If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead

 

 "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.  Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.  

 

"The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'  But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'  

 

"Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"

 

- Luke 16:19–31 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus taught, "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?  No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.  And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.  For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.  The law and the prophets were until John.  Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.  Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery." 

 "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.  Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom."  Abraham's bosom means heaven, my study Bible tells us.  It notes that Abraham is mentioned among all the righteous because, in stark contrast to the rich man, Abraham showed hospitality to strangers (Genesis 18:1-8).   Jesus tells us that the rich man . . . was buried.  In patristic literature this image is seen as illustrating the state of his merciless soul, buried by the pleasures of the flesh.  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom as teaching that this man was already buried in life by "couches, rugs, furnishings, sweet oils, perfumes, large quantities of wine, varieties of food, and flatterers."  That the rich man remains unnamed indicates that he is ultimately forgotten, my study Bible says (see Psalm 9:6).  

"The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'  But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.' "  This rich man's appeal to Abraham as a spiritual father is not rejected, my study Bible notes, Rather, it says, Abraham accepts this role.  He calls the rich man son and shows himself to be compassionate even towards the most wretched of people.  The great gulf isn't a geographical divide, but rather it's the complete separation between virtue and wickedness, a separation that cannot be overcome after death.  Also, my study Bible asks us to note that torments have not changed the rich man's heart, as he still sees Lazarus as a servant who exists for the sake of his own comfort.  Moreover, Christ's account in this story is a revelation of the communion of the saints, for here a man who is not even a believer calls out from Hades and speaks with Saint Abraham.

 

 "Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"   My study Bible comments that some patristic sources see this parable being set after the final judgment, citing the punishment and reward received by the two men respectively.  But others see the parable as being set at a time after death, but before the second coming of Christ.  This is evidenced by the man interceding on behalf of his brothers who are still living.  The torment the rich man experiences would be then only a foretaste of his final state.  From that perspective, we learn that the souls of the departed have awareness of and concern for the state of those still alive on earth (see Luke 9:30-31; Matthew 2:18; 2 Maccabees 15:12-16).  However, my study Bible notes also that the intercessions of a wicked man are heard, but avail nothing (contrast James 5:16).  

Clearly, in the context of all of our recent readings, Jesus is telling this parable -- particularly to the Pharisees, whom we were told in Saturday's reading were "lovers of money" -- to illustrate that what we share of our worldly goods with the poor becomes treasure in the heavens (Luke 12:33), or more particularly it allows us to "make friends" for ourselves who "may receive us into an everlasting home" (see Friday's reading).  But the communication between the parties involved, especially after they have passed from life in our world, is really what is intriguing me today.  Christ illustrates His point about the importance of life beyond this world -- and how much we take it into consideration -- by making it clear that life doesn't end when we think it does, but we go on in another state, and what we do or do not do in this world has something to do with where we wind up, and what that life will be like for us.  In a very secular-oriented world, we're not conditioned to think about that very much.  Once upon a time, it was common practice to consider the end of our lives, that we will all pass from this world.  But a modern mindset does not want to admit of disability, deterioration, infirmity, or death, as if we can find ways to avert these things.   But Jesus' repeated emphasis on charity emphasizes the importance of what our lives will be after we pass from our worldly lives.  Perhaps all of us would be better off if this were the message we take to heart, and begin to consider that life isn't simply over when we pass from this world, but rather continues with new circumstances and under new conditions, which depend upon how we've lived our lives as well.   Christ's emphasis on compassion here stresses that those of us who fail to practice compassion will not be able to realize or receive God's compassion extended to us -- another way to understand the practice of mercy.  "For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13).  Perhaps Christ's repeated stress on charity can also be understood in terms of the practice of forgiveness.  As we've discussed in the past couple of readings and commentary, Jesus' teachings on forgiveness are linked to debt, as in the Lord's Prayer, in which we consider forgiveness as a kind of wiping away a debt, considering it paid.  He teaches us to pray, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" and after giving the prayer, adds, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (see Matthew 6:12-15).  The communion of saints shown in the communication after the rich man's death gives us a sense also of that life that continues under new conditions and circumstances, a sense in which the rich man's place is diminished so that he is now one of less importance and very limited agency, and in which Lazarus has become of higher stature.  This is a picture of the weight or substance that Christ has pronounced on both of them, how God sees these two people, also a consequence of their lives.  The final pronouncement of Abraham is very important, because what that does is give us a type of end to mercy, an understanding that it is, in some sense, limited, for God has exhausted the efforts possible to reach the unrepentant:  "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead."  At some point, a closed mind creates that limit, in which one is no longer reachable, and this we must also take to heart.  It's interesting that the rich man at least pleads for his brothers, teaching us that he does care for someone.  But it emphasizes Christ's point about the practice of mercy:  "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?" (Matthew 5:46).  Even the rich man's concern for the brothers of his earthly father's house doesn't weigh much in the outcome of his life in this place of his torment.   Let us weigh these matters carefully, and consider how our orientation to our own lives and what we count as important play out according to these teachings.  

 

 

Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented

 

 "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.  Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.  The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  

"Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'  But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.' 

"Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"

 

- Luke 16:19–31 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus taught to the Pharisees with whom He sat at table:  "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?  No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they derided Him.  And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.  For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.  The law and the prophets were until John.  Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.  Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery." 

 

  "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.  Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.  The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."   Abraham's bosom, my study bible explains, means heaven.  Abraham is mentioned among all the righteous as, by stark contrast to the rich man, Abraham is the one who showed hospitality to strangers (Genesis 18:1-8).  That the rich man . . . was buried is seen in patristic tradition as illustrating the state of his merciless soul, as he was buried by the pleasures of the flesh, as my study bible puts it.  St. John Chrysostom comments that this rich man was already buried in life by "couches, rugs, furnishings, sweet oils, perfumes, large quantities of wine, varieties of food, and flatterers."  That he remains unnamed indicates that he is ultimately forgotten (see Psalm 9:6).  

"Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'  But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'"  My study bible points out that the rich man's appeal to Abraham as a spiritual father is not rejected.  Rather, Abraham accepts this role, and calls the rich man son -- showing himself to be compassionate towards this most wretched of human beings.   Moreover, the great gulf, we are to understand, is not a geographical divide, but rather it is the complete separation between virtue and wickedness.  This is a separation that is not overcome after death.  We must also note that torments haven't changed this rich man's heart.  He still sees Lazarus as a servant who exists for the sake of his personal comfort.  Additionally, my study bible asks us to note that Christ's story reveals the communion of the saints.  A man, who is not even a believer, calls out from Hades and converses with St. Abraham!

"Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"  My study bible teaches that some Fathers see this parable being set after the final judgment, citing for reference the punishment and reward being received by the two men respectively.  But others see this parable set at a time after death, but before the second coming of Christ -- evidenced by this rich man interceding on behalf of his brothers who are still living.  The torment that he is experiencing here is therefore a foretaste of his final state.  In this perspective, we're taught by Jesus that the souls of the departed are aware and concerned for the state of those who are still alive on earth (see 9:30-31; Matthew 2:18; 2 Maccabees 15:12-16).  Also let us note that the parable teaches that the intercession of a wicked person are heard, although they do not avail anything, especially in light of a contradictory truth (contrast to the prayers of the righteous in James 5:16).  

Let us consider the topsy-turvy nature of the outcome in life, and in "afterlife," for this rich man and for Lazarus.  Interestingly, the story is not told from the perspective of Lazarus but rather from the rich man's perspective, so that we might more clearly understand his suffering and the surprise nature of his "upending" through the justice that prevails in the afterlife.  Clearly, it is addressed to the Pharisees, and we have already been told by way of introduction (in yesterday's reading) that the Pharisees were lovers of money.  One thing Jesus is obviously trying to do is to contrast their love of material goods with something a little less tangible; that is, with the goods of the kingdom, which is righteousness.  Righteousness would particularly include behavior that stems from mercy, acts of compassion, a right-relatedness that begins with the consideration of the two great commandments (Matthew 22:36-40), which first teach love of God, and link this to love of neighbor.  Today's parable is rare, in that it gives us a glimpse into life after life in this world, and also the perspective of the rich man.  One thing we can read into this story is the sure warning regarding just how many "chances" we have to grasp at the spiritual truth of Christ's teachings.   Abraham starkly tells the rich man, "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead."  And we the present readers of the Gospel, and those who first heard the Gospel, know the name of Lazarus as one who did rise from the dead -- as well as Christ Himself.  This is, after all, a story about the power of testimony, but also about our response to testimony and witnessing.  Lazarus himself, the friend of Jesus (John 11), served as a testimony to all in Jerusalem regarding the kingdom of God and the Person of Jesus Christ.  Additionally, this topsy-turvy circumstance, in which the tables are turned against the rich man, is not something new at all to the context of the Scriptures.  In the song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10), she declares that she smiles at her enemies.  The proud and the arrogant will be judged by God, the barren will bear seven, the hungry will cease to hunger.  In words that could be written purely for this story of the rich man and Lazarus, Hannah declares, "The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up.  The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory" (1 Samuel 2:6-8).  Importantly, we can see reflections of Hannah's song in the song of Mary, the Mother of God.  This song is popularly known by the first word of the Latin version, Magnificat, found here in Luke's Gospel at 1:46-55.  It is Mary's song of praise to the Lord.  In Mary's song, the Lord has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts; He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree.  Moreover, the Lord has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich have been sent away empty.  The songs of both Hannah and Mary reflect an understanding of the work of the Lord, and the power of the Lord.  In the story of the rich man, we are given the perspective of one of the mighty who have been cast down, so to speak.  It is a prophetic warning by Christ to the Pharisees.  What is possibly the most distinguishing feature in terms of its impact on a listening audience is that there is a limit to warnings, and possibly even to grace, if you will, in the sense that rejection counts for something.  A rejection of God's word is a turning away from a gift, the spurning of truth.  This prophetic truth is not an endless supply of time and again chances like buying a ticket in a lottery.  Rather, prophecy and the word of God counts for something, because they are given in what God considers to be the appropriate time -- and so, our rejection also counts for something.  It is a question of how seriously we take our spiritual state, and how seriously we take God.  As faithful Christians, we are used to hearing about the infinite and inestimable nature of God's grace.  Repentance is something that will always catch the ear of God, and our prayers are always heard.  But we should keep in mind that Jesus is speaking to the religious experts, the Pharisees, those with the responsibility for upholding, teaching, and maintaining the faith for the people.  Here, the evocation of prophecy is what is important, and consistent with Jesus' teaching of the parable of the vineyard owner who repeatedly sends servants and finally his only son to the vinedressers who produce no fruits from his vineyard (Luke 20:9-19).  In this important sense, the story of Lazarus and the rich man is a teaching about how we receive spiritual understanding and the work of God among us, particularly through prophecy, and of course the word of Christ the Son.  It is a reminder that we might find ourselves suddenly in a "topsy-turvy" place, where God's intervention in the world reverses our own certainties.