Follow up Post to The Power of Mercy

A good friend of mine, Brad Jones sent me the following sermon he recently preached in New York City.  We used the same scriptures and gave different perspectives.  I hope you enjoy! -Jim

Message by Brad Jones

Many years ago I was walking down the street in downtown Atlanta, when a homeless person approached my best friend and me.  He began to tell us that his car had broken down the night before and that he needed a little money to get it fixed.  My friend immediately told the man he had no money.  The man then turned to me.  I reached in my pocket and pulled out a five dollar bill.  I then gave the money to the man.  He gratefully thanked me and then began to walk off.  As soon as he had walked away my friend turned to me and said “Why did you give him that money?  You know all he is going to do is go buy alcohol or drugs.”  I replied “I did not give him the money with any strings attached.  I gave it to him freely, for him to decide what to do with it.”    It is not my desire to say you should or should not give money to those who ask.  My reason for mentioning this is to point out that when we have an abundance of something wouldn’t we be better off sharing with those around us.

             As we look at today’s parable we see that Lazarus, a poor and sickly man, is lying in the doorway of the rich man.  The rich man pays him no attention, and is portrayed as a man which sees directly through Lazarus, as if he doesn’t exist at all.  How could anyone stand to have such a person lying on their doorway, covered with sores, those sores being licked by stray dogs – a poor man who longs for nothing but the crumbs falling off the table?  Aren’t we outraged by such an action?  Here this rich man who longs for nothing, a man dressed in purple and fine royal linen, a man who had plenty to eat every day, a man who lived in a “gated” community, a man who chose to ignore this poor man?  We cannot be surprised to find out that such a man would end up in Hades and can’t even get a tiny drink of water. 

             It’s easy to feel pretty self-righteous about the rich man.  However, don’t a lot of us relate more with the rich man?  Who after all, would want to be the hungry one lying in the doorway? Most of us would not want to imagine such a need and, in truth cannot.  The poor man who suffered on earth is rewarded in heaven because those with the means to help him while he was alive, didn’t.  The rich man who had more than enough is sent to Hades because he didn’t share.

             Let’s look a little closer at this parable.  This parable is certainly not hard to understand, but perhaps more difficult to hear, because its message is clear: riches cannot save you.  This parable describes two physical worlds: the earthly life and the life beyond this one.  This parable describes the world of haves and that of the have-nots, the world of the rich, and that of the poor, the world of the comforted, and that of the afflicted.  This should resonate with us.  This is speech we hear all the time on radio, TV, and the internet. The lesson is clear.  Those with many gifts should see that those who have little get the help and assistance needed for them to live a decent life.  If you are rich, then give freely to the poor.  This is obviously a moral lesson for rich people, churches, and nations.  So there we have it, my job is done and everything is clear as a bell.

             But what do we do with the verses of Luke that come before and after this passage?  This story of the rich man and Lazarus is the last in a series of parables Jesus tells in Luke.  Jesus has told us stories about a Good Samaritan, a rich fool, being watchful and faithful, about a great banquet, and a dishonest manager.  Jesus ends with this story which affects every one of us.  The Book of Common Prayer says it best: “Do not let the hope of the poor be taken away.”  What Jesus is trying to relay to us all is that we have to change.  Jesus preaches and teaches the kingdom of God. Which means He wants us to understand that we must see and hear Him in a different way.  To be a part of God’s kingdom is to live and see differently.  We feed the hungry not because we feel obligated or feel as if it is the right thing to do, but because we see their hunger, see as if we were the ones who are hungry, and then act accordingly.  To see others in the light which God see’s us is to live in the kingdom of God.

             There are a lot of people like Lazarus all around us.  As we walk down the streets here in New York we see men and women with all their worldly possessions with them, huddled up in corners and stoops, walking by us pushing their possessions on hand made carts.  Some of them are out of sight and hidden from public view.  Poverty is all around us.  Jesus is not telling us that we all need to be poor too.  He’s teaching us that we are poor too, for every last one of God’s children is dependent on God for everything, even for life itself.      

             So are we to understand that true life begins when we die and have earned enough merits to stand beside Abraham?  We seem to think that we must figure out all the rules and regulations so that we can receive the kingdom of God.  But the kingdom doesn’t work like that; it’s a free gift.  We can’t earn it, no matter what we do or do not do. 

This is not a parable to reveal good news for the poor and bad news for the rich.  The gap between the rich and the poor is one the most important issues of our day.  The moral story of this parable is that if you do not cross this gaping chasm between the rich and the poor in this life time, you certainly will not be able to do it in the next.  For those who have more than their share on this earth, there is no reprieve that will be offered in the life to come.  This parable urges “the haves” to do justice now, for there will be no opportunity later.  No matter how one tries to soften this message, this parable is a warning to the wealthy and a word of comfort for the poor.  Jesus came to “preach good news to the poor.”  He spoke out against the injustices of his day by his firm and insistent warnings to the wealthy to share their wealth and to end oppression wherever it existed.

And yet we are all rich, all of us.  Not just the people in our country, but people throughout this world.  Every last person on earth is rich in one respect: God’s unmerited love.  God cares about everyone.  Therefore all who live in God’s kingdom are bound to do the same.  We should offer our riches to everyone, whoever they may be.  This also means that we are potential recipients, not only of the gratitude of the needy but also of the lessons their lives have to share with us.

So consider who is on the other side of that door.  For Jesus tells us that it is he.  He is the one laying at our door hungry, thirsty and unclothed.  He is the marginalized one that you can easily walk by.  It is God’s Christ which stands by our doorway, knocking.  When we answer, we may not find someone who looks, sounds, or dresses like us, but who we may very well find is someone who looks like our God.

The Power of Mercy - my first blog

The Power of Mercy
My blog message revolves around the amazing "power" of mercy.  How many of us think that the way we can declare power is through the showing of mercy? This concept conflicts with so much of our human nature and possibly our upbringing.  It conflicts with the macho or tough side many of us have or strive for.  We often think of power being associated with force and usually not the forces of kindness and love, but the forces of strength and might. 
We receive a blow and we tend to respond with a stronger blow in kind.  Someone pushes us or one of our buttons and we push back harder.  (Perhaps, we even shove back.)  Driving in traffic, we call our heated responses, road rage.  In conversations, we might call our responses debates, arguments or perhaps we're engaging in good old-fashioned "one-upmanship."  So often, I find myself attempting to "one up" someone else or responding to someone's aggression with an attempt at even stronger aggression.  Do you find yourselves in similar situations?  I wonder if you, like me, find yourself disappointed with the outcomes in many of these situations.  I often regret firing back at someone in an aggressive debate.  I make the common mistake of being aggressive or defensive too frequently.
I strongly believe in living life with passion.  I believe in living each day as if it could be your last.  Make each day count.  I currently have several close friends battling illnesses that may mean their lives are cut short.  I have lost close friends who seemed way too young to die.  The older I get, the younger everyone looks around me.  I don't believe I will ever suggest to be passive or to lack passion. 
I love to compete and enjoy competition.  And like many of the stories in the Bible, I see God loving the heart of a warrior.  He made us in His likeness, in His image, and I believe to be a warrior is a good thing.  David, the mighty warrior, was said to be a man after God's own heart.   But we need to choose our battles wisely in life.  We need to err to the side of mercy and of love.  We are called to love one another especially when it is most challenging to do so.  As Jesus said, love not just our friends, but our enemies.  Pray for them.  Yes, it is hard, but living eternity in a fiery place seems hard too.  Being separated from the love of God seems like an incredibly hard place to be.  In spite of this truth, so many choose to distance themselves from the Lord instead of seeking closeness and relationship with Him.  Many are not even sure God is real.
It seems like God threw us an amazing curve with the birth of His son, Jesus Christ.  He gave us the best gift we can ever imagine.  One problem is that we don't always recognize or accept Jesus as an amazing gift.  And we are given the gift of choice, meaning we must choose Jesus in order to fully receive the gift.  I beg you today to choose Jesus.  But please don't do it for me, make this choice for you.   Make this choice to spend an eternity with Jesus.
I don't believe God or Jesus told us to forget or ignore the Old Testament; Jesus studied the scriptures and was said to know them better than the clergy of the time.  In the stories we read about Jesus, He would go to the temples and read His Father's word.  Jesus did not ignore the prophets of the Old Testament.  He fulfilled their prophecies.  Yet, he challenged some of the old ways of the religious leaders and those of the past to form a new covenant, a New Testament.  He spoke of love, of forgiveness, of mercy and of grace.  (Grace is another word for mercy.)
Read with me the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 16, verses 19-31: 
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table.  Even the dogs came and licked his sores." 
"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side.  The rich man also died and was buried.  In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' 
But Abraham replied, "Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.  And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'  He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers.  Let me warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 'No father Abraham,' he said, but if someone from the dead goes to them they will repent.'  He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"
Who do you relate to most in this story?  Do you fear for yourself or for loved ones when you read about the fate of the rich man?  Many of us have been blessed with so much in this life.  I know I have been blessed.  Others have not been so blessed.  Does this mean that those who are poor and have nothing are the only ones to receive God's mercy?  I believe there is much more to this story than the distinction between rich and poor.  We need to look closer. 
For a deeper view, take a closer look at the end of the story where Abraham says to the rich man, "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."  This is a parable that not only speaks of the past, but points to the future.  This story tells us that we need to pay close attention to the Old Testament and the messages from Moses and the Prophets.  The story also points to the future to the man who died for all of us that we might receive God's grace and forgiveness. This man is Jesus, the only son of God.  When Jesus told this story He knew then what He was going to do for us.  His crucifixion and gift of grace at the cross had not taken place yet.   Had the disciples known what we know looking back at this story that Jesus was likely speaking of His own death and resurrection.  Jesus appears to be warning us that not listening to Moses and the Prophets would mean we would fail to listen to Jesus too.
Once Jesus was crucified, like the story warns us in Luke 16, so many have chosen not to listen to the words of Jesus who rose from the dead.  We are given that choice today.  Have you chosen to listen to the man who came back from the dead?  Jesus gives us that choice.  We are called to choose Him in order to receive the gift of grace and eternal life.  Jesus gave that same choice to the two “bad” men who died next to Him on the crosses at Calvary.  One of those two men chose to mock Jesus when Jesus gave him the choice to accept Him.  The other man asked in Luke 23:42-43 "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."  Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."  Which man or woman do you want to be?  You have the choice.  God loves you enough to give you that choice.  I can't convince you, but perhaps He can.
If you are skeptical about believing Jesus was indeed the son of God, I ask you to read the many stories told about Him.  Look at the amazing miracles He made happen.  He brought another man back from the dead also named Lazarus.  (This was a different Lazarus.) He healed the lepers and the blind.  He fed the masses with a few loaves of bread and fish.  Surely his goodness was from God our Father in heaven. 


Please don’t stop there.  Read about how in spite of the amazing power He had to create so many miracles, He willingly chose death on the cross for you and me...for all of us.  He knew what was coming and He willingly died for us.  He couldn’t stand the thought of spending eternity separated from us like the fixed chasm in the story of Lazarus and the rich man.  That truth hurts me to know that Jesus died for me, but the truth also gives me incredible hope knowing that someone could love me that much.   Especially knowing the Son of God died for me and wants to be with me.
The Bibles points out that hundreds of eye witnesses saw Jesus after He died.  The same men who ran when Jesus was tried and crucified gave their lives to spread His story.  Think of the courage they had to have to follow Jesus AFTER He was crucified.  At least one man, Stephen was stoned for following Jesus.  Many others were imprisoned and crucified.  When they saw their Lord and Savior alive again they knew indeed that He was who He said He was.
Shortly before He died on the cross, Jesus asked God to forgive those who crucified Him.  Words that come to mind include, amazing, overwhelming, mercy and Grace.  And yes, Power.   Mercy to me is the amazing power of the gift of the cross.
Please read the following prayer from the Book of Common Prayer: "O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity." Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever."  AMEN!
This prayer ties directly to another prayer that I have found to give me great comfort.  I struggle with the discipline, obedience and the commitment to follow Paul's words to us in the book of Thessalonians to “pray unceasingly.”  Here is a shorter prayer I have grown to love to say, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.”  Some call it “The Jesus Prayer.”  I pray it continually for myself and for others.  I ask others to pray it as well.  But like others probably question, I ask myself, “How can we pray unceasingly?”  I often wonder how we can do that and live life.  How do we do that and work?  How do we do that and enjoy college football on Saturdays or hang out with our family and friends?   There is an answer.   If you pray often, I promise you answers will come.  I know that from experience, but more importantly I know that because God tells us He will answer our prayers.  God always keeps His promises.  I don’t always “like” His answers, but He will and does answer our prayers.
Let me share a personal story.  I challenge myself to pray this Jesus Prayer continually.  I attempt to stay focused on prayer even when I am speaking.  I pray in difficult business meetings.  I pray in times of loneliness.  I pray when I am tempted.  I STILL find that I don't pray often enough.  I am ashamed to admit that I still sin.  I once thought my sins were better than others’ sins.  I have come to know that all sin is bad.  In the Lord’s eyes hating others is like killing someone.  Lusting is like committing adultery.  Who among us is sinless?  It is comforting to know the Lord forgave me for my sins by His amazing act of grace on the cross.  But accepting that has made me even more determined to let Jesus fill my life and help me put aside my sinful ways.  I can't do it alone, but He can through me.  His Mercy is so powerful.
I have asked my friends in different time zones and in Africa to please pray for me.  I have offered to and do pray for them.  In this way, we could find ourselves possibly praying for one another around the clock.  I can't speak for you, but knowing someone is praying for me is comforting.  I ask Jesus to pray for me.  I pray as I write today.  I share this message with you from deep inside of my heart and soul.  I pray for you and me to show mercy for one another.  We will experience amazing power in doing so.   I ask our Lord Jesus to have mercy on you and those you love as well.  Amen.