Sermon by Rev. Douwe Visser on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus

This sermon was preached in the chapel of the ecumenical centre on Monday July 14th 2008 by Rev. Douwe Visser of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, WARC.

Luke 16:19-31

Not so long ago in my country, the Netherlands, there was a special fair of goods for the super rich. We saw something about it on television. It struck me that what was on show there was just so predictable. Maybe one of the worries of being so rich is the burning question of how you can overcome anonymity and distinguish yourself from other very rich people.
And so the rich man in the parable Jesus tells has no name. He is just a rich man, no more than that. He is not a bad person. There are people who say, that being rich was a sin in itself because how did the rich man get all his money? That is not what Jesus says, at least not in this parable. To have beautiful clothes, to enjoy eating and drinking is not a sin. In Ecclesiastes chapter 9 we read: “Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has long approved what you do. Let your garments always be white; do not let oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love…”
No, the rich man is not a bad person. One could well imagine that as his servant you had a good life in his house. And being his friend you were really well off with the invitations for all his parties. He shared his wealth.
But what Jesus wants to tell us is that the rich man has never even seen Lazarus on his doorstep. The rich man is not a bad person; he just doesn’t see what happens on his doorstep. This poor man on the doorstep by the way has a name. And this is special. It is so special because in all the parables Jesus tells no one ever gets a name. The lost son has no name. The sower has no name. No one else ever gets named in the parables except for Lazarus. He is the only one who doesn’t remain anonymous. Lazarus is his name, which means: God helps. Well, what’s in a name? Isn’t this name senseless if you look at Lazarus’ life? He is covered with sores which even attract the dogs to him. And dogs in biblical times were not regarded as the faithful quadrupeds so dear to many today - so dear, that per annum 17 billion dollars is spent for pet food, which is 7 billion more than needed to solve the shortage of food for great parts of world. Well the dogs are anyhow a plague for Lazarus. God helps?
The worst aspect to wealth in the parable is that no one sees Lazarus. The worst thing about wealth in the world can be that no one sees suffering either close by or not so close in today’s world. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is a story about not seeing what happens so very nearby. The first time that the rich man mentions Lazarus’ name is when he asks out of inferno: “Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” Now we shouldn’t be distracted by the idea that this parable has to lead us to a complete theology of heaven and hell, double predestination and even whether we should or should not believe in hell. In this story heaven and hell are just décor for the real message. The real message is that life on earth becomes hell when we do not see what is happening on our doorstep. And today that doorstep is worldwide! In this way the rich man is in hell when he realises how rich, how really rich his life could have been if he had seen Lazarus and mentioned his name so much earlier.
God helps is the name of Lazarus. But in fact God helps us to see what is happening on our doorstep. That is the meaning of what Abraham says to the rich man from above: “Your brothers have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” God helps us with his word. God helps us to see - like through the very concrete words we also read in Deuteronomy. Let the name of Lazarus be a symbol to all of us. That God helps us to see. May in your work this week God help you to see. So that people may have a name and be seen.
AMEN