..namely his broken relationship with God!

He couldn’t see the poverty at his gate because he couldn’t see the poverty in his heart. He ignored the beggar at his gate because he couldn’t see that he himself was a beggar.

We are the poor! I am the beggar too!

Blind Spot Two: The Poverty Within Our Own Hearts

“Who are the poor? We are the poor. When we truly believe this, when it shapes everything we say, think, and do, we can enter a materially poor community in humility. We can lay aside our drive to ‘fix’ the poor, we can put away our need to ‘do’ something, and instead we can open our hearts to learn from people who are poor, letting Christ restore both of us in our areas of brokenness.” -Helping Without Hurting

The fact that we ignore the poor is in itself evidence that our relationship with others and creation needs to be restored. Our poverty may not be materialistically, your relationship with God may be right…but our relationships with others and creation still needs restoring.

We don’t go to the poor trying to fix them…as if we don’t need help too..we go telling them…hey I’m a beggar too…but let me tell you about the bread of life which restores me and can restore you.

Its easy to ignore the beggar at the gate because its easy to ignore beggar in our hearts.

We ignore the poor around us, because we have ignored the poverty within us

And because poverty is deeper…and firstly a relationship issue…it changes the urgency of those who know the riches of Jesus. If we are to serve and reach the poor, and truly deal with poverty to the depth of our being…we HAVE to come to Jesus. Jesus is the relationship that first needs restoring..that restores every other relationship. And knowing this leads us to this eye opening challenge.

Jesus Challenges Us to a Profound Sense of Urgency

Luke 16:27–31 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.’ ”

· The rich man pleads for his personal relief, then pleads for his family’s salvation. He pleads for Lazarus to go speak to them, so they don’t come where he is. The rich man, though selfish, still asks for someone to be sent to save His family.

You see the rich man now sees his problem! But by asking for Lazaras to go to his family, doesn’t yet see the solution or hope for them. Lazaras couldn’t go..and Lazaras couldn’t save them.

Abraham says, even if someone came back from the dead…they still wouldn’t believe.

Urgency to Recognize Jesus

Lazaras now seeing the agony and pain in hell…pleads send somebody to my family! Send Lazaras!

Jesus is the one who would come back from the dead! The Rich Man was never meant to be the hero…he could give money but he couldn’t save Lazaras. Lazaras was not meant to be the hero to save the Rich Man’s family, he couldn’t leave heaven…Jesus is the hero. Jesus is the one that would leave heaven...come back from the dead. Jesus is the one standing before the Pharisees now. Jesus…thats the hope! Thats the message! That was the blind spot.

The biggest spot in the world today…is the worlds inability to see Jesus.

Blind Spot 3: Jesus is the One Who Was Sent, and Came Back From the Dead

Do you now see the urgency church? The Pharisees were standing before the messiah…and couldn’t see Him!

We have to see Jesus, because hell is real! And no amount of money, social outreach, status, acclaim can save you from the depth of poverty in your soul! Only Jesus can! And for those who know Him…we now have another urgency…to go and tell!

The Rich Man was praying for someone to tell his family…but he didn’t know who was coming..or the one who would save! We have the message! We know the hope! We know that if they do not believe in Jesus they will die? Are we telling them? Even a selfish man experiencing the agony of hell wants somebody to tell his family so they don’t end up there! We know the message! We know the answer! We know who this savior is! Will we go? Will we tell them? Will we tell our family? Our friends?

So, if it is cruelty to walk past the poor man at the gate and deny him physical bread…how much more cruel is it to walk past those spiritually broken and hungry..without telling them of the one who came back from the dead!

If we are accountable for stewarding our wealth to help the physically poor..how much more will we be held acccountable for how we share Jesus with those who are spiritually poor!

· Acts 3:1-6: “Such as I have, I give to you”

Acts 3:1–6 ESV

1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

What do we have? Why don’t we share?

The world's proverb is, "God help the poor, for the rich can help themselves;" but to our mind, it is just the rich who have most need of Heaven's help. Dives in scarlet is worse off than Lazarus in rags, unless Divine love shall uphold him. -Spurgeon

Lazarus sat at the “gate”- It was the responsibility of the rich man to help the poor man and show mercy. Invite him into his home. Have him eat at the family table. If walking past a hungry man when we have it in our power to feed them or show mercy is cruelty, what is it to walk past those who are spiritually hungry and in our riches in Christ, fail to help them know Christ, and eat at the family table?

The Rich Man couldn’t save Lazaras…only God could do that. Lazaras couldn’t leave heaven and save the rich man’s brothers…only Jesus could do that.

And Jesus has said this: John 20:21

John 20:21 ESV

21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

Do you see the urgency?

We are blind to the poor because we are are blind to our own poverty. And we are blind to our own poverty because we are blind to the fulness of Jesus.

The story begins and ends at the gate. Lazaras wanted to be let into the Rich Man’s house to eat..but couldn’t be let in because of his selfishness. The Rich Man wanted reflief from Hell, looking into heaven..but couldn’t leave because His decision was made. But now..Jesus invites us into his family and his house as we sit on the outside looking in…Jesus leaves heaven and does speak to us and offer us a way into heaven. Jesus says I am the gate!

John 10:9 ESV

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

The poor man and the rich man..come in by this gate..by Him.

Jesus is the blind spot! And untill we see Jesus we will never understand the depth of poverty..and we will never see the poor around us.

Repent!

Pray that God would break your heart that it doesn’t break your heart to see all the hurt around us!

Pray that God would show your own poverty and need for Jesus! That we are the beggar!

Pray that God would help us to see the dangers of materialism!

Pray that Jesus would help us to stop walking by those at the gate!