First Sunday after Trinity

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Fr. Todd Bragg

St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church,

Indianapolis, Indiana

Readings:  First St. John 4:7-21; St. Luke 16: 19-23 

Sometimes you may wonder how a preacher picks and chooses what he will speak about on a given Sunday.  For example, you may wonder to yourself, "how does Fr. Todd pick if he is going to speak in regards to the Epistle or the Gospel of the day."  Well, today is pretty easy to pick out which reading I was going to choose to preach on.  The Epistle coming to us from First St. John Chapter Four, verses 7-21 is self explanatory.  No preaching is required whatsoever after listening to this epistle.  In fact, I would recommend strongly that you take home a copy of the bulletin home with you and read this section of St. John's Epistle  every day this week.  In fact, you could probably read this passage every day this year and benefit greatly from it.

This leaves us with the Gospel, then, coming to us from St. Luke's 16th Chapter of his Gospel.  As is often the case with so many preachers, and I am one who would be counted in this group, Our Blessed Lord very often tells stories that compare and contrast in order to show the difference.  Thus, I consider myself to be in very good company indeed because I often like to do that as well to support what I am trying to point out.  In this passage we hear the very famous story that Our Blessed Saviour gives in regards to the Rich Man and Lazarus.   Our Lord points out the their lives could not be any more different.

On the one hand, we have the example of the rich man, which interestingly enough, is not named in this story.  We don't know very much about this man other than he was very rich:  "There was a certain man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen." (St. Luke 16:19)  We know that back then only rich people wore purple linen.  This was not that poor people were prohibited from wearing this type of clothing, per se, but rather it was that they could not afford it and thus only rich people would wear these types of clothing.  In the O.T. book of Judges we read the following:  " . . . .   & collars and purple raiment that was in the kings of Midian."   (Judges 8:26)

On the other hand, Our Lord gives us the example of Lazarus, the poor man.  From Our Lord's description, we know that Lazarus was poorer than poor.  In other words, from what St. Luke relates in this passage, Lazarus was not just asking for a meal, he was simply wanting the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table.  He would have been content with the crumbs from the table:  "And (Lazarus) desiring to be fed with the crumbs from the rich man's table." (St. Luke 16:21)  Also, we are reminded that the dogs licked Lazarus's sores.  Now, keep in mind that back then people did not regard dogs the same way that we regard them today.  Thus, for Our Lord to point out that dogs were licking the sores of Lazarus was to point out, basically, how far Lazarus had hit rock-bottom.  

Now, it is probably often the case when people hear this passage that they might be quick to assume that being rich is not compatible with Christianity.  I mean, if we were to base it solely off of what we hear in this story, then we would probably be correct to assume this.  Remember, also,  the part in Scripture where it states "it is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven."   But I do not believe that Our Lord is using this story to condemn wealth or riches, necessarily.  What He is doing, though, is to remind each one of us to keep our priorities in order.

Whether it be a beautiful house in a nice neighborhood, or the latest electronic gadget such as an Ipad, or the latest fashionable clothing, etc.  All of these things could be considered as signs of wealth.  But on the other hand, the problem does not come from owning these items but, rather, if these items divert our attention away from God, this is where the problem arises.  In other words, it is not a sin, in and of itself, to own a nice home but if owning that nice house . . . or nice car . . . or clothing . . . or ipad . . . takes our attention away from God, that is where the problem lies.  

Let's face it, we should not place all of our hope in these things to begin with.  For example, houses, over time, fall into disrepair of one sort or another.  Cars will develop rust and break down.  The latest fashion styles ultimately go out of style.  Plus, on top of that, we can work and work all of our lives and then when we die, everything we have worked on will be left behind anyway.  We can not take any of it with us.  Job reminds us:  "They spend their days in wealth and in a moment go down to the grave."  (Job 21:13)  

In my estimation, it is not a sin to be rich and to own good things.  Let's face it, it is God Who have given us every good thing that we have.  It is God that has blessed us not only with health, but also blessed us with knowledge and ability in how to do work.  God gives us the knowledge and the ability and we give the effort.  We read the following:  "And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God." (Ecclesiastes 3:13)  And elsewhere in Ecclesiastes we read:  "Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God."  (Ecclesiastes 5:19)  It is God Who has given the ability to each one of us to work.  And what we earn is the fruit of our labour.  

St. James reminds us as well:  "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."  (St. James 1:17)  We should always acknowledge that all of the gifts we possess:  whether they be a nice home, clothes on our back, a good job, food on our table, etc, we should acknowledge the fact that they are blessings that we have received from God but that we have done our part as well to earn them.  

We are called to set our priorities straight as Christians.  We are called to acknowledge God first in everything.  So often in our society we put everything else first and God last.  We should always acknowledge all the gifts that God has bestowed on us and enjoy them but never forget Whom made these gifts possible.

So far, you have heard me focusing on all the other gifts that God bestows upon us:  our homes, our food, our jobs, our clothing, etc.  But let us not forget the most important gift that Our Heavenly Father offers to each one of us:  the gift of salvation:  " . . .  but the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, Our Lord."  (Romans 6:23).  God freely offers to us salvation and life eternal with Him.  God offers but it is up to each one of us to accept the salvation that He offers to us.  Make a point to reflect on this gift as well.  Make a point to reach out to the God that first reached out to us.  As St. John reminds us in his epistle today:  "We love Him, because He first loved us."  (I St. John 4:7-21)  So, reach out to the Lord and thank Him for the many gifts He has bestowed on us in our life including the gift of love and salvation He freely offers to each one of us.