C, Post-Pentecost 16, Proper 21 - Luke 16:19-31 & 1 Timothy 6:12 "Remember and Repent"

We have all done things in our lives that, the moment we’ve done them, we regret. In a second everything changes. Over and over in our minds we remember with such clarity, bit by bit, blow by blow, what occurred—but now it’s too late. It matters not how much we replay in our head how the events unfolded; we can’t take them back, nor the consequences, which after the fact cause so much torment in our remembrance. If only I hadn’t done this, then that wouldn’t have happened! The remembrance of deeds done wrong, whether deliberately or accidentally, makes the pain all the more hellish.

Jesus tells a parable about a nameless rich man and a remembered poor man, Lazarus—named and remembered by God, the angels, and Abraham. This parable reveals heaven and hades, before and after death; before and after the moment death stops us doing anything. In that second, we give up the fight and everything we once had control over.

Today we hear Saint Paul’s words to young pastor Timothy at the church in Ephesus. This is a church that is being tempted to return to Judaism and the synagogue, to the rigours of the law and circumcision, to put off the Holy Spirit and forget the work and reproach of Jesus Christ—to return and remember human works once again. But it’s also a church aroused by pagan Ephesian society, tempted to rethink the faith in Jesus Christ, to believe it is missing out on something, so it flees to the ways of the Greek goddess Artemis (or the Roman goddess Diana) and the temple priests who encourage female worship and idolatry.

To Timothy, Paul says: “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12 ESV)

One can fight for the faith, or fight against the faith. Similarly, one can flee to the faith, or flee from the faith. This is the plight of all human beings, as God watches to see if we remember and allow ourselves to be daily returned to the way of Jesus Christ and the cross—before that moment or second in time when our body can no longer take a breath and we take our last.

Picture your life as it is today. Now imagine your country, your town, your home being invaded by an aggressor. Everything you have, in the blink of an eye, becomes someone else’s property.

You no longer have control over yourself. You are taken by force and, having lost your identity, you are given a new one. It’s impersonal: a number is tattooed on you for identification. Your identity has no name, no gender—just a number in a vast expanse of other numbers. You’re used for whatever purpose your controller sees fit.

Your life today is gone in the blink of an eye; in an instant it is different. Freedom is gone. No longer rich or poor, you are someone else’s possession.

This very thing has happened throughout history as nations invade nations. It doesn’t even need to be annexation by another country. It has happened within countries where culture convulses and a revolution in ideals changes everything in a second. Last century the Bolsheviks overran Russia, and Fascists overran Germany. People lost everything—their property, their identity, and their freedom. Jews in Germany and Christians in Russia were considered second-class citizens, or worse, lower human lifeforms. Picture this against yourself, your time, and your possessions today. Would you survive?

The rich have a lot to lose. If the thought of loss like this frightens you, then perhaps you might consider yourself to be like the rich man in Jesus’ parable. He was tormented, having lost his riches in hades or hell. He was caused to remember what he had, what he lost, and this caused him to be tortured with torment. In that moment he went from wealth to wanting, from succulence to suffering, from delight to desperate desire—making it all the things hell and hades are: remembering in eternal separation. The eternal, “if only I had done that, then this would not be the reality!”

This is the picture of the rich man in the parable who eternally remembers and cannot repent, nor cross the chasm to comfort.

Opposite the rich man in the parable is Lazarus. Lazarus is known by the rich man, because he names him as he cries out from hell. But the rich man didn’t sustain Lazarus in his sumptuous and succulent lifestyle, even though he knew Lazarus was just outside his gate. Lazarus now stands with Abraham.

Abraham is the rich man of the Old Testament. Yet his wealth was more than his many possessions and people.  Rather, Abraham’s true wealth was his faithfulness towards God.  So, Lazarus stands in richness with Abraham who once was rich towards God but is now in God’s eternal richness. Abraham sought the kingdom of God and received it and more while he was alive.

Abraham calls the rich man to remember everything changes once death is in place. What carried the rich man while alive does not carry him anymore. His aggressive nature bound in human sin and self-centredness was not put aside to trust, give thanks, and supply those in need. Now he has an eternity, to remember the earthly opportunity he had to repent, to remember with regret that he chose not to repent, and to eternally remember his separation from God and God’s word of salvation and peace.

So how do I not become like the rich man with all the gifts God has given me? How do I become like Abraham, who trusted more the richness of God than the possessions he had? How can I be eternally comforted like Lazarus?

Notice the reality of Lazarus! Lazarus lay at the rich man’s gate. He could do nothing for himself. He desired what fell from the rich man’s table but lay outside without access. He was covered in sores, and they were licked by dogs.  He was doubly unclean. This poor Jew had no way of working his way into the richness of the rich man.

But not only notice Lazarus—notice you have need like Lazarus too. Despite the many riches you have, using them for security in this life or the next makes you doubly unclean. Like the rich man in the parable, trusting your earthly riches and not remembering from whom they came makes you poor.

Remembering and repenting now is better than remembering with regret in hades that “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” And “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:3,6 ESV)

Today we all have many possessions, choices of identity, and ways to spend our time. All of them tempt us to build our own kingdoms, full of unclean idols leading to eternal death. How does one prepare themselves so there is no regret once death comes and our earthly choices are translated into an eternal and holy reality?

We return to what Paul instructed the Ephesians to do before Timothy was sent to be their pastor. He says: “Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:11–13 ESV)

Like Lazarus, who lay at the gate unable to do anything, Paul calls the church to stand in the active victory of Christ, in God’s armour. He continues: “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:14–18 ESV)

God gives you the privilege to remember, reflect in his richness, repent, and stand in his armour before death comes and all is eternally set. Instead of failing in your poverty for eternal sustenance, allow the Holy Spirit to dress you with armour, allowing Christ’s victory to do its work. We stand in the good fight already fought and won at the cross.

With the active sword of the Spirit—the word of God—let the Holy Spirit help you see, like Lazarus, your helplessness, so you remember Jesus Christ now; so now you remember his victory for you; so in these days before death you allow the Holy Spirit to put you in good standing with God for peace through repentance.

There are no eternal regrets remembering and repenting this side of death. Amen.

Lord God, Heavenly Father, together with your Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, you are the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. Therefore, to you, Lord God, let us give honour and eternal dominion. Amen. 

C, Post-Pentecost 16 Proper 21 - Luke 16 "Rich in God"

In Psalm 116:12 the psalmist asks a question, “What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me?”  Another way of asking the question. “What can I do for God as I ponder all that he is doing for me?”    The psalmist in answer to the question then looks out from himself for his answer,   “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,  I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.  Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”  (Psalm 116:12–15 ESV)

The psalmist thinks about his death.  He calls on God’s name as he ponders his mortality, lifting up God’s cup of salvation.  In the presence of his people, he peacefully can make promises to God.  A confession made, and paid with God’s peace, even while he remembers his forthcoming death.

Elsewhere in the Psalm he cries out to the Lord, “The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.  Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”  For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling;  I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.”  (Psalm 116: 3–4, 8–9 ESV)

In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus focuses us on death, heaven and hell, or Hades.  This parable follows on from the beginning of Luke chapter sixteen, where Jesus tells of another rich man who recalls the management of his dishonest servant.

Both these texts put life in context with our upcoming death.  In the parable of the dishonest manager, which we heard as our Gospel reading last week, the rich man says, ‘What is this that I hear about you?  Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’  (Luke 16:2 ESV)

Jesus puts it to us that one day our management will end.  We hear how the manager reacts; how do you react as Jesus puts the question of your death before you?  What has your management of God’s gifts been like?  Digging or begging like the dishonest manager is not going to work.  After all, the more you dig the more you realise you are only digging you way further into dishonesty!  And begging seems shameful because of corrupt pride within.

The dishonest manager then decided to cut the rich man’s debts in half so the rich man’s debtors will receive the dishonest man into their houses.  The dishonest man can’t dig or beg, so he does what he is good at!  He is dishonest with the rich man’s money!

This parable messes with our heads, because we think the dishonest manager should be disciplined for his dishonest affairs with the rich man’s debtors.  But no!  The master commends the dishonest manager for his shrewdness, his thoughtful actions.  Why does he praise him?  Why does it mess with our heads?

Jesus sets us up in this parable, to expose the reality of our human nature.  Our sense of human justice and the richness of our righteousness is cornered by our human-centred sense of right and wrong; good and evil.  This parable messes with our heads because our focus is on ourselves and money, rather than God or the rich man’s mercy.

The parable starts to swing into context when we realise, we are the dishonest managers and death recalls our management.  Payment of debt is not money, but rather the cost of sin before God.  The dishonest manager acts shrewdly by not exacting the full debt from the rich man’s debtors.  Likewise, we who have wittingly and unwittingly misused God’s gifts, dishonest managers in God’s eyes, forgive others their debts just as our debts are forgiven, by he who honestly manages our affairs.  

Jesus is the one true honest manager serving God in the face of death.  He ends by saying, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”  (Luke 16:13 ESV)

However, Luke reveals not just the disciples were listening to Jesus but also the pharisees who were lovers of money, and they ridiculed Jesus.  These temple men saw themselves as rich men.  Like us their focus and perspective was wrong.  Their sense of right and wrong was built on a richness other than the mercy of God and his love.

He addresses the pharisees with the Gospel reading for today, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.  But in doing so introduces the parable with four very unusual verses. 

“The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.  And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.  “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.  But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.  “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.”  (Luke 16:14–18 ESV)

Jesus, who brings the good news of the kingdom of God, speaks to those under the Law and the Prophets.  But their justification and righteousness was not looking for a Saviour through the Law and the Prophets.  Instead, the dishonest pharisees were seeking to force their way into the kingdom of heaven, through their own richness.

Then there is the strange inclusion of verse eighteen about divorce and adultery.  It seems completely out of place.  However, this is the link verse for the dishonest ones who don’t see God as the merciful rich man.  Those whose earthly management of God’s gifts has been dishonest and are seeking to violently push their way into his eternal dwelling.  All but Jesus Christ have divorced themselves from God and were yoking themselves in adultery to their riches.

Both parables have rich men in them, showing they are linked, but where the rich man in the parable of the dishonest manager is God, here in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man is not God but one under Abraham having descended into hell.  The theme is still death, but this parable speaks to the pharisees, and us, from the other side of death from two eternal  dwellings.

Here on the other side the rich man is nameless in Hades, literally the place “unknown below existence and on the bottom”.  He looks up and sees Lazarus with Abraham.  The poor man has a name in the parable, unlike the rich man unknown by God.  Lazarus is with Abraham the father of God’s promise, the father of Israel, who was rich in both possessions and faith.  Jesus sets the richness of the rich man against the richness of Abraham and now Lazarus.

The rich man appeals to Abraham to send Lazarus back, to be resurrected to save his brothers.  But Jesus ends the parable, saying, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” (Luke 16:31 ESV)

Jesus has risen from death, and the Holy Spirit encourages us to hear these words of Jesus as we ponder our death, what our wealth and treasure is, and the great chasm that exists between eternal life with God and the eternal separation from God.

We cannot force our way into the Kingdom of God, the Law of God cannot be avoided, only those who are holy can be in the presence of a God who is holy.  However, we are received into God’s holy and eternal dwelling through the richness of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit wants and wills each of us to turn over our management to Jesus Christ who has bridged death’s great divide, the great chasm between sin and salvation, with his cross.

The psalmist in psalm one hundred and forty-six praises God for his existence even while he is in the prison of death and a tired traveller on the road of salvation, from death to life eternal in ever-present richness of God.     

Praise the LORD!  Praise the LORD, O my soul!  I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.  Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.  When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.  Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,  who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever;  who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;  the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.  The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.  The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations.  Praise the LORD!  (Psalm 146 ESV)

Let us pray.  Heavenly Father infuse within us, the righteousness of Jesus, godliness, faith, steadfastness, and gentleness.  Continue to fight in us the good fight of faith with your Holy Spirit.  Help us to use the richness you have given to us to love and serve one another.  To your glory, Amen.

C, Lent 5 - John 12:1-8, "Anointed and Embalmed as King"

 Text     John 12:1-8

Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”  He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.  “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. ”It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.  You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

1.         Buried Feet

Why did Mary smear the pure nard over Jesus' feet? The gospel reading we just heard doesn’t tell us why she went to such extremes.  This perfume from the nard plant in India was expensive ointment prepared from the roots and stems of this Himalayan plant.  So when she cracks open the pot of perfume and spreads the entire contents of it over his feet, about half a litre, it makes me wonder what motivated her to do it.  Half a litre is a lot of perfume.  The bible tells us it was worth a year’s wages, 300 denarii, close to thirteen thousand dollars worth, a lot of money in anyone’s language.  Imagine the scent it would leave. Think of aftershave or perfume poured on you feet, not just a drop but a half litre.  Why did Mary do it? Putting a little on sandal sore feet was normal when the host’s guests arrived from some distance.  But Mary buried his feet in so much ointment the pleasant scent would have been smelt just as far away.

2.         Jesus raised Lazarus

Looking back at recent events in John’s gospel sees Mary at Jesus' feet once before.  Both Mary and her sister, Martha, pleaded with Jesus when he arrived after Lazarus’ death, saying, ‘Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died!’  Mary fell at his feet weeping, so much so it moved Jesus, and he wept too. 

So Jesus raised Lazarus, he had earlier told Martha he was the resurrection and the life, and that’s exactly what he did, he gave life to Lazarus.  He cleared the stone away and raised Lazarus from the dead, and in the process made himself ritually unclean through his association with the corpse.  Jesus was the cause of Lazarus’ resurrection, it brought glory to God, but it also caused him to be covered with the stench of death.

3.         Jesus didn’t cleanse himself

As these events were occurring the Passover festival was drawing near.  Within a week lambs would be slaughtered so the Jews could commemorate, remember, and teach their children how the Angel of Death passed over the homes of the Israelites, sparing the lives of their first born sons, the night before Moses raised the nation of Israel to life from the land of Egypt.  This festival called for the Jews to make their way to Jerusalem to be cleansed and purified for the Passover meal of bitter herbs, unleavened bread, and Passover lamb roasted over the fire, just as God had commanded Moses and the Israelites many years before. 

But Jesus doesn’t go to Jerusalem to be cleansed.  Rather he and his disciples leave Lazarus and withdraw to a region near the desert.   Jewish ritual expected a person to be cleansed, purified, and made holy, so they could stand before the Lord, who is holy, especially those who had come into contact with a dead body.  In chapter eleven just prior to the meal and Mary’s perfume pouring at Bethany, many stood in the temple area waiting for Jesus to appear.  After all he had raised Lazarus from the dead and was unclean.  But Jesus didn’t show, nor did he receive any cleansing.  No!  Jesus didn’t go to Jerusalem rather he returned to Bethany.  There is a knock at the door; Lazarus opens it to reveal God standing there with his disciples, still covered with the stigma of his death. 

4.         Mary serves Jesus

If I were to ask you to flick through the pages of John’s gospel and find the Last Supper where Jesus gives us the Words of Institution, you would come up empty.  In fact John doesn’t give us an account of the Last Supper.  Instead he speaks of two meals.  Both meals are linked by the attention given to the feet.  At the first meal Mary washes Jesus’ feet and then at the second meal Jesus washes his disciples’ feet. 

It is true that at both meals foot washing caricatures service.  The very nature of foot washing shows both the humility and greatness of serving.  Mary serves Jesus with faithfulness and sheer gratitude when she smears the pure nard on Jesus' feet.  Probably overwhelmed at Jesus’ resurrecting power over her brother Lazarus, she served him with the same passionate emotional fervour as when she cried tears over his feet when Lazarus was still dead.

Mary’s actions came from deep within.  We know that these actions were great.  So great I find it hard to comprehend!  The perfume’s purity is not lost on John as he reports Judas Iscariot’s disapproval and tells us the nard was worth a year’s wages.  Lazarus, Mary and Martha were not excessively wealthy; after all there are no servants to do the tasks of washing feet or serving the meal, which Martha serves.

Mary’s action was also great from another perspective too.  It would have taken a great deal of courage and faithfulness for this woman to let her hair down in public.  It was not something done by respectable Jewish women.  In her action all honour is taken from her and given to Jesus.  Perhaps the perfume that might have been reserved to cover the stench of Lazarus’ death was now floating around the house as the fragrance of life and love.  Or maybe Mary was still covering the stigma of death; Lazarus’ deathly uncleanness in Christ and the upcoming death that awaited him on the cross?

5.         Jesus Anointed and Embalmed as Messiah and King

So what was happening to Jesus at Lazarus’ house when Mary poured or smeared the pure nard on his feet?  Another word to describe Mary’s action of pouring or smearing is anointing.  Mary anointed Jesus.  In fact she anointed Jesus Christ, Son of God, King of the Jews.

When a king or queen is enthroned into their office, they have a coronation.  In recent times we haven’t seen a coronation; in fact the last was Queen Elizabeth many years ago.  But like any royal event their coronation to the throne involves much royal regalia, long processions through the streets, pomp, ritual and ceremony.   

Jesus was on his way to a coronation too.  He was soon to be glorified on the cross.  A little later on in the gospel Jesus says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified… But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (12:23, 32). Jesus took his throne when he was nailed to the cross, on that throne he draws all to himself.

Mary anointed the King, maybe a little prematurely before his coronation, which would begin on the next day as he rode the donkey into Jerusalem over palm branches thrown down by the crowds. Therefore, how could she not anoint the King of Kings with such an expensive perfume?  After all he is the king who draws all people to himself. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

But paradoxically in a seemingly contradictory way Mary anoints the body of Jesus just as all bodies are anointed before they are buried.  Jesus even says of Mary’s anointing, ‘it was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial’ (12:7).  How can a king’s coronation and his enthronement be the very same thing that kills him?  How can the King of Kings draw all to himself if he is hanging dead on his throne?  Well, this is the mystery of the cross, this is the contradiction of the cross, this is the glory of the cross, this is the victory of the cross, and this is the beauty of the cross, where our Lord was enthroned.

Just before Jesus was crucified he washed his disciples’ feet. When he came to Peter, Peter said no to his feet being washed, but Jesus said, ‘Unless I wash your feet you have no part with me (13:8)’.  Mary may have served Jesus at the first meal, but it was Jesus who served, when he washed the disciples’ feet at that second meal, when by his word he raised Lazarus to life,  and when he took the ugliness of death to the cross for Lazarus and also for you.  Jesus has washed us too, eternal death is no more, we are washed and now have a part with Jesus in eternity.  

6.         Jesus’ Service as our Passover Lamb

When we hear that Mary broke the bottle of thirteen thousand dollar scented oil over Jesus' feet, it makes us sit up and take notice.  Why she did it, we can only speculate.  But this double action anointing, together with the events before and after, tell us of God’s Son who was anointed and embalmed as King of Kings, was sacrificed and enthroned on the cross, was buried in death but at the same time buried eternal death, and who was raised to life is also your resurrection and your life.  Sit up and take notice, Jesus serves you, he has cleansed you!  Smell the sweet scent of life bought at great cost for you by our Passover Lamb.  He is the resurrection and the life!  In this King death has lost its stench, and now the power of death has passed over you and me.  Amen.