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September 30, 2007 (Retreat) Rev. Steve Gehlert This weekend we've focused on "Shalom." We've said it means more than just "peace." It means harmony: life in right relationship with our selves, family, neighbor, God and creation." We stressed that this means being open to the spiritual side of life, and we tried to lift up that side of life by sharing a variety of "Shalom Activities" - walking a labyrinth, doing guided imagery, yoga, walking in the woods, and so on. That talk about shalom, and that variety of activities, could make you think, "How am I ever going to be able to do those things; I don't have the time or the money to sustain that kind of activity, that kind of life." So, even if you enjoyed these things, and found a bit of "shalom" in doing them, and in sharing this time together, you may be a little discouraged about your prospects for actually living God's shalom. If so, there's good news for you, for us all in today's scripture reading. You know the story. There was a rich man, who had everything. He ate the best food, had the time and money to belong to health club, where a personal trainer guided his workouts. He got a massage and special hair and skin treatments regularly, and could relax in his own hottub and sauna whenever he wanted. He truly had the "good life." The only fly in the ointment was that though he lived in a wealthy community, far removed from the riff-raff of the city, it wasn't gated. So, every day, at the end of his driveway, there's a vagrant named Lazarus. Emaciated, dirty, skin covered in sores, smelly, he hopes that one day the rich man will have pity and share some table scraps. Why the cost of his monthly health club membership, could feed Lazarus for a year, the cost of a massage could buy plenty of medicine for his sores. At the least, he could wheel his garbage to the road a little early and let Lazarus rummage through it. But he doesn't. He refuses even to acknowledge Lazarus' presence. But though he can't keep Lazarus completely out of sight, he can't keep him out of mind. He can pretend he doesn't see him. How can you have the best life possible if every day is soiled by the sight of such a person? So, the only attention Lazarus gets comes from stray dogs. They're better than nothing, but they don't help his hunger any. So far the story's just what you'd expect: rich man enjoying his wealth; poor man tormented by his poverty. Even Lazarus' death is no surprise. We don't know if it was hunger, infection or some other ailment that finished him off, but it's no surprise. He looked like a skeleton anyway. But then the story gets more interesting. We expect Lazarus to die any time, but not the rich man. He's got great insurance, a membership at the gym, and the best medical care. Yet he dies just like Lazarus. In that they are equals. Only they don't remain equals. In a strange twist, the tables are turned. In the afterlife Lazarus get to live in comfort while the rich man is tormented in a flaming abyss. You'd think that'd be enough to reform the rich man. You'd think that agonizing flames would be enough to humble him a bit. But, with the same superiority he showed in his earthly life, he, who never lifted a finger to help Lazarus, calls out to Father Abraham, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Send little Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool my tongue. It's hot as hell down here." Only Father Abraham responded, "Sorry. Remember, you lived in luxury while Lazarus lived in misery. Now he's going to be comforted here and you're going to agonize there. There's no undoing it. A huge chasm separates us. There's no crossing it." The rich man's not used to taking "no" for an answer, but can tell there's no persuading Father Abraham. Perhaps, though, he can have Lazarus run a different kind of errand. "Then, father, I beg you. Send Lazarus back to my brothers to warn them." "They have the scriptures, Moses, & prophets," Abraham says. "Let 'em listen to them." "I know them; they won't. But if somebody comes back from the dead, they'll listen." "If they won't listen to the Scriptures, they won't pay attention if somebody's raised from the dead, either," says Father Abraham. That's it. End of story. The curtain closes and the rich man is up to his neck in flames, while Lazarus chills with Father Abraham. Finally Lazarus receives justice. When Jesus is tells the story, the ending's different, than we expect. That's a very different picture of God than our world expects. To the world's way of thinking, the rich man has everything needed for a life of shalom: resources to take care of himself, body, mind, and spirit, and the time, to do it. But this story says that shalom isn't just about taking care of yourself. It's not about being free and unburdened, never having to do what you don't want to do, but about caring for relationships. In relationship, you're not free to just take care of yourself and do what you want. You do what the relationship needs. And that means that we can't find shalom alone, but that it has to include those around us, family, friends, church. But it says something else, too. The relationships for which we're responsible, to which Shalom must extend, include those Jesus called, "the least of these," the lonely, the poor, the outcast. We can't ignore or overlook them, in order to keep our lives neat, tidy, and unstressed. Though that might seem more "shalom-like," Jesus says it's not. So, if we're looking for ourselves this parable, we might try looking to the 5 brothers. Father Abraham refused to send anybody back from the dead to warn them, but by telling the parable Jesus has warned us. We have the Scriptures. We have Jesus who came back from the dead. We also have this parable. These are our reminders of God's kingdom, of a just God whose nature is to turn the tables on injustice, who extends no mercy to those who themselves extend no mercy. Who says that peace is not about being comfortable and undisturbed. It's truly about right relationship with everything: our selves, others, creation, and God. Those relationships can't be right without justice, without everyone having what they need for life. When you think about it, how else could it be? Would you want to worship a God who would settle for a peace that allows some to indulge themselves, be comfortable, and at ease, while others struggle just to live? I wouldn't. Thank God, we're better off than the brothers. We have more information than they did. Question is: What will we do with it? Will we use it to find the way to true Shalom? Amen. |
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