The Cost You Don’t See

And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”  When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”  But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.  (Luke 18:21-23 NASB)

Back in Luke 14 (25-33) Jesus describes the cost of discipleship.  Here this cost is illustrated.  Jesus discusses with this ruler the way he can inherit eternal life.  The ruler believes that the association necessary to inherit this gift is through something he does. Since he already follows the law, Jesus notes that he recognizes that isn’t enough.  So Jesus adds another, give up everything and follow Me.

Sometimes we think of those extravagant costs Jesus notes as excessive and naively believe He can’t be serious.  But think of that challenge in this way, for what are we willing to sell eternal life in heaven, or for what will we trade heaven later to gain now?  Economically, that’s what we do.  We sell heaven for stuff we have here, but notice what Jesus says, “…and you will have treasure in heaven;” it’s a trade!  But the ruler sold heaven for what he had at hand.

This is the same thing we do when we look at the cost of discipleship and choose something else.  When we decide not to study, to pray, to meet together and make those things priorities; we sell heaven for whatever we do instead.  I’ve heard it lots of times from a wide variety of people that this view is legalistic.  I believe that too is an excuse to ignore it.  Because when I ask them what it means to them, they still aren’t doing even what they believe it means.  But at least they aren’t legalistic.

The truth is that “goods” aren’t always the problem, the thing that keeps us from devotion to Jesus.  But for many, and in our culture many more than most, the ease of our lives takes priority over the discomfort of being a disciple.  I know it does for me.  I know that for many of the decisions I make, my comfort winds up being the priority.  So, I see where my Master is revealing these things to me, where He is moving me, prodding me off my comfortable couch and easy chair, and into His kingdom work.

What keeps you distracted from obedience?  For what are you “selling” eternal life?  For what will you trade to get it, or get it back?  What’s your view through the knothole?

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Why Lazarus is Silent

“Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.   In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’  But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’  And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house– for I have five brothers– in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’  But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’  But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’  But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'” (Luke 16:22-31 NASB)

Have you ever thought about why the only character named never says anything in this parable?  I have (shocker).  I’m not sure I’ve figured it out, but I suspect it has do with Jesus (another shocker – can your heart take it?).  Okay, duh, of course it has to do with Jesus, He’s the One telling the parable, but I mean beyond that.  I think it has to do with the role of Jesus in our lives as believers.

What drew my attention to that possible explanation was the last statement of Abraham which obviously refers to Jesus’ resurrection.  That reference to resurrection is more than the event, it’s the meaning.  The reference is to the role it plays in increasing our faith, or at least the faith of those who already have faith.  Did you catch that element?  The brothers won’t believe someone rising from the dead if they don’t already believe Moses and the Prophets.  Part of what the resurrection of Jesus does is increase the faith of His followers.  I know, duh again.

What that got me thinking about was my own desire to justify myself (which is what Jesus accuses the Pharisees of earlier).  Jesus justifies does He not?  So I don’t need to justify myself.  In this parable, Abraham fills that role.  He justifies Lazarus to the rich man who ignored him his whole life.  So Lazarus doesn’t say anything in this parable because he doesn’t need to.

What if I let God defend me?  What if I followed the pattern of Jesus before the Sanhedrin, before Pilate, before Herod, and just refused to defend myself?  Not very American of me is it? (and there was applause in Europe)  I like to defend myself.  I feel competent to defend myself.  I waste my time defending myself!  Think about it, I have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus!  What am I going to do to top Him?  Better arguments, better understanding of the people involved, situation leading up to and following, what?  I waste my time.

Lazarus is at peace.  Perhaps he wasn’t at peace as dogs licked his sores.  But in the bosom of Abraham he’s at peace.  What would be the danger of living my life like that now?  People would accuse me of pride and arrogance, but I’m silent.  I’d be accused of baseless groundless belief, and I’d be silent.  I’m a bad leader, and I simply take their shoes off and wash their feet.  No PowerPoint slides, no graphics or charts, no clever bullet points, just silence.  What if?

I used to live about an hour from the school I attended in Texas back in the 90’s.  My wife and I would jet out of the house early and try and beat the rush-hour traffic into town to get to class.  One day, the stress of it was particularly bad, I wasn’t able to drive my desired 65 in a 55, or whatever, and I just decided to drive 55…exactly 55.  In fact I may have been a smidgen below that.  Stress gone.  I’m no longer competing for the next spot on the off-ramp, I’m no longer trying to keep someone from getting between me and the person in front of me I’m tailgating.  Peace.  Okay, I had to leave earlier to make it work, but not much earlier.  As it turns out, 55 makes a pretty good average speed when the freeway is crowded.  My point is this, once I stopped trying to make my own way, God made a way for me.

So I’m learning the lesson of Lazarus: There’s no need to contend for your own justice.  This frees me up to do stuff like forgive others.  I see my forgiven state much more clearly when I stop trying to cover up or explain what needs to be forgiven.  Funny how that works.  It’s something I need to repent of or actually repent toward.  Stop defending myself.  Go ahead and attack me.  My Defender is my Master.  I stand, or fall, because of Him, not my own ability to reason my way out of my predicaments.  It’s scary to trust Him with that, but there’s so much peace that goes along with it.  It’s kind of nice really.

So if you’re looking for me, I’ll be resting in the bosom of Jesus.  You’ll have to talk to Him if you have any issues with me; He’s handling my personal “complaint department” today.

That was my view today, what do you learn from this parable?

Some Rich Guy…And Lazarus

“Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day.  And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.”  (Luke 16:19-21 NASB)

This parable isn’t one of the more difficult to understand, it’s just one of the more disturbing that Jesus tells.  It’s possible there are some literary genius elements in it, like that Lazarus is the only named character between the two, but never speaks.  But other points, primarily the details of the setting after death are particularly troubling.

For instance, does it bother anyone else that heaven and hell are within sight, and close enough to discern actual people?  Does it bother anyone that in heaven it’s possible to see tormented people in hell?  I think, if you’re like me, you sort of figured that they would be “out-of-sight-out-of-mind” for eternity.  I just never thought about it actually.  You, know, except for now.

Does it bother anyone that Abraham and the unnamed rich-guy can talk across the gulf that no one can travel across?  There’s no bridge, but they can shout at each other.  Isn’t that a bit too close for “comfort”?  How is the blessed existence of heaven possible when you can witness the torment of those who refused the kingdom of God?  That sounds a bit morbid or at least sadistic in nature.

So now the real question: If all that is accurate about the parable, did Jesus intend for it to be an accurate depiction of heaven, what John saw from Patmos?  I have heard it various ways: heaven & hell prior to the cross, heaven & hell prior to the final “new heaven/new earth” (during the “church-age” – nonsense), and so on.  Jesus simply leaves that question unanswered.

John’s vision on Patmos was different in a lot of ways, but some details he simply didn’t mention.  For instance, John mentions the “lake of fire” but doesn’t say whether it was visible from the “New Jerusalem”.  He has an abyss, but again it sounds like a lockable hole, temporary place for the Devil prior to the final battle.  Still no mention as to the “layout” and whether there was this “chasm fixed” that no one can cross.  So, it’s possible that John’s vision and this parable describe very similar settings.  How’s that for uncomfortable?

One of the real problems here is how this depiction seems to cast God in a unloving light, at least by our definitions of love.  Even if people in rebellious ignorance chose to go there, why leave both places within sight of each other for eternity?  Can you imagine an eternity of worship before the Throne of God with tormented souls as “backup”?  You can see them and hear them while worshiping with an unnumbered throng before the throne.  Seems some how discordant.

So what do we do with this depiction?  My favorite choice is to go with the main point, and trust God for the setting.  The main point is that the wealthy need to reach out to the poor in recognition of the Sovereignty of God; viewing themselves as equal with the poor.  It’s a matter of responsibility with the resources God has provided us, rich, comfortable, getting by, barely making it, stretching, or homeless.

If I focus on the obvious point, and let God worry about the “setting” after this life, then I’m not distracted sitting as judge over the Maker of the entire universe.  See the problem?  When we call God’s character into question, we do so at a very core level.  It erodes our faith just to do so.  If we believe that Scripture is inspired, that Jesus actually said these things, then draw the conclusion from those beliefs that Jesus reveals God as a very unloving harsh God; we reject other passages that say otherwise.

Part of the problem we face on this side of the “afterlife” is that we have little idea what we will be like on that side.  It could be that “the glory to be revealed” so far surpasses our ability to comprehend now that any vision of the torment of others actually becomes incorporated into the glory of God and His character.  To say that’s not possible from this side is fine, but impossible to actually know.  So the challenge is to learn the obvious lesson, and also hang on to what we already know about God.

That’s my view through this knothole…you?  What do you see?

Contrasts And Dilemmas

“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?  And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?  No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Luke 16:10-13 NASB)

Finances schminances, what’s the big deal?  Why is Jesus so interested in finances?  Most of the people in the crowds around Him didn’t have much “finance” to worry about.  They were more concerned with the next meal.  Of course that does beg the question of why they were in a crowd around Jesus and not working for that next meal.  And still Jesus continues into finances as part of His discussion with His disciples (those having left everything to follow Him).

In this discussion Jesus contrasts having much and little, managing unrighteous wealth versus “true riches”, managing another’s and being given your own, and finally, serving two masters.  Essentially, He says that if we can’t handle a little, why would we expect a lot?  I’m fairly certain that some or many among the crowd were of the opinion that wealth was proof of God’s favor.  So, they considered the source of wealth to be God.  Jesus’ point has to do with the irony of wanting the blessings of God without first honoring God with the blessings already received.

This is like when I teach on “giving” and the response (or rather excuse) I get back is that the people are too strapped to give.  They don’t have enough to give right now, but when they do, they’ll give more and then some.  Jesus teaches that is not actually the case.  Those unaccustomed to offerings when they have little, will not be overly inclined once they have much.  Keep in mind that biblical giving is in proportion.  So if we don’t even give the smaller amount when we have less, why would we be inclined go give the larger amount when we have more?  Ten percent is ten percent, little or much.  If we don’t do it at one end we’re not going to be doing it at the other.

But think through these contrasts.  I’ve already touched on little versus much, but what about unrighteous versus true riches?  What does that mean?  I wonder if unrighteous wealth is that which is gained apart from the Kingdom of God?  That doesn’t sound right since I believe that my Master gave me my job.  It’s not vocational ministry, but I wouldn’t consider the money made to be unrighteous.  On the other hand, the corporation for which I work is not what I would consider righteous either.  Does that make the money I’m paid unrighteous?

I think in this case I would again defer to the historical context and say that it may refer to those with wealth gained prior to their relationship with Jesus.  I don’t have any proof of that though, it’s just an easier interpretation, absolving me of any requirement to apply it to my current situation, except where some rich person joins our church and follows Jesus as His disciple, at which time it would apply…still, kind of a cop-out as well.

The other though may be easier.  Being faithful in what is another’s could refer to the “stewardship” used to refer to how we manage our households.  In other words, seeing all you have as truly belonging to God, and yourself as His steward.  If so, then what is “your own” you might receive later?  Heaven?  Not sure on that one, but I would hesitate long and hard before I made how we manage our finances the key to our gaining heaven.  It may be a marker of how dedicated a disciple we are, or perhaps whether or not we’re a disciple.  But it does not work as criteria used by our Master for who He allows into His heaven.

The final statement, serving two masters, is not that difficult.  Matthew uses it in the Sermon on the Mount.  And who hasn’t seen this truth in the lives of people attending church who seem more caught up their things than the Kingdom of God?  It’s easy to fall away from church attendance unless we engage in it.  Each summer here people seem to vanish each weekend.  Is that sin?  Well, sort of.  It’s indicative of a choice to not be a disciple.  It may not be that they hate God and His Kingdom, but it does seem they love their “recreation” more.

I think that this section can be understood as a nice corollary to the cost of discipleship.  It’s about finances, but that is often one of the biggest deterrents to discipleship and the required devotion to Jesus.  Let’s face it, honestly, isn’t it easier to let our relationship with Jesus lapse when we have more to enjoy doing?  Sunny weekends, camping, boating, dining, traveling, enjoying life, you name it; it all can easily wind its way in between us and our Master.  I get tired, stressed, frustrated, and so on; and the answer is to “get away”.  Why is it always getting away from church though?  It’s work and daily grind of the week that stresses me out, but I when I get away it’s from my family of fellow disciples.  Really?

What do you really think about these contrasts?

The Little Greed Monsters

Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15 NASB)

I nearly went zipping through this verse into the parable without stopping to consider what Jesus just said.  I don’t know, but I suspect that this section, immediately following the “yeast” of the Pharisees, is not for the upper (or middle) middle-class, but for the poorer laborer class.  Striving to make ends meet, longing for the day they can take it easier, be less stressed about surviving each day, and so on.

A random guy from the crowd yells out to Jesus to coerce his brother into “sharing”.  Jesus refuses to be drawn into it, and then says this to kick off a section about “greed” or “covetousness”.  It’s the “Intro” and I nearly missed it.  Jesus’ main point will pivot around this statement, and I wasn’t paying attention.  Well, let’s look at it.

Greed is something to guard against.  The desire to have more than our needs met is the natural course of humans, and care must be taken to redirect our focus away from it.  In a way, desire for more naturally catches the eye, and we have to be diligent to not keep looking.

Granted, some people don’t know why they shouldn’t; they sense no competing motivation. Some sense a competing motivation, but it has little to do with Jesus.  Some just flip it around and turn the desire into a more insidious desire to take from others because they have “too much”, and others “not enough”.  It amounts to the same thing since there is a forced re-distribution going on, and the one doing the forcing usually takes their “fair share” as part of the process.

The truth is, this statement to guard against this greed is counter-culture to this Twenty-first Century American Culture in which I live.  Everything around me competes against this charge to be on my guard against greed.

The support for the charge to guard against greed is interesting.  Having much, many things, does not make my life about those things.  Not even when I have a lot does my life become what I have.  Think about how Jesus words this: not even when…  In other words, my possessions don’t make up my life when I don’t have much.  Perhaps when striving just to survive daily or monthly my life can be seen to not be about my possessions.  But even when I begin to acquire, or at whatever point I have a lot, even then my life is not about those possessions. So no provision for greed is left.  But I think this also gives us a clue to who Jesus is intending this for, the lower class of free people.

The upward struggle, to make something of our lives while we have life, to leave something better for our kids, whatever it might be called, is not to be the focus of a life of a follower of Jesus.  Worrying or focusing on what sort of life I will have at retirement is not what my Master wants me to be about.  I was fine up to that point, about retirement, or preparing for the future.  Keep in mind, He didn’t say, don’t prepare, not even later on in the chapter.  But He is saying not to make that the focus of my life.  In fact He’s saying to guard against the tendency to make that my focus.

I probably have more now than I have ever had in my life, by way of possessions.  So now is also the time in my life I need this passage.  I need this verse, and the following passages now more than ever in my life.  Before, when I was making less than $20k per year, I may not have had time for this truth.  Before when I was making middle income levels of pay, I remember wanting more so I wouldn’t be so stressed about every little expense.  Now, I don’t worry about that, but I do want more stuff.  All along the way I have been struggling with this, but not taking this charge to heart.  I haven’t been guarding against my natural tendency.

Well, I see where I need to change.  I need to be more on my guard against the desire to acquire more stuff for the sake of the other stuff.  It can be tricky since some things can create a felt “need” to have something else to support the thing.  I’m in that right now, and I need to consider what is motivating me, my stuff or my Master.  I think I can make a case for my Master, but I’m tricky…  And now I’m even more confused and stressed.  Lovely.  But my Master still loves me, and wants to use me for His purpose in His kingdom.  Maybe the answer is to quit worrying about my own purpose and kingdom…

What do you learn from this verse?