September 30, 2007 Sermon
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Proper 21 - C
September 30, 2007 Allan Conkling
Contentment. Well being. Happiness. These are the things that give life its meaning. But from where, and for what purpose, do we draw our contentment in life? That is our topic this morning.
At first glance, these texts are about the age-old clash between rich and poor, the haves and have nots. In the Old Testament, Amos blasts the privileged class of his day:
"Alas for those who are at ease in Zion and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria."
Wealth, riches and status can buy happiness now, but they will never last.
In the New Testament, Paul exhorts Timothy not to fall into temptation to strive for riches as the end all to this life. How many countless sermons have been preached on "the love of money is the root of all evil"? Taken out of context it sounds as though Paul was opposed to money, but he was not. Paul was no fool; he knew that money is power. Great things are possible with money, and great dreams are just dreams unless you have "resources" to carry them out.
But money and how we manage our finances is a whole other sermon. Today, I want to focus on something different. As I study them, I see that these readings are not simply about wealth, riches, or one’s lack of them. They do not say that wealth is bad and poverty is good. They do not issue with the fact that some people have "things" that others don't. In fact they are not about "things" at all, but about attitude. What is it that makes us happy in life? Where does our sense of wellbeing lie? From where, and for what, do we draw our contentment in life? That is the question before us today.
Standing before the Pharisees Jesus tells a story--and it is a story, not to be taken as a literal blueprint for the afterlife:
"Once upon a time there was a rich man who in this life had feasted in elegance. He had everything. Yet this man was insensitive to the needs of one who was right in front of his face."
Only after his death does he realize, as the old camp song goes,
"Oh
you can’t get to heaven in a limousine,
'cause God don't sell no gasoline."
Justice, faithfulness, steadfastness, good works, generosity...these are the attributes Jesus was addressing: Attitudes to be cultivated; treasures that we should be storing up for ourselves here on earth.
In his day the Rich Man would have been considered a "man of the covenant", for wealth was a sign of God's favor and blessing. However, he did not see Lazarus. He did not say, "This man is hurting, or lonely. How can I help him?" Even in death he showed no true concern for anything other than himself. He even cries out from the fires of the torment, to send Lazarus send the poor man, to "bring me a drink of water." By this we learn that it is the attitude of our heart and how we relate that attitude to others (rich or poor) that is ultimately important to God.
But there is more. Author Herbert O'Driscoll writes that, just as Lazarus laid at the rich mans gate, there exists within each one of us, parts that are at once both rich and poor. We have strong points: our personality, our charm, and our wits. On the other hand we also have a shadow side. Just as the Rich Man never acknowledges the presence of the poor man, we tend not to notice those dark places in our lives. As Herbert O'Driscoll says,
"We deny our "Lazarus" within, who resides just outside the "gate" of our consciousness."*
Who wants to hear that those weaker and rejected parts of ourselves are trying to touch us, to get our attention, to offer them selves as part of our healing? When those hidden parts involve illness or addiction, it is even worse. We can pretend only so long, until it becomes too late. Integration, healing and wholeness, becomes impossible. A great chasm develops within us.
So how can we make things different? Or at least warn others of impending alienation from within? We can't, and that is the point. Christians believe that by ourselves we cannot just wish things better. As St. Augustine said, there is a lock on our heart for which only one key can open. That key is Jesus Christ. The Good News is that, by God's grace, through Christ we are made right with God. That is what the Psalmist means when he says:
"The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind and lifts up those who are bowed down."
From where, and for what, do we draw our contentment in life? That is our question and our challenge. For each of one the answer is different. For each it is the same: Life that is rich in good works finds its meaning in God and in service others in Christ's name. Life finds meaning in wholeness and in recognizing not just the "Rich One" within each of us but the "Poor One" lying close by. Contentment. Well being. Happiness. These treasures abound as we take hold of "the life that really is life" now and forever.
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* Herbert O'Driscoll in "Worship and Preaching that work for Evangelism"
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