Title: Someone rose from the dead

There was a rich man—the Lord is telling the parable on the Pharisees, who were the rich men, religion-wise, in Israel—and there was a poor man, to whom Jesus gave a name, Lazarus, who represents the common, everyday Jews.

The poor man was in a bad way. He was ill—so ill that he couldn’t even tend to his sores, or raise his hand to stop the dogs from licking them. He was hungry—so hungry that he would have felt it a Thanksgiving feast to have been fed the scraps from the rich man’s table.

The Lord says that Lazarus was laid at the gate of the rich man. He meant that Lazarus was left there with the thought that the rich man could—would?—give him the help he needed.

The poor man lay at the gate of the rich man, meaning that the rich man had to pass him whenever he left home. No, more than that; the rich man had to step over the poor man.

One wonders how the rich man reacted. Did he sneer? Did he harumph? Did he hold his nose? Did he even look down? Did he even, for a second, consider helping Lazarus? Did he come close to thinking that he had the means to do good for his fellow man?

This is a parable of the religious man having an opportunity to provide spiritual help to a man of his own religion. This is an example of what our Lord Jesus is talking about when He says that you are giving Him—Jesus—a cup of water, a coat, a visit in prison, when you give a cup of water, a coat, a visit in prison to your brother. Doing a good deed for your neighbor is more than helping for this life, but also shows your faith and opens doors to sharing it.

You are the rich man—you, who have been blessed with both Christian and material gifts. Who, in your lives, are the poor men? Who has been dumped at your front door—that could mean your neighbor, that could mean your relative, that could mean your co-worker, that could mean your friend, that could mean a thousand different people in a hundred different situations—who has been dumped at the front door of your life, in need of your help—in need of your help in the Christian faith; in need of your help in this physical life?

Do you sneer? Do you harumph? Do you hold your nose? Do you even look down? Do you come close to thinking that you have the means to do good for your fellow Christians . . . not to mention everyone else, who is, after all, also your neighbor?

The rich man is able to see Lazarus in heaven. The rich man, who had no mercy upon Lazarus, wants Lazarus to dip his finger into water and cool the rich man’s tongue.

Ain’t that just like those who have it all—they always expect it all. The rich man wouldn’t help Lazarus, when the poor man had nothing, but now that the rich man has nothing, he wants—and I’ll bet he expects—the poor man, who now has everything, to give him a hand.

And, what about you? What do you expect, O you who have everything—both the greatest spiritual gifts and the greatest material gifts—in this life?

Lazarus couldn’t help because there’s a great chasm which separates heaven and hell. So, the rich man actually thinks of someone besides himself, but it’s too late. He wants Lazarus to be able to go back to earth to warn his brothers, so that his brothers don’t also wind up with him, weeping and gnashing their teeth in the fire and brimstone of damnation.

Figures. Even in death, the rich man wants someone else to do his dirty work, to do the hard work of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ to one’s relatives.

Talk about a point nailing our congregation right between the eyes. If you are one who is actively encouraging your fellow Christians to practice their faith, then you can breathe easy and only consider this more encouragement. But, if you are among those who never look down—who even sneer, harumph, and hold your nose at the challenge of giving a helping hand to the poor people of your lives, those who are not practicing their Christian faith, for whatever reason—then, it’s time to wake up and smell the brimstone.

For those, who don’t know how to answer the reasons your loved ones have for not practicing their faith, check out the October newsletter, which is in your box. I wrote what I find to be the top ten excuses that Christians have for neglecting worship, along with ways to respond to them. Read them over and use the ones that apply. Even better, take extra newsletters and tell them that your pastor recommended they read it.

The final part of the parable is the reason we are singing some Easter hymns, today. The rich man is told that his idea of having Lazarus return to warn his brothers won’t do a bit of good. Why? If his brothers won’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, they won’t even bat an eye at some guy having risen from the dead.

And, that’s the heart of the matter: the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

You can push the Bible, all you want, but if a person does not embrace the resurrection of Jesus Christ—which, without saying it, came about because He was crucified for the sins of the world—if the resurrection of Christ won’t stir a person’s heart, then nothing in the Word of God will do it.

Nothing else in the Word of God matters—not the Commandments, not the Lord’s Prayer, not being baptized or taking Communion, not even faith in God—without the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Faith in God, without the resurrection of Christ, stills ends in damnation.

I purposefully left something out of the parable—the meaning of Lazarus’ name. Lazarus means God is my help.

Lazarus had nothing in this life on which to rely to help himself. He certainly didn’t get any help from his fellow man. That he went to heaven proved his name: God was his help.

The rich men of this life are those who think they have it all, they have it made, they have themselves covered by any of the usual things that people think make them good enough for heaven, but none of which rely on the gifts of God, which He gives through Jesus Christ.

You, dear Christians, are Lazarus. God is your help. By the Gospel proclaimed to you and washed upon you in Holy Baptism, you have been convinced that someone rose from the dead—Christ is risen! . . . Alleluia! . . . You rejoice in coming to Christ’s altar, where He gives His resurrected and glorified body and blood for you to receive His forgiveness, so that you are strengthened in your faith . . .

. . . so that you don’t act like the rich man of the parable, but so that—as we so often pray in the post-Communion prayer—you show your faith through "fervent love toward one another." In the name of Jesus. Amen.