Sermon - Trinity I 2020 - Luke 16:19-31

Christ says a lot about money and wealth. He says “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” Again He says, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Or in the parable of the rich fool, God says to the rich man who relaxed and found pleasure in his worldly riches: “‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Right before our Gospel lesson today, Jesus said to the Pharisees: “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” 

Christ uses this parable today of the rich man and Lazarus to teach us of the dangers of having more worldly riches than faith in Christ. When the love of God has been replaced with the love of riches, the only reward remaining is hell. But when by repentance the love of money is driven out with faith in God, our gracious reward is everlasting comfort in heaven, a treasure beyond compare.

Christ describes the rich man as one who “was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously everyday.” Now, there is no sin in living according to one’s station in life. It’s not sinful to wear purple. It’s not sinful to wear very nice clothes. It’s not sinful to eat good food. But what defined this man and what was his sole focus in life? This world and its riches.

What about the poor man? How does Christ describe him? “At the rich man’s gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.” Now similar to the rich man, there’s nothing inherently righteous and holy about being poor, sick, and beggarly. He doesn’t go to heaven because he’s poor. There’s something else different about this poor man: he has a name, Lazarus. His name means: “God has helped.”

Thus, the difference between these two men in this life is greater than their social standing and wealth. The rich man found his help and treasure in worldly goods, while the poor man found his help and treasure in God. Lazarus had faith in God for salvation, in spite of having such a miserable life on earth. The rich man thought nothing of God and only of His riches, in spite of living so comfortably. 

What is the result of Lazarus’ faith in God? He was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. Like his father Abraham, Lazarus “believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness.” Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord! Those with faith in God are treated as kings, maybe not on earth, but in heaven, as the angels themselves carry the faithful to the Father’s side. 

What is the result of the rich man’s faith in his riches? “The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment.” He was buried in the ground and eaten by worms before being thrown into hell, where his worm shall never die and the fire is not quenched. Those without faith in God, who are rich only in the treasures of this life, perish eternally.

Yikes! You know, when you hear that threat of hell for those who are lovers of money, and the difficulty at which the rich will enter heaven, it makes me uncomfortable. Why? Because I’m rich. I have a roof over my head, heat during winter, AC during summer, plenty of food to eat, clothes to cover my body, TVs and computers, help right at my door in a few minutes if I need it. Even if I only had a fraction of what I have, I would still be rich!

We have good reason to take note of our wealth so that we might be on guard in our hearts against this wealth. This must drive us to examine why we work and what we’re working towards; what is all of this money for?

Are we working so that we might be successful and exalted in the eyes of men? Are we working so that we might amass a fortune for ourselves and live in luxury? Do we work for money so that we might fill our lives with more worldly goods and fun toys to play with? 

Ask yourselves this question: What’s it all for, what’s the point of it, what’s it all focused on? If the answer is anything other than God and supporting faith in Christ, it’s something we all must repent of or we risk being cast into hell with the rich man. 

We would do well to examine ourselves and ask some basic questions about our life and why we do what we do? The purpose of our work isn’t just to make money and be successful, to make a name for ourselves; it’s to serve and support our neighbors and our families. The purpose of education isn’t to be smart, get a good job, and have prestige; it’s to be trained up in the Christian faith. The purpose of worldly goods isn’t to fill up all of our time; it’s to support our bodies so that we might dedicate ourselves more fervently to knowing God’s love for us and for others. 

If you’re like me, then you should quickly realize you’re often more focused on worldly riches than you are on faith in Christ. Your riches and pleasures in this life are not evil; they’re a gift from God, and on their own they won’t send you to hell. But if your heart rests upon them instead of Christ, even if you have very few riches, you’re in trouble. So turn your heart away from this world and return to Christ who is your true treasure!

One solution to loving your money so much is simply not to work so hard for so much money. An issue with money is that we spend so much time working for it we end up neglecting our other more important vocations in life as a spouse, a parent, a child, and a Christian. 

But one of the best solutions to loving your treasure too much is to give it away. If we’re the rich man in this story, then find the Lazarus in your life and open your heart to him and give him your treasure. Jesus said we will always have the poor with us, which means there are always those who need our treasure more than we do! One piece of advice I’ve heard from others is: give until it hurts. Give so much of it away because you love your neighbor, but also because you need to teach your heart not to trust in your riches. 

How can we do this? Only by the grace of Christ! “We love because he first loved us. ”

God loves you. Christ Jesus, who as we spoke about last week on Trinity Sunday, is True God and in taking on human flesh He humbled Himself by becoming true man and giving up some of His divine attributes while on earth. He who is immortal became mortal, and gave up His life upon the cross, out of love for you, so that you might be saved from your sins. Jesus didn’t just give up some money for you, but He gave up the whole treasure by dying for you and shedding His blood on your behalf. He who is God in the flesh loves your life more than His own. 

Because of His love and His great sacrifice, even if we’re as rich as king Solomon or as poor as Lazarus, through faith in Him and repentance of our sin, He promises us a treasure greater than the whole world! 

Let us learn to sing with Lazarus and every Christian: 

Lord, Thee I love with all my heart;

I pray Thee, ne'er from me depart,

With tender mercy cheer me.

Earth has no pleasure I would share,

Yea, heav'n itself were void and bare

If Thou, Lord, wert not near me.

And should my heart for sorrow break,

My trust in Thee can nothing shake.

Thou art the portion I have sought;

Thy precious blood my soul has bought.

Lord Jesus Christ, My God and Lord, my God and Lord,

Forsake me not! I trust Thy Word.