September 26, 2010 at Saint Mark Church in Norman, OK
Amos: 1, 4-7 + Psalm 146 + 1 Timothy 6: 11-16 + Luke 16: 19-31
The idea has come to me that four Gospels is not enough, and I have decided to join the Evangelist team and write up a fifth one. It probably will not make the cut-off and ever be included in anyone’s Bible; but I think that if I write the stories correctly I won’t have to preach anymore, so after Byron is finished proclaiming the new Gospel, we can just go right on with the Creed and you’ll be out of here about fifteen minutes faster. Does anyone object to that?
After giving this idea some thought during the week, I decided to start with this story, and fill in the others later. Now Byron, the rules say that if you are present, I cannot read the Gospel; but since this is not Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, you are excused. There is already a Gospel of Thomas not accepted, so we will have to call this the Gospel of September. Somewhere in the middle this story will come up.
“Jesus said to the good people of Norman: There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen imported from Italy. (First I wrote down crimson and cream but then I scratched that out purple and linen as a nice ring to it.) He dined on the finest of cuisine every day and his wine choices rivaled the greatest cellars. He dined alone because he liked it that way. Outside on the front porch was a poor man named Lazarus covered with sores. Lazarus would gladly have eaten the left-over food, but the door was always closed. It was always closed because the rich man was afraid of Lazarus. He was afraid Lazarus might mess up the place or take some of his stuff. Dogs came and licked the sores on Lazarus. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels straight on to the banquet in heaven. When the rich man died the undertaker took him away (no angels). He was dumped on the front porch of heaven while his children hatefully fought each other over his estate. Thinking he would live much longer, and putting off everything important, he had no will. Then the dogs came, and they bit him and tore his fine garments to rags.
“He shouted out for help, but the door was closed just the way he liked it, and no one heard him for a long time. Finally, Abraham came out to welcome some other guests, and the rich man said: “Father Abraham, I’m miserable and hungry out here. Let me in. But Abraham just looked the other way closing the door just as the rich man closed his door. Again, Father Abraham came out to welcome other guests, and the rich man said: “If I can’t come in, send Lazarus out to tell my family to stop fighting over that stuff and come help me.” Abraham said: “It won’t do any good, they have the door closed, and they are too busy eating everything they can find and spending all your money.
“No, Father Abraham” the rich man said: “If Lazarus goes back, they will listen.” But Father Abraham said: “Now look here, what makes you think they are going to open the door with Lazarus back there again when you wouldn’t open before.” They learned to keep the door closed. Now they are enjoying all that stuff you left behind. When it’s gone, that’s all there is. The rich man whined and said: “I want to come in, I never did anything wrong in my whole. I earned my money honestly and worked hard for it.”
“I know you never did anything bad,” said Abraham, “but the trouble is, and the reason you’re outside here by yourself is that you never did anything good. You just stayed home, protected your stuff and enjoyed the best of everything. The problem with you sir is that you simply did nothing. You were complacent, comfortable, and took care of yourself. You kept the door closed so you would not have to see Lazarus although you seem to know his name which is curious to me.
“You went to church and you listened to the Gospel. You talked about and studied about Jesus who rose from the dead, but you never imitated his behavior and never made his attitude and his concerns your own, much less did you do what he asked you to do. You knew you were created in the image and likeness of God, but you only got it half right. The God who made you is very rich. You imitated that part right perfectly. But that same God gave you his riches. Somehow you missed that part and failed to live in the full image of that God. You heard the Prophet Amos speaking to you and reminding you that your complacent attitude was not right. Even though you were not hateful or hostile, you were complacent and that was worse. You just kept thinking: “Someone ought to do something about that man Lazarus.” It was nice of you to let him sleep on your front porch as long as the door was closed, but you never asked why he was sleeping there in the first place. You did him no harm, but you did him no good either.”
At that point, Abraham heard the guests gathering for desert, so he got up waved goodbye to the rich man and left him sitting on the porch as the dogs came growling again at this stranger. Abraham closed the door.