Proper 21C + A Life that Really is Life + ACL+ 9.25.22

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A Life that Really is Life
Pentecost 16C, 1 Timothy 6, Luke 16

St Paul’s Emmanuel, Santa Paula and All Saints, Oxnard
The Rev. Alene Campbell-Langdell

 

            If you feel that Jesus has been talking a lot about money the last few weeks, you are right.  Starting with Luke chapter 15, Jesus has told parable after parable about those who are rich or well off.  People who have inheritances to pass on to their children.  A farmer who owns a hundred sheep, and a business man who hires and fires managers at will.  And today’s gospel starts off yet again with, “There was a rich man…”  At which point, part of my brain tunes out.  I have been conditioned by the fantasies of American wealth to think of Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett when I think about riches. (And yes, it is an interesting commentary on society that all the names are those of men.)   I don’t consider myself rich, and so, a part of me feels that this parable is not about me.  Or is it?

In the writings of ben Sirach, sometimes called Ecclasiasticus, is this gem, “The necessities of life are water, bread, and clothing, and also a house to assure privacy” (29:21).  Paul in his letter to Timothy appears to be referencing this saying, “If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these” (1 Timothy 6:8).  Wealth by this standard is measured by having water to drink, food to eat, clothing to wear, and a consistent roof over your head at night.  If you fall into that category, congratulations!  You are officially wealthy! 

            However, those of us who have studied the Bible or been in church a good part of our lives may find ourselves squirming a bit at that designation.  Jesus’ words in Luke 6: 24-25 may ring uncomfortably close to home, “Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.”  And so, perhaps from that perspective, these parables, while challenging, also contain some good news.  My challenges to entering the life Jesus promises may look different from others with different circumstances, but there’s a place for me as well.  There is a way for me to avoid the traps and “take hold of the life that really is life” as Paul says to Timothy. 

            Paul makes clear in his letter to Timothy that simply having good things in life is not the problem.  It’s the desire for more that gnaws at us.  We instinctively know what Paul is talking about.  When we refer to “the rat race,” we acknowledge the stress that makes us feel less than human.  This fear and anxiety pushes us to work when we feel sick and hold on to every last penny even when it kills our souls to do so.  This is the trap that the rich man in Jesus’ parable cannot escape. 

            Here is someone caught by extravagance.  He is dressed in the most expensive, imported clothing.  He is feasting every day, but probably not because he wants to.  Most likely, he feels that he has to entertain and be entertained in order to maintain his social standing among the elite of the city.[1]  He has no time to even see, let alone help, the poor man lying at his gate.  His calendar is too full.  Finally, when it is much too late, he recognizes the suffering he is in.  Lazarus, who suffered so much in life, has lived up to his name:  Lazarus, el-azar, he whom God has helped.   And yet even in that moment of recognition, the rich man cannot escape the trap of social climbing.  When Abraham describes the chasm between them, the rich man requests help for his siblings, others in his social set.  Abraham, send someone to help them escape this trap before it is too late!  Abraham’s reply in this parable strikes one of the saddest notes in the gospel: “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16: 30).

           


 

Most of us here today find ourselves in the place of the wealthy siblings, those for whom it is not too late to escape the trap of this rat race if only we are able to listen to the words of the prophets and of one who has risen from the dead.  So what is it that prevents us from hearing and heeding this word?  (Pause)   I can’t answer that question for you.  For me, one of the things that gets in the way is a fear of the future.  What if I need this time/money/thing down the road?  The other major barrier for escaping the trap is a feeling of impotence.  What good will my little contribution make for the people like Lazarus in my life?  In this regard, it is interesting that the relief being requested in this parable is so small.  Lazarus is longing for the leftovers that fall from the table.  And, when the situation is reversed, the rich man longs for just a drop of water. 

For most of us, escape from the rat race doesn’t start with a grand gesture of giving away everything we own like St Francis.  It starts with actually seeing those who are hungry and sick or struggling to find a place to sleep at night.  Ironically, we start our escape by stopping.  Take a deep breath and consider.  Do you have enough for today?  Do you have a place to go to after church where you will be sheltered from the sun? Do you have food for lunch?  Do you have drinkable water?  Do you have clothing to cover your body?  Stop and give thanks.  You have enough for today.  What an amazing gift!  

            Next, take a look at your budget and your daily life.  Are there things that you are hoarding from a fear of the future that would be better spent now?  How many of us continue to work when we are stressed and our bodies are aching even though we have sick time accumulating?  Or maybe we think that the extra dollar or two given to the church wouldn’t make any difference, so why bother?  Don’t forget in this process to notice the things you are already doing.  Notice the ways that the practices you already do--whether it is tithing your income or helping out in the food pantry or taking care of yourself so that you can be more present to other’s needs—provide space in your life for gratitude and trust in God. 

 

 

            As for the rich, Paul says, tell them “to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life” (1 Timothy 6:18-19).  The rich man’s life, full of food he didn’t have time to time to taste while trying to impress others in a desperate bid for respect, wasn’t really life.  But we are not him, and it is not too late for us!  We can choose gratitude.  We can choose generosity.  We can choose joy.  We can choose life--one small step at a time. 


[1] Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh, Social Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels (Fortress Press: Minneapolis, MN, 2003), 337.

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