"The Word is Enough" Sermon: Luke 16:19-31 (manuscript)

 

“The Word is Enough”

[Luke 16:19-31]

December 6, 2020 YouTube

            This is the second Sunday of Advent and we are looking at the story of Lazarus and the rich man.  We are looking at this story with the Incarnation of God in mind asking how do we get people to believe the Christmas history?  What do we need to do to get people to believe?

            The answers that have been proposed in my lifetime have focused on the idea of looking to see what draws people in at non-religious venues and then imitating that in a “Christian” way.  Christian sports teams, toys, bands, plays, dancers, the promise of miraculous healing and new revelations from God through your deceased relatives and pets.

            Has God ever said how to present the Gospel so people will believe it?

            This morning’s text comes after a series of parables about the wrong use of wealth and the dangers of being wealthy.  (Keep in mind it is not wrong to be wealthy or to enjoy what wealth can do for you.  Wealth is a gift from God.  But, just as there are right ways to enjoy wealth, there are wrong ways to use wealth.)

            We see that the rich man had been gifted with extreme wealth.

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.’

Purple dye and fine linen were rare and extremely costly in the world of the first century.  For him to have these clothes – and to wear them every day – means that he is extremely wealthy.

He also feasted sumptuously every day.  He did not merely have a feast one or twice a year.  He did not just the best food one or twice a year.  Every day, he had a feast of the best most expensive foods that could be found.  Again, this shows that he is extremely wealthy.

Again, there is nothing wrong with being extremely wealthy.  There is nothing wrong with having the best clothes and the best food and enjoying them.

But something is missing in the description of him and his life, isn’t there?  Where is his love of neighbor?  Where is his loving his neighbor as much as he loves himself?  When he had a poor man at death’s door at his gate begging for alms, was there nothing he could do to show his love for another human – a person who bore the Image of God?  Did he have no old clothes he could give?  Or leftover food to share?

Some will object and say, “Well how do you know he isn’t a con man?  How do you know he won’t use the money for drugs?”

There isn’t an easy answer – we must pray for wisdom and know the best ways to show love to those who need physical and mental health.

In this case, Jesus presents a man who could have shown love by helping and a man who was in true need.

This man is Lazarus.

“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.”

It was common for poor people to sit at the gates and in public places to seek alms.

There is debate over whether this story is history or a parable, but, in any case, the name Lazarus means, “destitute, in need, poor.”

            Jesus doesn’t say how this man came to be poor, but he had been reduced to seeking alms on the street.  And he is in front of the gate of the rich man where he, apparently, received alms from the passersby, but not the rich man.

 Lazarus is also sick – he is covered with sores – and he knows who lives in the house where he begs, and he wishes he could even have the crumbs that fall to the rich man’s floor – the food a dog would lap up.

Unlike the rich man, the local dogs know that Lazarus is ill, and the lick his sores in the hopes of relieving some of his pain.  They better show love of neighbor to Lazarus than the rich man.

And the two men die.

“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.”

Notice two differences – both men die. 

Nothing more is said about Lazarus’ death. He is probably laid in a pauper’s field.  But he goes to Paradise – at Abraham’s side.  He is at peace and in joy. 

The rich man also dies, and we are told that he is buried.  He has a proper funeral and is buried with the best pomp and circumstance of the day.  But he dies and goes to Hades, where he suffers great torment in flames of fire.  And he can see Lazarus with Abraham in the distance.

The rich man understands he deserves his suffering and doesn’t ask to be set free.

“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.’”

Ironically, what the rich man asks for is a little mercy.  He asks that he be shown a little love of neighbor – just a drop of water to ease his suffering for a moment – that’s all.  Not all his riches and power and luxury – no excuses for the life he lived.  He just wants a little mercy.

Abraham explains that is not possible.

“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 reminds the rich man that his life was full of blessings, whereas Lazarus’ life was filled with suffering.  For reasons that are not stated here, the rich man is suffering in Hades and Lazarus is with Abraham in Paradise.  And the distance between Hades and Paradise is so great that no one can pass from one to the other – even to show a little mercy.

And then the rich man shows a little mercy of his own.

“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.’”

The rich man has five brothers, and he doesn’t want them to go to Hades and receive the torment he is receiving – notice the rich man never says that he doesn’t deserve to be in Hades – he understands that he does deserve to be in Hades.  But he wants his brothers warned so they can change their lives and not end up there with him.

The rich man asks Abraham to raise Lazarus from the dead so he can warn his brothers of the fate currently awaiting them.  If nothing else, he shows some mercy for his brothers.

But Abraham says, “no.”

“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.’”

Abraham tells the rich man that the Word of God is enough to convince someone that they need to believe in the Savior for salvation – nothing more is needed – nothing more will be effective.  The Word of God is enough – and they have the Word of God – they should listen to that and believe.

But the rich man says that they will not believe the Word of God on its own.  But if someone was to raise from the dead, then they would believe and repent and be saved from this end – from Hades.

And Abraham explains that all the other things someone might employ to get someone to believe savingly in Jesus will not work.  It is the Word of God that causes people to believe – and if they will not hear the Word of God – if they will not believe the Word of God – then nothing else will convince them.  If it would, then everyone in Israel would have believed when Jesus rose from the dead.

That means that the church must center on the Word of God read and preached.  If the Word of God is not center, people will not believe it is important – even believable.  If testimonies and miracles, and bands and so forth take priority – if the sermon is being shorted or even dropped from the worship service to make room for something else – the youth leading worship – whatever – worship is being done wrong, and people won’t believe in Jesus for their salvation and they won’t believe that you believe the Word of God.

Paul writes, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:16-17, ESV).

And:

“For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” (Romans 10:10-15, ESV).

What do we have to do to get people to believe that Jesus is God Incarnate, born of the Virgin Mary on the first Christmas?  What do we have to do to get them to believe that He grew up, lived a perfect life, died for the sins of all those who will ever believe, rose from the dead, and ascended back to the Father, and will return again?

Read the Word.  Talk about the Word.  Preach the Word.  Teach the Word.  Proclaim the Word.

Nothing else will cause a person to believe.  The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to convict a person, to have faith, and repent.

This Christmas, as we gather with friends and family who do not believe, don’t tell them that Jesus healed you of your ingrown toenails, or that your church has a rock band that sounds like Genesis, or that your youth group has the best sports team in the community.  Rather, point them to the Scripture.  Tell them and show them what the Bible says, having prayed that God will use it to cause them to believe.

Let us pray:

Almighty God, we thank You for the gift of Your Son.  We thank You that we can celebrate and remember His coming to earth in the person of Jesus for us and for Your Glory.  Help us not to be shy or embarrassed, but to have confidence in Your Word.  Help us to tell others that this is what Christmas is about – what God says in His Word.  And may our sharing of Your Word draw many to You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.