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I have met the enemy, and he is meThursday, March 24, 2011
Jeremiah 17:9-10 What if Lazarus had been the rich one? Would he have done anything differently? Jeremiah's not so sure. Without the suffering and helplessness he endured, would Lazarus have turned to God? His heart too is deceitful above all things. This must be my situation as well. I suffer a bit, but mostly I'm in control of things in my life. I give a little, but mostly I don't. I know I can do better, and if I do I also know my heart will deceive me into thinking I've done enough. Which I haven't. Doesn't Jesus tell me to give everything away, keep nothing for myself? Of course he does. The God Jesus describes settles for nothing less. Jeremiah implores his fellow Jews to turn back to God. What happens then? John describes what he saw in Revelation 1: "I fell at his feet as though dead. He placed his right hand on me and said, 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.'" In the parable, Jesus implores his living listeners to let him turn the key now, not later. It works perfectly. The door opens. In fact, Jesus says, he's right there knocking on it, asking me to come out of hell and join him in heaven. Right here, right now. I know, Lord, the word relationship isn't used in the Bible. But what happens between you and me is about communicating, acknowledging right order and authority, and respect. You do, I do. I can "relate" better to you than I can myself; you're more trustworthy to me than I am to myself. By far. Thank you. |
In the Gospel text for today (Luke 16), Abraham sympathizes with a rich man who shunned poor Lazarus while they were alive and now is suffering himself. "My child," Abraham calls him sadly. But he can do nothing.