Jeremiah
32:1-3a, 6-15; Luke 16:19-31
September 29,
2013
© 2013
I have had the privilege of
getting to know Allan Eubank, a Disciples of Christ minister who has served as
a missionary in Thailand since 1960. His book God, Are You Really God? tells the stories of Thai people who have
trusted Jesus when challenged to ask God to address their lives’ trials.
Allan’s evangelistic technique in a predominantly Buddhist culture takes a page
from Psalm 34:8. “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” What would
you say has or would convince you to trust Jesus and become his disciple?
Logical or empirical
evidence or arguments from philosophy or science?
Mystical or miraculous
experiences, either your own or for someone you knew or read about?
A relationship with a person
of faith whose relationship with Jesus was authentic and compelling?
When the outlook seems
bleak, listening to the Word of God convinces us to trust God has good in store
for us. We read how Jeremiah heard the word of the Lord that he was to buy a
field from Hanamel (vv. 6-7), and when Hanamel came to Jeremiah in prison and
asked to sell him the field, Jeremiah knew it was the word of the Lord (v. 8).
This sale of land was
according to the laws in Leviticus 25. In verse 23 God said, “The land shall
not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and
tenants.” Real estate was not thought of as private property at the owner’s
disposal but as belonging to God and held in trust for the community and future
generations. As Hanamel’s cousin, Jeremiah had not only the right but the
responsibility to buy it to keep it in the family. What is 1st
Christian Church’s legacy held in trust for future generations of those who
will follow Jesus?
Judah was under siege by the
Babylonians when Jeremiah bought the field. It was a sign that as bleak as
their situation seemed, they could hope in God who had a future for them. What
signs of hope do you think God is giving 1st Christian Church for a
fruitful future?
The field that Jeremiah
bought had already been occupied by the Babylonians. Buying it was not a wise
fiscal investment, but it was a powerful act of faith. What act of faith can
you take to express your confidence in God’s hope for the future of 1st
Christian Church?
The story of the rich man
and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 is familiar but unique in all the Gospels. It is
Jesus’ only parable with a named character. Lazarus means “God helps.” Since
Luke did not introduce it as a parable, some have wondered if the rich man and
Lazarus were real people who had recently died that his audience would have
recognized. Yet, the story is clearly a parable and not a history or a theological
exposition.
“There
was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted
sumptuously every day. 20And at his gate lay a poor man
named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21who
longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the
dogs would come and lick his sores. 22The
poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich
man also died and was buried.
23In
Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with
Lazarus by his side. 24He called out, ‘Father Abraham,
have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and
cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’
25But
Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good
things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here,
and you are in agony. 26Besides all this, between you
and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from
here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’
27He
said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— 28for I
have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into
this place of torment.’
29Abraham
replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ 30He
said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will
repent.’ 31He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the
prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
With exquisite literary eloquence
Jesus told God’s reversal. Poor Lazarus was personalized with the dignity of
being named while the self-important rich man remained anonymous. Lazarus was escorted
by angels to Abraham, but the rich man was simply buried. As an indigent,
Lazarus’ body would have been tossed into the burning garbage dump that had
become the popular image of Hades, while the rich man had the honor of a
burial. But Lazarus was comforted with Abraham, and the rich man found himself
in Hades. In his luxurious life, the rich man ignored Lazarus’ agony, but
begged for Lazarus to relive his agony with a drop of water.
To take this as teaching
about details of what happens when people die in isolation from the rest of
Scripture will miss the “ah-ha” insight Jesus was conveying. Invisible people
are important to God. If we are in harmony with God, we will empathize with
them and do what we can to relieve their suffering.
Jesus’ secondary insight is
that people are not convinced by persuasive arguments or spectacular
experiences. Whether Jesus pointed to his own resurrection in verse 31, that’s
how the early church understood it. His opponents covered up evidence he had
risen. While they may encourage believers, I’m skeptical that unbelievers are
convinced by reading about someone’s vision of heaven after a back from death
experience. When the outlook seems bleak, listening to Scripture convinces us
to trust God has good in store for us.
John Stendahl, pastor of the
Lutheran Church of the Newtons, Newton, MA, was “visiting a young man in a
facility for people with severe brain injuries. He was agitated and eager to
walk, so I joined him as he went from room to room as if he were searching for
someone. Eventually we came to a big room that was not in use. At the far end a
couple of janitors were at work buffing the floor. I saw that no one was
sitting at any of the tables and said to the young man, ‘There’s nobody in here.’
Then, from the other side of the room, came the voice of one of the janitors. ‘What
do you mean, nobody? We’re not nobody.’” Christian Century, September 18, 2013, p. 21.
Listening to Scripture opens
our spiritual eyes to see invisible people as full humans, loved by God,
valuable enough for Jesus to redeem. Listening to Scripture gives us God’s
perspective on unchurched and dechurched people, people of all cultural and
ethnic backgrounds, all socio-economic positions from homeless to executive,
all generations. Rather than a nuisance or annoyance, God puts invisible people
in our paths for us to see opportunities to give and receive love.
Jesus told the rich man his
brothers should listen to Moses and the Prophets, which was shorthand for the
Scripture they had. We also have the Gospels and Epistles. They would not have
had printed copies but would have to go to synagogue to hear them read aloud. By
listening to Scripture in community, we join the conversation God has been
having with people for generations. In our post-print world we tend to think in
terms of cookbooks and shop manuals, textbooks and self-help books. Listening
to Scripture is much more than information to agree with; it changes our
perspective and shapes our character.
Invisible people are all
around us. They may not all be in physical agony as Lazarus was. Some are as
hollow as the rich man was. Many are spiritually hungry and unaware of the
nourishment available by listening to Moses and the Prophets, Jesus and the Apostles.
Evangelism is not trying to convince people to believe the right facts about
Jesus but to be met by him as Scripture overflows from us so they can listen.
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