Rags to Riches
Proper 21, Year C; Luke 16:19-31
A rich man clothed in purple and fine linen feasted every day, living in splendor, while just outside his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered in sores, longing for crumbs, tended only by dogs. Both men die, and suddenly everything is reversed. Lazarus is carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom, while the rich man is buried and finds himself in torment. The first is last, and the last is first.
Jesus’ story is more than a warning about wealth—it is a vision of how the family of God is meant to live. The Church is called to see two characters in this passage and to learn how we are to act in this world.
Abraham
Abraham himself was a rich man, blessed by God in all things (Gen. 13:2; 24:1). But his riches were never an idol. He lived as a sojourner, dwelling in tents, waiting for promises he did not receive in his lifetime (Heb. 11:9, 13). Abraham lived by faith, patiently enduring, and his life became a blessing to others and to all nations (Gen. 18:18). To be like Abraham is to use what we have—whether much or little—as a gift entrusted by God for the good of others. The Church must follow in Abraham’s footsteps: welcoming all who come to Christ into the family of faith, embracing them as brothers and sisters, and holding this present world loosely because our true home is still to come.
Lazarus “God Helps”
But the Church is also called to see Lazarus. He is the one lying at our gates—the poor, the weak, the broken, the overlooked. Lazarus had nothing to offer, nothing to repay, yet God carried him into comfort. His very name means “God helps.” The Church must notice those who have been rejected, those hungry for crumbs of grace, those aching for someone to acknowledge them. Jesus teaches us in Matthew 25 that when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the prisoner, we are doing it unto Him. The Lazaruses of our community are not interruptions; they are our ministry.
The Call of the Church
Taken together, Abraham and Lazarus show us what the Church is meant to be and do. We are Abraham—a family of faith, blessed to be a blessing, living in this world as pilgrims who know our true inheritance is yet to come. And we are called to bless Lazarus—those lying at the gates of our community who long to be welcomed, noticed, and embraced. This shapes the Church’s identity and directs its ministry.
So how should we live? By acting like the family of God—welcoming those who belong to Christ with a warm embrace, counting the Church as our greatest privilege, and cherishing one another as brothers and sisters in the eternal household of God. And by working like a family—sharing in the task of ministry together, each doing our part, united in purpose, so that no one is left behind and no need goes unnoticed.
Our worship is sacred, because it is the gathering of the family around our Lord. Our fellowship is extravagant, because our Father spares no expense in feasting with His people. And our ministry is captivating, because it shows the world what God’s family looks like when it lives as Abraham and loves as Christ.
This is the call of the Church: live like Abraham, bless like Abraham, and never ignore the Lazarus at our gates.
Peace be with you,
Pastor Bruce
