Who is Lazarus for us?
Luke 16:19-31
HW in HI

Two thousand years ago, the color purple stood for something. Not just anybody could wear purple. Purple dye was very hard to make, and purple was only worn by royalty and very wealthy people. If you wore purple, you were somebody.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us a story about somebody who wore purple; people thought he was somebody. But not Jesus. Jesus doesn’t even tell us his name. At his gate we see lying on the ground a very poor, weak man. No one thinks he’s somebody. Except Jesus. Jesus tells us his name: Lazarus. And that’s it. Then they both die, and everything changes. Get it?

In 1998 we can wear purple, if we want. It doesn’t cost any more than brown. Jesus wasn’t telling us: don’t wear purple. I guess that’s obvious.

When we look at the story of Lazarus at the gate, it makes us uncomfortable. We don’t want to be Lazarus, And I guess we don’t want to wind up in hell. I think we are beginning to get it.

The rich man saw Lazarus. We know he saw Lazarus. Once he got to hell, he called Lazarus by name. But in this life, where he had power and wealth, he ignored him. The rich man didn’t get it.

In his letter to Timothy, Paul said, “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.” Those are the words to follow. If we ourselves choose to be righteous. If we ourselves choose to be godly. If we choose faith. Love. Endurance. Then we set a course that says to the world, “St. James’ is here, as a place to worship. And we set a course that says to the world, “St. James’ is here to help. At St. James’, we get it.”

Lately at St. James’ we’ve been talking about who gets buried where. We get into the business of where we should go. It’s understandable. We’re only human. But it is a little silly. From all our fuss, you would think that the soul and the body stay close together after death. From all our fuss you would think that where the body goes has something to do with where the soul goes. We just don’t get it, do we?

Think about our friend the rich man. History tells us that he probably had an excellent burial service, and a fabulous gravesite. But Lazarus, poor Lazarus, maybe he was buried in a Potter’s field, or worse. That’s where their bodies went. But that had nothing to do with them. The real essence of the rich man, the real essence of Lazarus was not buried at all. Lazarus was carried away by angels, and found himself in heaven. The rich man, for all his money, wound up in hell.

Now, if we go outside to the gate of St. James’, we won’t find Lazarus. We have to ask ourselves, who is Lazarus for us? Who is there out there, waiting for our help? Whom are we ignoring? And once we know who Lazarus is, or perhaps who the Lazaruses are, we are to follow the words of Paul: “do good, be rich in good works, generous and ready to share... storing up for ourselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that we make take hold of the life that is really life.” And hopefully, we will get it. Amen.