Monthly Archives: June 2024

Fishers of Men & Fish – Sermon on Luke 5:1-11 for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity

Luke 5:1–11

1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Today, we hear Jesus calling Peter along with James and John, “From now on you will be catching men.” After they are called, they bring their boats to the shore, leave everything, and follow Jesus. They didn’t make sure their boats were properly registered for the marina. They didn’t clean, fold, and neatly store their nets. They didn’t sell this massive catch of fish to a person someone with a booth in the marketplace. They didn’t take care of any of the details that would have been required to leave their fishing business or to sell this massive quantity of fish. Instead, they leave everything and follow Jesus to learn to become fishers of men (Mk. 1:17).

This isn’t the first time Jesus calls these men to follow Him. Most Bibles have a heading over this reading in bold letters that says something like, “Jesus Calls the First Disciples,” but that’s a bit misleading because, when we look at the other Gospels, we can easily see that this is the not the first time Jesus has called Peter, James, and John to follow Him. John 1 is where Jesus first calls these guys. There, Andrew, who is Peter’s brother, is a disciple of John the Baptizer. Andrew hears John call Jesus the Lamb of God. Andrew goes and finds Peter and they both begin to follow Jesus. The other guy Jesus calls away from being a disciple of John the Baptizer is John who gets his brother James. These guys follow Jesus and end up at the wedding in Cana where they see Jesus turn water into wine and believe in Him (Jn. 2:11).

So, by the time we get to this text in Luke 5, Peter, Andrew, James, and John have already been called by Jesus to be His disciples. But when this text begins, they are still providing for their families through their fishing business. And by the end of this text, they are called to full-time disciples or (if you remember what the word ‘disciple’ means from last week’s sermon) they care called to full-time ‘learning.’ After this text in Luke 5, they aren’t fishers of fish anymore. Instead, they are learning from Jesus to be fishers of men.

When you read the rest of the Gospels, it is clear that they don’t start catching men immediately. They do leave everything to follow Jesus, but when they leave their boats and nets here, it is the beginning of their training. The follow Jesus for about three and a half years and watch all that Jesus does. They listen to His teaching, they see Him do all kinds or miracles, and they are witnesses of His resurrection. They only start catching men after Christ makes them apostles and sends them out to preach the Gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Act. 1:8). The listen to Jesus’ call and proclaim the Gospel. Thanks be to God.

The thing to notice today is that there is another individual in this text whom we easily overlook. That character is the father of James and John named Zebedee, whose name means, “my gift.” Zebedee is simply mentioned as James and John’s father, but in Mark we are told that James and John leave Zebedee in the boat to follow Jesus (Mk. 1:20). Jesus didn’t call Zebedee to be a fisher of men. Instead, Zebedee, the father of two of the three closest disciples of Jesus, gets left in the boat.

Now, there’s no question that Zebedee believed that Jesus was the Messiah and Savior. Zebedee made great sacrifices as a believer in Jesus. He didn’t try to stop his sons from following Jesus to learn to catch men even though he probably planned to have James and John take over the family business, but he lets them leave everything to follow Jesus. We know that Zebedee’s wife, Salome (Mt. 27:56; Mk. 15:40; 16;1), was one of the women who supported Jesus during His ministry. She was also present at the cross and the empty tomb on Easter morning.

So, when we consider this text, we see that Jesus calls people some people away from their careers and livelihood to become fishers of men. But don’t miss the fact that Jesus calls others to stay and remain in their careers and be fishers of fish. This is still the case today. Jesus calls some to be nurses of patients, farmers of crops, secretaries of offices, law enforcement officers of cities, landscapers of homes, teachers of students, mothers of children, and we could go on and on. Jesus also calls some to leave their careers and train to become full-time preachers and teachers of His Word. In other words, Christ calls some men to be pastors.

Scripture is clear that we need men to be pastors. God wants pastors to shepherd His flocks in His congregations. That is important. But as your shepherd and pastor, I want to make something absolutely, crystal clear: this does not mean that pastors have a ‘spiritual calling,’ and you have a ‘secular calling.’ Nope! Every Christian has a spiritual calling to be a Christian and to faithfully carry out your vocation, whatever that vocation may be.

In the kingdom of God, we need many, many more parishioners than pastors. We need more Zebedees than Peters, Jameses, and Johns [sic.]. In fact, we need at least ten Zebedees for every one pastor. In all likelihood, God used Zebedee so that James and John could follow Jesus and learn how to become fishers of men. It’s even likely that God used Zebedee to sell that miraculous catch of fish to finance James and John’s training under Jesus.

In short, most believers are called by God to be fishers of fish, and this is by God’s good design. Dear saints, not every believer is called to be a fisher of men. That might be contradictory to what you’ve heard, but it’s true. That doesn’t mean that Zebedee didn’t share his faith with people that he came into contact with. I can’t prove it from Scripture, but I’m sure Zebedee pointed people to Jesus as the Messiah and Savior whenever he got the chance. Yet, his chief vocation was fishing. And God works through these callings, not just to put food in bellies but also to put His Word into people’s ears.

God works through your calling to give people what they need. God works through teachers to prepare their students for the different callings those students will have. God works through those students who become doctors, engineers, architects, accountants, and mechanics to provide His blessings. When we pray for our daily bread, God answers that prayer through hundreds of people – farmers, factory workers, bakers, drivers, insurance brokers, etc. God doesn’t answer our prayers for daily bread through fishers of men. If everyone was called to be a fisher of men, we’d all starve – including pastors. God uses you, your work, your salary, and your generosity to fund the proclamation of His Word.

So, God be praised for the many Zebedees who started this congregation and sacrificed their time, talents, and treasures to give us this building, and God be praised for those of you who have worked to maintain it, keep it clean, and fund the ministry here so we can come here each week and receive God’s gifts of His Word and Sacrament. Hundreds of Zebedees have made it possible for us to be here today. We owe them our gratitude and thanks. They have sacrificed to expand and maintain our facilities. And God calls all of us to this same work so we can pass on a place where our children and others can come to hear the Gospel. May the casting of nets from this place continue now and in the future years until Christ returns.

So yes, we praise God for the fishers of men who have stood in this pulpit and faithfully proclaimed God’s Word, and we pray that God would call more men to answer that calling. But none of that happens without the Zebedees, who are equally important. Let all of us pray that God would grant a miraculous catch of people that fills the boat of this sanctuary.

Dear saints, you have been brought into God’s Church, and now Jesus invites you to His table to receive His Body and Blood for the forgiveness of all your sins. Through this Sacrament, you are strengthened to be whatever God has called you to be. Faithfully carry out the calling and vocation He has given you. Because through that vocation, God will continue to expand and further of His kingdom. May God bless you and the work He gives you to do. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Learning – Sermon on Luke 6:36-42 for the Fourth Sunday after Trinity

Luke 6:36–42

36 “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Certain words and phrases get used so often that we easily forget what they actually mean. In Christian circles, one of those words is ‘disciple.’ What does ‘disciple’ mean? Honestly, it can mean a lot of things. Maybe you hear that word and think of the twelve guys Jesus called to follow Him. That’s good. They were the twelve disciples. It also isn’t wrong to understand ‘disciple’ as an alternate term for ‘Christian.’ Totally legit. There are all sorts of books, podcasts, videos, and ministries today that talk about Christian ‘discipleship’ and they basically use that term to refer to a journey of spiritual growth. Sure, that’s fine too. But what is a disciple?

The Greek word that gets translated as ‘disciple’ simply means ‘one who learns from another,’ so let’s shorten that to this – a disciple is a ‘learner.’ So, when Jesus says in Jn. 8:31, “If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples,” He is telling us to keep learning from Him as we read, hear, and confess the Scriptures. When Jesus says in Jn. 13:35, “By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another,” He is saying the world will have evidence that we have learned and are learning from Him by our love for one another (1 Jn. 2:3, 3:23).

Well, today Jesus gives us a hint at how long our training as His disciples and learners will be. He says to us, “A disciple/learner is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher”(Lk. 6:40). Your education and learning from Jesus will last until you are like Him. So, don’t worry about throwing a graduation party. God Himself will throw one for you in the Resurrection and the life of the world to come. 

This Gospel reading is from what is called Jesus’ “Sermon on the Plain,” and He teaches some hard and difficult lessons for us learners, disciples, and Christians. These lessons are all intended to make us like Him. “Be merciful even as your Father is merciful. Judge not. Condemn not. And give abundantly.” But before we get into these lessons, I’d like to briefly point out that Jesus has been teaching us those same lessons today through His Word in our liturgy even though you might not realize it.

There’s a great analogy for this in the movie “The Karate Kid,” which is about a high school-aged boy, Daniel, who moved to a new town where he has no friends. He’s an outsider who keeps getting beat up by a bunch bullies. He asks Mr. Miyagi, the handyman for his apartment complex, to teach him karate so he can defend himself. So, Mr. Miyagi tells him to show up early. Daniel arrives, and Miyagi has him wax all of his vintage cars with a certain technique – “Wax on. Wax off. Breathe in through nose, out through mouth. Wax on. Wax off.” Daniel spends the whole day waxing those cars, and Miyagi tells him to come back the next day and has Daniel, “Sand the floor,” with specific motions and breathing. Again, it takes Daniel the whole day to sand the floor. The next day, it was, “Paint the fence.” The fourth day, “Paint the house.” Daniel finishes after sunset and is fed up. He yells that he quits and starts to storm off in anger and frustration because he been worked to the bone but hasn’t learned any karate.

Miyagi calls him back and tells Daniel, “Show me wax on, wax off. Show me sand the floor,” and the other moves. Then Miyagi, without any warning, starts throwing punches at Daniel, and each of those moves are different ways to block the punches. Finally, Miyagi goes berserk throwing all these punches and kicks at Daniel, and he blocks all of them using the moves he instinctively learned doing those tasks. Miyagi stops and bows. Daniel suddenly realizes that he’d been learning karate the whole time he was waxing, sanding, and painting. Our liturgy is doing the same thing Miyagi was doing for Daniel – it teaches us the major lessons we need to train our spiritual instincts as learners and disciples of Jesus.

Today, Jesus teaches us, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not. Condemn not.” We come here each Sunday and confess our sins then sing, “O God the Father in heaven; O God the Son, Redeemer of the world; O God the Holy Ghost, true Comforter, have mercy upon us.” And then, we hear the absolution. That is training us to be merciful, even as our Father is merciful. It might feel like we’re just mindlessly reciting or singing the same words week after week, but we are learning how God is merciful to us so we can be merciful to others.

Even if we are just going through the motions without much thought or sincerity, God is still teaching us how merciful He is by proclaiming His forgiveness. The liturgy is training us so when people sin against us and hurt us and then offer insincere, half-hearted apologies, we remember how God has forgiven us even when we were insincere and didn’t feel particularly guilty. 

The liturgy trains our spiritual instincts beyond the lessons Jesus teaches in this text. We hear God’s Word and learn to say it back to Him and to the world when we confess our faith using the Creeds. The liturgy teaches us how to pray in good times and in bad times. Our liturgy and hymns teach us who God is and how He is toward us to strengthen our faith toward Him and our love toward one another. When our service closes with the benediction and doxology, we are reminded that we have been in God’s gracious presence, and He dismisses us with His abundant blessings as we go from this place singing His praise.

Yes, of course, there are going to be weeks where we might simply be going through the words and actions of the liturgy. That’s going to happen. But I would strongly encourage you to do your best each week to slow down, pay attention, think about what you are doing, and consider why we are doing what we are doing. God, through His Word in our liturgy, is working on you to prepare you for the spiritual battles you face throughout your life.

I could go on and on about the different things Jesus uses in the liturgy to teach us, but I want to close with one more from today’s text. In this text, Jesus teaches us, “Give abundantly.” We bring our tithes and offerings to God, we put them into the plate, and God showers the gifts of His Word and teaching on us. He gives us His mercy and grace. He gives us a family of brothers and sisters in Christ. He gives us His full attention as we pray and ask for His help and His blessing. God gives and gives and gives so that our lap is overflowing.

Dear saints, you cannot out-give God. Because of what Jesus has done for you, because He has suffered, shed His blood, and died for you, you have received abundant, overflowing, eternal treasures. God has done that for you throughout your entire life. He has done it today. And, if Christ tarries, He will be here to do that again for you next week as well. God’s giving knows no end. Because of God’s mercy freely given to you, you also can be merciful and giving toward others. God even invites you to test Him in this. In Malachi 3:6-12, God says, “Bring in the full tithe and watch what I will do. I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

Dear saints, you have had a forest of logs removed from your eye by the grace of God given because of Christ. May Christ continually teach us this through His Word, and may we be humble enough to continually learn from Him as we are made to be merciful and giving like He is. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Correction – Sermon on Proverbs 9:1-10 for the Second Sunday after Trinity

Proverbs 9:1–10

1 Wisdom has built her house; 
she has hewn her seven pillars. 
2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; 
she has also set her table. 
3 She has sent out her young women to call 
from the highest places in the town, 
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” 
To him who lacks sense she says, 
5 “Come, eat of my bread 
and drink of the wine I have mixed. 
6 Leave your simple ways, and live, 
and walk in the way of insight.” 
7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, 
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. 
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; 
reprove a wise man, and he will love you. 
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; 
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. 
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, 
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

What comes to mind when you think of a wise person? Maybe you picture an individual. Some of you see a gray-haired man with a long beard and weathered robe sitting on top of a mountain. Maybe, you think of your grandpa, dad, or a former pastor – not your current one! Maybe, when you think of a wise person, you think of characteristics and qualities. Someone who doesn’t immediately react. Someone who ponders and mulls over possibilities before responding to different questions and situations that arise.

We might think a wise person is someone very put together and successful. Someone who is well off financially and made the right career choices and investments. We build up this wise person into someone who never makes mistakes. Here’s where we need our first correction because a person who never makes mistakes is not a wise person – that’s a perfect person. Wisdom does not mean a person is always right – not even close. Instead, a wise person is someone who is good at being wrong. And what I mean by that is that a wise person is someone who listens to correction. A wise person is someone who knows they don’t know everything and is willing to be learn from their mistakes and from the experience of others.

Our text says, “Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you” (Pro. 9:7-8a). When we hear those lines, we might think that is advice to keep us from wasting our time and correcting someone who won’t take correction. In other words, we interpret that as a way to disdain others. “I pointed out his mistakes and how he was wrong, but he didn’t like it and lashed out at me. He must be a wicked scoffer because he didn’t listen to the wisdom I tried to give him.”

There is truth to that interpretation, but I don’t think that is how we should understand those verses. Instead, the Holy Spirit would correct us and have us understand those verses a diagnostic tool on ourselves when we are corrected. In other words, when someone corrects or reproves you, how do you respond? Do you lash out at that person? Do you offer up all sorts of excuses to defend your actions? Do you hate it when people correct you? If you do, you are the wicked scoffer.

Here’s why we should take it that way. Look again at what comes right after those verses, “Reprove,” same word used above, “Reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning” (Pro. 9:8b-9) A person who is truly wise welcomes correction when he is wrong. A wise person knows he doesn’t know everything and is willing to keep learning more and more. A wise person is even willing to be rebuked, “You messed up here.”

Now, receiving that kind of reproof and rebuke isn’t fun. No one likes being corrected. We all resist admitting that we made a mistake, sinned, or failed. But after the sting of being corrected wears off, we should step back, reflect, repent, and learn from those mistakes and sins so we can do better in the future. When we do that, we can be actually grateful for the person who rebuked us because that person has had a hand in making us better, smarter, and wiser.

That is the path of wisdom: Humbly receiving correction and rebuke. Pondering advice and reproof. And implementing changes to improve and progress toward being a better, more complete person.

Now, all of this is surface level stuff and is true for everything. It’s true for how to be a boss and manage employees; how to treat a patient; how to keep track of your finances; how to dribble a basketball; and how to sweep a floor, wash the dishes, and mow a lawn. Even the most experienced person can be corrected and improve at those tasks. Recognizing that other people have good advice and insight to make us better at those things is to be wise. The thing about that is that you could hear a lecture about this kind of thing from a TED talk, a self-improvement lecture, or a motivational speech. But this is a sermon, so let’s take this further.

First and most obviously, we need to take correction, instruction, and reproof from the Scriptures. What the Bible calls a sin is sin. When you do what God has forbidden or failed to do what God demands, recognize that as the sin that it is. When you are reading the Scriptures and realize that you need to repent, well, repent.

Remember how Adam, after he had eaten the forbidden fruit, had his eyes opened to realize his nakedness and shame. Then, Adam heard the sound of God walking in the Garden and tried to hide from God (Gen. 3:8). But God wasn’t coming to destroy Adam; He was coming to give Adam chance after chance to repent. I’ve taught this so often that you might be tired of hearing it, but we all need to hear this repeatedly.

When God calls out to Adam, “Where are you?” He is giving Adam an opportunity to repent. When God asks, “Who told you were naked? Did you eat from the tree I commanded you not to eat?” God is giving Adam a second and third opportunity to repent. Adam does finally admit his sin, but when he does, he blames God, “The woman whom You gave me, she gave me the fruit and I ate” (Gen. 3:9-12). Even though Adam barely admits his sin and even accuses God for his transgression, God still responds in mercy promising to send the Seed of the Woman who would crush the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15).

Let me be clear, this doesn’t mean you should be like Adam. Instead, learn from his example and do better than he did. When the God says, “You are a sinner,” say, “Yes. I’m a sinner. I need Your forgiveness.” And know that God is a better forgiver than you are a sinner.

Secondly, learn from the example of the people in Scripture when they sin and are reproved. In 1 Cor. 10:1-12, Paul talks about all the things God had done for His people when He delivered them from slavery in Egypt, baptizing them as they passed through the Red Sea, and nourishing their bodies with food and water. But they still sinned. They made the golden calf, they repeatedly grumbled, and rebelled. They were judged, bitten by poisonous serpents, and destroyed by their enemies. Paul’s conclusion to all of that is, “These things happened to them as an example, but they were written for our instruction” (1 Cor. 10:11; Ro. 15:4).

Wisdom includes learning from their experiences. So, know your Bible. Learn from Abraham’s folly in trying to make God’s promises come early (Gen. 16). Be instructed by sinners like David and Peter who repented of their great sin and failures and were restored. One of the reasons Scripture records the failures of the heroes of the faith is so we would not fail, fall, and sin in the ways they did. Another reason is so we can see how God extends His abounding mercy to them, even in the midst of their failures.

Where do we get this wisdom? Our text tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Here is where we need another correction. Fear comes up a lot in Scripture, but is fear a good thing or a bad thing? In many places in Scripture, fear is the thing from which Christ came to rescue us. “Fear not,” is the most common command in the Bible. You heard it in last week’s Epistle reading, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” (1 Jn. 4:18). Yet at the same time, Scripture says about God, “With You there is forgiveness that you may be feared” (Ps. 130:4). The Bible calls us to fear, and strangely we are to fear God. This can leave us confused. On one hand, we are told Jesus frees us from fear. And on the other hand, we are told to fear God. Why would God want us to fear Him?

There are two types of fear in Scripture. One is a sinful fear that runs away from God like Adam did. James talks about that kind of fear when he says that the demons believe in God and shudder (Jam. 2:19). But the right fear of God is completely different. This right fear of God is not being afraid of God. The right fear of God is spoken of in Isaiah 8:12-14 which says, “Do not call conspiracy what this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, Him you shall honor as holy. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. And He will become a sanctuary.”

A right understanding of the fear and love of God that Scripture talks about recognizes the two are not opposites. It’s not like the fear of the Lord is cold water that extinguishes your love for Him. No. When you fear the One who gives you His mercy, grace, and forgiveness, you are corrected and realize that there is nothing left to be afraid of. He is in control of all the other things that might cause you fear. When you rightly fear the Lord of hosts, then you will not fear what others fear because He can and will deliver you from whatever other dreadful things might come your way. Again, with your God there is forgiveness, that He may be feared (Ps. 130:4).

Finally, dear saints, God, who is Wisdom itself, calls you to come to His feast. We might think such a banquet is only for the wise and that we have to attain wisdom on our own before attending this feast. But if that is what you think, you need one more correction. God, who is Wisdom itself, calls and invites you who are simple and lack sense. God calls all of us simpletons, “Come, eat of My bread and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways and live, and walk in the way of insight.” Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Feast & Famine – Sermon on Luke 16:19-31 for the First Sunday after Trinity

Luke 16:19–31

19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Psalm 37:16 says, “Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked” (see also Pro. 15:16).

Today, Jesus puts before us two men. One is fabulously rich, the other pitifully poor. One wears royal clothes, the other painful sores. One feasts sumptuously every day, the other craves crumbs. Jesus makes sure to highlight these major differences between the two men, but Jesus also makes sure that we know what they have in common.

First and most obviously, both die. Both face an eternal existence after death. And that existence is something that all the powers of this world have no influence to change or control. After his death, the rich man is no longer rich, and he is powerless to modify that. After his death, Lazarus is no longer poor. He has eternal riches and gifts that he didn’t earn and cannot be taken away.

But there is something else that these two men have in common with one another. Both men are passive. In other words, things happen to them. Now, this can be easy to miss, but once you see it you can’t ignore it.

To see it, let’s start with Lazarus. Jesus says that Lazarus is located at the rich man’s gate. But notice how Lazarus gets there. Jesus says that Lazarus is laid there. In other words, someone or something puts him there. Lazarus doesn’t intentionally go to the rich man’s gate day after day after day. If you were a destitute beggar but could move on your own, you’d go places where you would get help. And it would make sense to go to a rich man’s gate, but if you saw that rich dude feasting every day and he never gave you crumbs that fell from his table, you’d probably move somewhere else and hope to get noticed and helped in that new location. So, Jesus is clear that Lazarus is laid there (v. 20), but Jesus doesn’t say exactly who put Lazarus there, so let’s keep investigating.

Jesus says that the dogs came and licked Lazarus’ sores. Where did those dogs come from? They weren’t people’s personal pets that are sent to Lazarus. They were likely wild dogs. Psalm 50:10 says that every beast and the cattle on a thousand hills belong to God. Again, it isn’t directly stated that God sent the dogs. So, let’s keep looking.

When Lazarus dies, what happens? Jesus says that the angels are standing there, waiting to carry him to heaven. Now, there’s an important clue. Psalm 103:20 says that the angels are the mighty ones who obey God’s Word. Here, these angels are commanded to not only escort Lazarus to heaven, they are also the ones who carry him there. They wait for God’s command and direction. And in God’s timing, those angels carry Lazarus to heaven but not one moment before God decides.

Now, if God is in total, complete control of the end of Lazarus’ life, it would make sense that God was in control of everything leading up to that as well. No sparrow falls to the ground without God knowing it. Scripture promises that the hairs of your head are numbered (Mt. 10:29-31). The Bible is clear that God was in control of everything happening to Lazarus during his entire life (Ps. 139). God was governing all of his steps and movements. So, Lazarus, poor and sick though he was, was being taken care of by God throughout his entire life. God was the one who laid him at the rich man’s gate. God sent the dogs to comfort him by licking his sores. God sent the angels to carry him to heaven. And after he dies, God comforts Lazarus in paradise. Lazarus is passive. Things happen to him at God’s direction.

Now, consider the rich man. When Abraham is responding to the rich man’s request for Lazarus to give him a drop of water (more on that in a bit), Abraham says, “Remember that you in your lifetime received your good things” (Lk. 16:25). That tells us a lot about the rich man and his riches. All the things he enjoyed in his lifetime were given to him as gifts. His royal, purple clothes were a gift. His sumptuous feasts, a gift. His house and gate, a gift. Even the beggar Lazarus lying at his gate was a gift from God. Lazarus was a God-given opportunity for the rich man to share all the good things he received. But the rich man didn’t see any of his blessings as a gift. By all appearances, the rich man imagined those gifts were all things that he had earned, and he saw Lazarus as an inconvenient nuisance. But from heaven’s perspective, they were all gifts that were given.

That doesn’t mean that the rich man wasn’t a hard worker or a savvy investor. What it means is that He was a recipient of all the good things he enjoyed during his life. God gave it all. Everything he had – even the things he had earned – was given to him by God. But this rich man didn’t receive them as God’s good gifts. Instead, he saw everything revolving around him. If it was good, it was for his own pleasure and use. If it was inconvenient – like a beggar at his gate, it was a hurdle to his pleasure. He never gave thanks to God for the gifts, so he never thought to share the gifts God had given to him with others. He was foolish in his thinking and life (Ro. 1:21-22). All of this meant that he couldn’t enjoy the gifts he had been given. Even his feasting was a famine because he received it in isolation. He didn’t share his bounty with others.

In the end, it didn’t matter how little Lazarus had, and it didn’t matter how much the rich man had. What mattered was faith. Lazarus had faith that was credited to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6). The rich man didn’t have faith, and when he stood before God to be judged (Heb. 9:27), he lacked the righteousness God demands (Mt. 5:20).

Now, we might feel sorry for the rich man as he’s suffering in hell. It is a pitiful thing to see someone think that a drop of water is merciful. And we certainly don’t want anyone to go to eternal condemnation. But the rich man’s torment doesn’t lead him to repentance. Look at how the rich man acts in hell. It doesn’t seem like the rich man has changed at all. He doesn’t ask to leave hell. He’d rather have Lazarus leave his comfort. Even in torment, the rich man is bossing people around. He still doesn’t talk to Lazarus; instead, he tries to tell Abraham what to do. The rich man thinks it is unfair that he is in hell. Underlying his desire to have Lazarus rise from the dead and warn his brothers is an attitude that arrogantly says that he knows better how to evangelize unbelievers. The rich man is basically saying, “If someone rises from the dead, then there will be a lot more people in heaven and fewer in hell. If I had seen someone rise from the dead, I wouldn’t be here.”

But in the end, the rich man hadn’t listened to the Scriptures. He hadn’t believed God’s Word. He hadn’t repented. He hadn’t believed in God’s mercy. Instead, he neglected God’s Word, and because of that, he was poor. On the other hand, Lazarus had the eternal treasure of God’s Word which made him rich – even in his earthly poverty. In Lazarus, we see the truth of what Pro. 15:15 says, “All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.”

Now, where does this leave us? We aren’t as wealthy as the rich man, and we aren’t as poor and destitute as Lazarus. All of us are somewhere in the middle, but that doesn’t change the fact that everything we have – whether it is a feast or a famine – is given to us from the hand of God.

God has given you two hands with two palms which are created to receive the things that God gives. And those hands have five fingers with space between them, which allows the good gifts of God fall through your hands to others. Because He is the Creator of all things, God has an infinite supply of gifts to give to you. He gives you everything freely, and He desires that you receive it as a gift so you don’t clutch at it and try to keep it for yourself. You, dear saints, are a conduit that receives from God and passes His bounty on to others. Proverbs 19:17 says, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.”

Most importantly, you were poor miserable sinners. But Jesus saw you in your poverty. He left His feasting and became poor for your sake so you, through His poverty, would become rich (2 Cor. 8:9). Christ has come to give His own Body and Blood unto death for your sake. Now, He is risen forever and invites you not to have just some crumbs that fall from His plate. He invites you to have a seat at His table. Leave the famine of your sin and greed. Come and feast in His presence. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.