Pentecost 16 (Proper 21C)

Text: “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.’ ” (Luke 16:31)

What More Did He Need?

This parable from Jesus can be summed up quite well with a single question: What more did the rich man need? His guilt is clear. He pleads for mercy in this parable, but there is no claim that there was any sort of injustice. Even his request at the end is not a complaint that he’s been judged unfairly. It’s a plea for his brothers to receive an extra warning to, hopefully, spare them his fate. There is no objection along the lines of “But I didn’t know! I had no idea!” He does not claim any unfairness.

By several measures, the rich man was guilty. He was justly punished. Both of his requests condemn him.

In life, he couldn’t be bothered to take even a crumb out to Lazarus while Lazarus lay at his gate. But now the rich man asks for Lazarus to cross from paradise to the place of judgment in order to bring him a drop of water to cool his tongue and ease his anguish. Ironically, he asks Lazarus for what he, himself, couldn’t be bothered to do.

The rich man had the poor right in front of him. Did he really not expect to be judged for leaving them sitting in misery?

Like his brothers, he had Moses and the Prophets— he had the scriptures. He had God’s Word. If that wasn’t enough, then even seeing someone rise from the dead would not have convinced him.

He had Moses and the Prophets. What more did he need to move him to repent and believe?

We sum up this parable with a simple question: What more did he need?

What More Do You Need?

The same question can be asked of you.

Do you really expect humanity to somehow avoid judgment? Do you really not expect us to be judged for leaving others sitting in misery?

The testimony of history is pretty clear when it comes to the way we treat the people who are right in front of us. After the queen’s death a couple of weeks ago, it didn’t take long for critics to use the opportunity to talk about European countries colonizing other countries. There was one tweet in particular that claimed to sum up European Colonial History in six words: “Is that yours? It’s mine now.”

And there is some truth to that, but one of the responses made a really good point: “That’s human history. The Bushmen would say the same thing about the Bantu, the Persian about the Egyptian, most of the world, from the viewpoint of Ghenghis Khan. Making all history about White Europeans is diametrically opposite of your call for truth in science.” The testimony of history is pretty clear when it comes to the way we treat those who are right in front of us.

You see the same thing in a much smaller scale, as well. You and I make a show of being compassionate toward people at a distance while ignoring those right in front of us.

Do you really expect humanity to somehow avoid judgment? Do you really not expect us to be judged for leaving others sitting in misery?

On top of that, you have the testimony of Scripture. What more do you need to move you to repent and believe?

The scriptures lay out clearly how God created us to live. It doesn’t sugar coat God’s commandments that demand love for God and love for those around you. It shows the damage that is done by substituting our own ideas of right and wrong. And it could not be more obvious that judgment is coming. On top of the needs of the people around you, you also have the testimony of scripture. What more do you need to move you to repent and believe?

More Than You Need

You have all that you need and more. Not only do you have the clear reality of your life, not only do you have the testimony of Moses and the prophets, you also have the sign of the One who rose from the dead.

Before you knew to cry out for mercy, He crossed the chasm that separated you from heaven and came to comfort you.

Jesus is the fulfillment of what was promised through Isaiah, “13 As a mother comforts her children, so I will comfort you...” (Isaiah 66:13). He comforts you with the love by which He adopted you as His child, with the truth of His promise to you; and with His power to deliver what He has promised (Gerhard, Johann. “Prayer for the Preservation and Increase of Hope,” Meditations on Divine Mercy. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis.)

“[As t]he heat of various afflictions harasses you, ...the taste of His sweetness brings [you] cool consolation. The tears stream from [your] eyes, but [His] gracious hand wipes them away (Revelation 7:17). Just as [He] allowed Stephen, the first martyr, to see [His] gracious face even as he was being stoned (Acts 7:56), so also [He] allow[s you]… the full enjoyment of [His] comfort though [you are] surrounded by misfortune. Just as He sent a consoling angel to [His] Son in the most bitter agony of death (Luke 22:43), so also [He sends you His] sustaining Spirit in [your struggles].” (Gerhard, Johann. “Prayer for Comfort in Adversity and True Peace of Conscience,” Meditations on Divine Mercy. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis.)

You lay, as good as dead, outside the gates of heaven, so He came and gathered you into His house .

As it is written, “12 having been buried with him in baptism, ...you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:12)

And elsewhere, “4 [W]hen the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:4-7).

You yearned for even a crumb from God’s table, so He prepared for you the place of honor at His wedding feast.

Here, in the very presence of your enemies, He prepares a table before you (Ps. 23:6) with a feast of rich food and well-aged wine (Isaiah 25:6; Matthew 22:1-8), giving you a place of honor. As the psalmist wrote: “4 [W]hat is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” the psalmist writes. “5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:4-6).

He did not ignore or neglect you for even a moment. He, Himself, was wounded to save you from the flames of hell.

As it is written, He chose you “before the foundation of the world… He predestined you for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ,” (Eph. 1:4-5), by taking the full force of God’s wrath over your sin was poured out upon Him. Not even a drop of that fire was spared Him. He suffered it all in your place. When He descended into hell it was to proclaim His victory.

The promise is for you and for your brothers, sisters, parents, children....

All You Need

You have all you need and more. And it is not given to you just once. He comes to you again and again and again with the healing balm of His grace. He feeds you, Sunday after Sunday— and even more often, if you need it!— with His very body and blood. And, because He lives, you will live also.

In the meantime,

The poor, the hurting, those dying in their sins, are laid right in front of you every day.

And even a crumb of compassion that you show to them, He will praise you for on the last day. “I was hungry and you gave me food,” He will say, “I was thirsty and you gave me drink, …I was sick and you visited me” (Matthew 25:35-36) as He gathers you into the kingdom prepared for you from before the foundation of the world (Matthew 24:34).

He has delivered you from the uncertainty of riches and richly provides you with everything to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17).

As I’ve mentioned several times recently, the wealth He blesses you with is no longer about luxury and self-indulgence. It is now a seed that He plants within you which grows to bear the fruit of kindness toward others.

In short,

He invites you to take hold of what is truly life, rich in generosity and good works, thus storing up treasure for yourselves as a good foundation for the future (1 Timothy 6:18-19).

What more did the rich man need? Nothing. He had the scriptures; he had people in need right there at his door to care for; he had everything he needed to know that he had earned eternal torment. You have all that, as well. But you have even more. You have the sign of the One who rose from the dead. That sign proves that His death delivers you from judgment so that you will be carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. Until that day, your neighbor is set before you for you to comfort with the same comfort that you, yourself have received.