Bloghardt's Reflector

We can’t look up, we can’t do anything, but hold our heads down and hands up in desperate hope that God would have mercy, that He would help us, forgive us, and save us.  And if He does, we know without doubt that it is totally by grace - for we surely deserve nothing but punishment.

Before Jesus today is the Pharisees, those who know that they are righteous.  They have works - they are rich in them.  

They know what they got and what sinners don’t.  They know there is a distinction between good people and bad.  They are good, you and I are bad.  

And so Jesus tells them a story about a rich guy all decked out in purple and poor Lazarus sitting on his doorstep.  

Beggar Lazarus, says Jesus, is outside waiting for salvation.  He just wants crumbs from their table, something small, just a taste.   And to add insult to injury, as Lazarus sat, the dogs came to lick his sores.  He was too weak, too powerless, to stop them.

They both died.  Everyone dies - the rich, the poor, the righteous, the not righteous.  Lazarus was carried by angels to heaven.  One minute suffering, the next minute not.  One minute begging, the next heir to all of heaven and earth.  

The rich man dies and is buried.  Dead - in the ground to rot.  Hell - flames and all.  Separated from God for all eternity.

Now, the problem with the rich guy was not that He was rich.  That's not a sin.  The sin is that he trusted in what he had.  Why else would he when he saw his neighbor Lazarus in need on his steps not help him?  He certain didn’t need Lazarus with all his sinned-filled sores wrecking his day.

He had Moses and the prophets - that's short hand for the Old Testament.   The Scriptures should have been enough for the rich man.  But, he had better things to do, other things going on, things that the Word was keeping him from.

Did the rich guy step over Lazarus as he was going on His way?  Was He even mindful of him?

He was in the end - he saw Lazarus then, didn't he?  As he was in hell, suffering for all eternity.  But, then it was too late.  Too late for a sip of water, too late for anything.

Dear friends, there is a word of warning here for us.  The rich man is the Pharisee or anyone else who trusts in themselves, in something, anything other than the merits of Christ.

If we trust in ourselves, if we believe ourselves to be righteous in and of ourselves, we are as lost as this rich man.  And we Lutherans need to watch ourselves too - because we have a way of having the right words, “I’m a poor miserable sinner” but yet empty those words of real meaning when we talk.

“I’m a sinner, pastor, I know I am.  But... It’s really his fault, her fault, or you should see what they do.  I know I have no righteousness in and of myself, but.. The problem is... (you insert thing you want to blame here - anything or anyone but yourself)

And with that little “but” we put our faith and trust in something else other than the righteousness of Christ.  Beggars don’t even have excuses to cling to.  They are empty, devoid of any righteousness of their own, it’s always their fault, it’s always their sin, and they are always to blame.

Imagine that - being the one that accepts blame rather than gives it.  Being the one that receives punishment rather than points to the next guy.  That’s being a sinner.  That’s Lazarus.  

"Send Lazarus back, so that my brothers would believe.  If someone comes back from the dead, my brothers will believe.," says the rich man.  

But the condemnation from Jesus is clear:  if they won't believe the Moses and the prophets, they won't believe someone who comes back from the dead.

And if it stops there, we’d be lost.  Each one of us who acts utterly unbeggarly when it comes to our neighbor.  Who love God, then blame those around us for what we do and say.  If Jesus stops here, we’re as toast as the rich man.

But, He doesn’t.  The One who knows that they won’t believe, that we won’t believe, even if someone comes back from the dead, comes back from the dead.  Jesus, does what He says won’t work to save people who are so broken that can’t fix themselves, but yet think sometimes that they can do just that!

Jesus, fulfills all that is spoken about in the Law and Prophets and then dies the horrific death that we deserve for all the times that we don’t fulfill the Law and Prophets.  All the punishment that is due us for our lives that are so rich with everything but His righteousness is put upon Him.

Then, so that we would have life in Him, He comes back from the dead on the third day and preaches to us the forgiveness of sins.  He washes our sins away in the waters of our Baptism and cleanses us - each of us.   He gives us a new name in our Baptism and gives us all that is Abraham’s and then some.

We are the beggars on the steps. But, the one who died and rose again feeds us.  Behold the crumbs!  His Body broken for us.  His Blood shed for us.  

Flee from blaming others and all matter of “I’m a sinner, but.”  That sort of talk ends in the fate of the rich man.  Die to that.  It’s not their fault, it’s your fault.  It’s not their false judgment, its your sin.  You are guilty.  Repent.

Then, cling to the One who fulfills the Law and the Prophets and has washed, forgiven, and fed you this day.

He will save you.  His cross already has saved you.  And as you sit on the steps awaiting His salvation, when things get bad, when they get really really lonely, when you look over and all their is some strange dog trying to add insult to injury, remember Lazarus and his name.

You have a new name.  In all your sours, in your bankruptcy, and in your pain, at the font, Jesus gave you a name.  A name which, when you remember it, will save you.  The Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

For there is one thing certain in this world, one thing that we can take to the bank, and that’s the name that is put on us in Baptism.  For God is for beggars in Christ - for you, for me, and for Lazarus.  

God will help us, He will save us, He already has in Christ.  You are just waiting on the steps of this waiting for Him to Lazarus you.  He will do it.  Just wait.  In the name of Jesus. Amen.