10-1-95	So, Who Is Lazarus?	Jer. 32:1-3a, 6-15

1 Tim. 6:6-19

Luk 16:19-31

Do we all know who Lazarus is? His name shows up a couple of times in the scriptures. First, he was a friend of Jesus, the brother of Mary and Martha. He was the one who got sick and died and who Jesus raised from the dead several days later. He is also the subject of this morning's gospel lesson, a poor man who had been content to eat out of the garbage can of a rich man. And this poor man, Lazarus, and the rich man die at about the same time. And the rich man goes to hell while the poor man goes to heaven to be with the patriarch, Abraham. And standing in hell, the rich man can see Lazarus with Abraham and asks Abraham to send Lazarus to him to give him water. But Abraham tells him that he is in hell because he didn't care for the poor. And then the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers. But Abraham tells him that if his brothers do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.

Now, some have wondered if the Lazarus of this story is the same person as the Lazarus who Jesus raised from the dead. And the answer to that question is, "Who knows?" But it would be interesting if they were the same person. For if they were the same person the story of the rich man and Lazarus may actually be a true story, one that Lazarus told Jesus after Jesus raised him from the dead. And it is possible that Lazarus, having been raised from the dead, dedicated the rest of his life trying to spread the message of how important it is for those who have to take care of those who have not.

But, this is only interesting speculation. Whether it is a true story or not, or simply a parable, the things that we need to be concerned about in this story is: One – There is a heaven and a hell. Two – It is we who make the choice between which place it will be that we will spend eternity. And, three – What Abraham told the rich man applies to us, as well: If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."

But, first, let's take a look at this concept we call "heaven and hell." Most of us have this idea of a heaven and a hell driven into our consciousness at a pretty early age. Our picture of heaven is that it is a wonderful place where good people walk around with wings on their backs, and halos on their heads, wearing white robes. It is a place where you eat angel food cake and heavenly hash and divinity. And you stand around God's throne singing hymns forever – just one long worship service that lasts forever.

And then there's the other place. Hell is a huge blast furnace, a lake of fire where those who are wicked are tossed. They feel the painful heat of the fire, but they are not consumed. So, they must spend eternity in such painful agony, tormented by red guys with little horns on their head, and long tails. And people in hell don't even get to eat the chocolate cake that, of course, must be there. Otherwise, why do they call it "devil's food cake?"

Of course, that is a child's understanding of heaven and hell, probably a more fearsome picture than anything else. Nevertheless, it is the picture of heaven and hell that most of us have.

I would prefer to understand heaven and hell as being a bit different from this. In fact, heaven and hell may actually be the same place. Think about it: It all depends upon your perspective. If for people who love God, heaven is a wonderful, eternal worship service, of praise and adoration, it would probably seem like hell to anyone who didn't love God. If heaven is a place of fellowship and love, imagine how such a place might seem to someone who had always chosen to be separate from others and hate others?

You have no doubt heard the joke about the man who was visited by an angel and given the opportunity to tour heaven. The angel first took him to a room with a long table covered with wonderful food, as far as the eye could see. And people were sitting around the table starving and in agony because of their starvation. The man was puzzled by this, but noticed that the people couldn't eat because they didn't have elbows. They simply couldn't get the food to their mouths. And they weren't allowed to eat like animals, with their face in their plates. So, of course, they were suffering in their hunger.

"This is more like hell," the man said to the angel. The angel shrugged and then took the man to another room right next door to the room they had been in. Again, there was the long table covered with food. And there were people without elbows gathered around this table, as well. But, these people were happy and well-fed and content. Again, the man was puzzled by this. "Why are these people happy? It seems more like the way heaven ought to be," he said. What's the difference? And the angel replied, "Well, in this room the people feed each other."

And this leads us to my second point for this morning. We generally choose the place we will spend eternity simply by how we care for one another today. A lifetime that is spent looking out for number one, gathering all the material wealth you can, judging others by the content of their pocket book, and preferring to hang out with people who share such a lifestyle, is a pattern that will probably stick with us. Likewise, those who spend their lives caring for others, loving their neighbors as themselves, giving to the poor, and enjoy spending time with people who share such a lifestyle, is a pattern that will follow them, as well.

So, indeed, we might ask, when we hear the story of the rich man and Lazarus, do we identify more with the rich man or with the poor man? Which eternity have we chosen? Indeed, Christ hints that how we live our lives, today, is a way to choose how we shall spend eternity.

It is interesting that in today's scripture lesson the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth to warn his brothers to repent of their lifestyle, to be more concerned for the poor and less concerned about accumulating wealth for themselves. And Abraham replies: "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."

One of the most popular things to be doing these days is to talk about what we should do about the welfare system. Indeed, I am one of the first ones to suggest that the system we've had needs changing so that it may better help those in need and inspire those who need it and can do it to get off their derry aires, get trained, get educated, and get jobs. But, at the same time, I am concerned that there are many persons who equate changing the welfare system with simply abolishing it altogether – with just turning our backs upon those in need. And many of these people are actually being led by what is loosely called "the religious right." Again, as I have mentioned before, there is always the danger of we who consider ourselves to be religious to orient ourselves to be more like the Pharisees and Sadducees who Jesus roundly criticized because they had turned their backs upon the poor. These were the ones about whom Jesus said, "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." We can rationalize all we want. But what it all boils down to is this: If our concern for changing the welfare system is motivated by our selfishness and not by our concern to help the needy, we're making a choice. We're identifying with the rich man and we're walking a pathway toward hell. But, if our concern really is motivated by our desire to help the poor, then we stand with Lazarus and walk the way that leads to Abraham and Jesus and heaven.

I'd like to leave you with a poem that I wrote several years ago:

From God has great abundance come,

And vindicating rain,

With overflowing vats of oil

And threshing floors of grain.

So, where is Lazarus in our midst?

And where's the rich man, too?

They could be any one of us;

They could be me, or you.

The world is gathered here to feast

Upon these blessings fine

And everyone will have enough

If we but wisely dine.

So, where is Lazarus in our midst?

And where's the rich man, too?

They could be any one of us;

They could be me, or you.

Destruction is the fate of those

Who cannot be content.

Eternal life is God's great gift

When, humbly, we repent.

So, who is Lazarus in our midst?

And who's the rich man, too?

They could be any one of us;

They could be me, or you.

But one great day the time will come

The chasm will be wide.

A distance much too far for one

To cross from side to side.

And will we, then, with Lazarus stand

Or with the rich man moan:

"I could have had eternal life

And feasted 'round the throne!"?

So, let us seek out Lazarus

And be among the poor.

And feed the hungry of the world

From earth's abundant store.

For whether we are Lazarus

Or have a lot to share,

We all are one in Jesus' name

When e'er we love and care.

Amen.