Two men and a dog!
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6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Final Charge to Timothy
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
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19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
UK politicians have recently called for mandatory health warnings on social media apps, much like the pictorial warnings on cigarette packets. Dangers of doom scrolling on young people (mental health issues, anxiety, doing nothing).
In this parable, Jesus is giving a warning to all of us who are represented by the five brothers who are alive in this story. Our destiny (after life) depends on the choices we make in this life. What we choose to do ‘here & now’ affects our ‘there & then.’
This is the story of two men and a dog! This is a very interesting story (a parable), well crafted (detail of the story is important). This parable is very different from the rest of Jesus' stories because it includes the afterlife, our destiny.
There are two men and a dog: a rich man, who isn’t named, I’ll call him Richie, there’s a beggar called Lazarus and a dog cxalled Spot.
Looking at the life and death of these three actors will challenge us about the choices we make that will affect our eternal destiny.
These two men were neighbours. They saw each other every day. Not socially, but they saw each other. Outside Richie’s gate a palatial portico the beggar begged.
One person wanted for nothing; the other person had nothing he wanted.
1 .Rich Man
2. Lazarus
3. The Dogs
The Rich man
The rich man would have been comfortable in our 21st Century. Self-reliant, self-confident, and self-assured. A lover of fine clothes, dressed in purple (Luke 16:19). Purple was the most expensive dye in the ancient world. Only the rich and the high priest could afford this fine material imported from Egypt - only the best for Richie. And linen underpants – say no more. He likes his food, feasts daily. In those days, eating with his hands, the rich used bread to wipe the oil & fat off their hands & then discard the bread.
That’s about all Jesus tells us about the life of Richie.
1 Tim 6:7 We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
In Luke 16:22, he dies. The scene shifts to eternity & Richie is in Hell. What was the sin of the Rich man, not ££ but the love of ££.
1 Tim 6:9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
Richie was religious (knows about OT bible Abraham, Moses & prophets). He knew about God, yet he ended in hades. Was his sin was the sin of ‘doing nothing?’
At his ‘gate’ was Lazarus, a beggar, hungry, longing for discarded bread. Richie knew about him (recognised him from hell) but he did nothing to meet the beggars needs
There is a needy world out there and the rich man made his choice, to be self-indulgent, self-centred. He knew about God but he did not know God. He did nothing to prepare for the end.
What we choose to do ‘here and now’ affects our eternal destiny.
This parable challenges us to act on the needs around us; in the Parish, the Island, the world, charities like shoe box appeal, CMJ, Ebenezer Trust, GLO, Tear Fund, Open Doors and more. Pray about things we see online & papers. We are all destined for one of two eternities. This parable speaks clearly about Heaven and hell. My prayer today is that we will not be found guilty of just knowing about God and doing nothing about the needs at our ‘gate.’
In Hell, the rich man tries to bargain with Abraham, asking for Lazarus to ease his suffering and then to warn his brothers about the terrible torment of Hell.
Abraham answers that they have the bible (v29) (Moses & the prophets) and that is enough.
So Richie was also guilty of neglecting the scriptures. He knows about God, Abraham, Moses and the prophets but he does not know God personally. We are all in the departure lounge for eternity, let us not neglect the Bible, the needy, nor our personal walk with God.
The Beggar
How can we describe him? He is a beggar/homeless. We are told in Luke 16:20 that he has sores. He lived off the rich man’s leftovers. Not much more to say about him - when he died the angels carried him to Abraham's side (v22) his soul went to heaven. I have missed something?
One more thing, the Beggar is named by Jesus. Named means he is known; he knows the Lord (it’s personal). He may be a non-person to the Rich man who ignored his needs but he is a person - he is significant to God – he is called Lazarus, in Hebrew Eleasar meaning ‘God has helped.’ He is known in this life and in the life to come as Lazarus.
Notice that one of the characters has a name and the other one hasn’t. If you get your identity from your wealth; if you say I'm somebody, I've got money, if you lose it you have lost your identity either you're a rich man or you're nothing. Notice that many people who are athletes have a short shelf life and when their career is over some of them are totally lost, why? They're lost because they are an athlete or they are no one. [eg Ricky Hatton- don’t speculate] If you say - I'm a sportsman or I'm an artist - I make music. If you lose those things then your identity or purpose is gone.
Jesus says there is another way I can name you and if I give you a name you have an identity that's strong enough to handle wealth and poverty, can handle love and betrayal. Anything.
Despite Laz’s trials and painful sores of life there is no mention of self-pity or resentment at his life’s misery. The secret is in the meaning of his name – Lazarus means ‘God has Helped.’ Some how Lazarus has made choices in his life that placed his life in God’s hands.
[Illustr] Many public Baptisms in sea [Gwen Baptism in June]. People who have asked God into their lives, they are known by God. If you are not sure where you stand. Come as a beggar, with nothing and he will meet you where you are, meet your needs and love you with open arms. Will you come, will you love him?
The Dog
It was a parable about two men & a dog. What about the Dog? Luke 16:21, ‘Even tells us the dogs licked his sores.’ This can be taken two ways, either the dogs add to his misery or they were being merciful, in contrast to Richie. Scientific research suggests that animals instinctively lick wounds because their saliva has an antiseptic, medicinal effect. In the drama the dog has a bit part. In contrast to the rich man, Laz was a needy person to the dog. He was a named (God has helped) (Lazarus) was known by the Lord: ‘v21 the dogs came and licked his sores.’ God helped as the dog licked his sores, licked the dirt, the dried blood, the pus, the feral dog licked till Lazarus' wounds were clean. The dog knows that’s what you do with sores. And I can imagine the dog looked up at Lazarus, tilted his head in compassion and Lazarus muttered ‘Good boy’ and perhaps the dog slept beside him giving him warmth from his body. That’s just conjecture.
Sometime later, Lazarus died. God has helped is his name, known and comforted to the end.
Friends, we have a choice: we can be the rich man or we can be the dog. What's it to be? We can be self-indulgent and do nothing about the needs God brings to our attention (with tragic consequences) or we can tend needs of those less fortunate than us. I believe that’s what we are called to do. What choices are you going to make?
I said this parable is a warning; Jesus hoped this story would move his listeners to act. So that money, possessions, family commitments, or life’s busyness do not control who we are.
He wants to be your Lord, the God who helps, he will equip you to help and meet the needs of others.
In this week’s Simon Guillbaud ‘Inspired’ Podcast, Archie Coates tells a story about ‘Jonathan.’ Jon came to faith and was filled with the Holy Spirit on the Alpha Holy Spirit weekend. Mid-week afterwards, the minister asked Jonathan if his conversion had made a difference.
Jonathan replied, ‘Strangely, I find myself being attracted to doing good. I want to be kinder, like, stopping with the homeless on the streets. Things I would never have done before.’ That is the transformation the Holy Spirit does in us when we give our lives to him.
I will end with words from 1 Tim 6:11 ‘Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.’
Cover Photo Kelvin in Greece with shepherd in 1978
