There is an interesting tradition in art. Often the insults hurled land so well. They become the name.
Every time there is something new. There are people to say this is not how it is done. This is what time is around in circles.
Cubism is what they called it because that was all they could see. What it was at its heart was an attempt to bring more than one perspective to one picture. I think it was the development of the camera that pushed artists to be something more. A camera could take a picture from any perspective, but it took an artist to show more than one at a time.
In literature Crime and Punishment had already began what almost seems like it has been around forever: the multiple perspectives of different narrators. We can look at things from different perspectives, but what is different is how we see not what we see. There are those perspectives of reality the camera catches and then there are those ones the artist creates.
In our scripture today the man wears purple as a sign that he was the most important. You couldn't buy purple on the clearance rack like I did two day ago. Why purple? The first shade of purple produced was Tyrian purple, created from Bolinus brandaris sea snails. Dye makers harvested mucus from the shell and heated it in an alkaline solution. They dipped yarn in this solution and exposed it to sunlight, turning it purple. In other words it was the hardest color. It was pure extravagance.
19 “Now there was a certain rich man who was habitually dressed in expensive purple and fine linen, and celebrated and lived joyously in splendor every day. 20 And a poor man named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, covered with sores. 21 He [eagerly] longed to eat the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.
Luke knows how to set a scene here in chapter sixteen. There was a color to extravagance. A short hand here told we were talking in two extremes. The two perspectives we find at the end of the spectrum of us. Celebrated and lived joyously, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Some might even imagine the dogs bringing comfort, but in reality they brought more infection. We imagine that we can understand the situation of both. These two extremes speak to us in the middle.
22 Now it happened that the poor man died and his spirit was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom (paradise); and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom (paradise). 24 And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in severe agony in this flame.’
We leave here something familiar. We have a story of an afterlife. We have this common name we remember from Greek tradition. Hades is "the place or state of departed spirits", borrowing the name of Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. It is often associated with the Jewish concept of Sheol.
Near the end of the Old Testament, God declared that there will be a resurrection of the dead. Sheol will devour no longer; instead, God will swallow up Death. The faithful will be rewarded with everlasting life while the rest will experience eternal contempt. This theology developed further before the New Testament era began.
“But your dead will live, LORD; their bodies will rise— let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy— your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.” we find in Isaiah 26:19 NIV
25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things [all the comforts and delights], and Lazarus likewise bad things [all the discomforts and distresses]; but now he is comforted here [in paradise], while you are in severe agony.
We arrive somewhere familiar. This then in many ways is what forever attracts the powerless to Christ. They are given a promise that worlds will be flipped on their heads and roles will be reversed. This is what people were looking for when they thought the Romans would no longer be in charge. But Jesus had come to end the rule of a greater one: death.
26 And besides all this, between us and you [people] a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to come over from here to you will not be able, and none may cross over from there to us.’
Explicit instruction is what I use at school. Research has shown that what people learn first often sticks the most. Our goal is to be precise in what we are teaching. Asking my students to guess something was always enjoyable to me, but under this system we recognize that as distraction. A child might remember more what another child guessed than what I have to teach. In this sense we want to be explicit in what we teach as we recognize the way people learn.
Explicit instruction is underscored by a learning theory known as the information processing model. It is based on the assumption we only remember what we think about, and keep thinking about. Explicit teaching involves directing student attention toward specific learning in a highly structured environment. It is teaching that is focused on producing specific learning outcomes. Topics and contents are broken down into small parts and taught individually. It involves explanation, demonstration and practice.
You would be surprised, we don't even ask children to raise their hand anymore. It makes the job harder, but the results better. We use nonverbal as much as verbal. We take polls. We get everyone involved. It can take longer so we plan backwards.
"While you are in severe agony." This as a child I thought about quite a bit. Everything was love it seemed up to a point, but I remember what I was first told. I talked about many things with my father and explained many things to him. There were things he explained to me which I still remember. I certainly had trouble with this popular concept of hell. I liked that bad people would suffer, but would wonder about good people who never knew Jesus. It was enough for a wide ranging conversation.
The thing about suffering is that it is very personal. We like to imagine the suffering of those who persecute us. I certainly enjoy the confusion God often sews in our enemies mind. But this confusion in my mind was put aside by a simple question, where does the suffering derive from?: separation.
A great chasm has been fixed. Imagine that God could not be reached. I don't think you can imagine. I think your here because you can feel the presence of God. People in great trouble always know where to look. God does not hide, we do.
27 So the rich man said, ‘Then, father [Abraham], I beg you to send Lazarus to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—in order that he may solemnly warn them and witness to them, so that they too will not come to this place of torment.’
What is torment. In this context it is being cut off from God by their own actions. I imagine there are people who have never noticed God and they still do not in the end. We are given chance after chance after chance. It is never too late I believe, but their are people that never see a choice and suffer. Is their skin peeled from their bodies? Well what suffering would compare to being forever separated from the creator of the universe and what would be the point?
I think of baby Sea turtles hatched rushing to the Sea, extravagant joy of those who make it and those who make a meal. Nature tells us something about God. There is an equation that we are equal to.
We read from Timothy 6,6-19 AMP
But godliness actually is a source of great gain when accompanied by contentment [that contentment which comes from a sense of inner confidence based on the sufficiency of God]. 7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so [it is clear that] we cannot take anything out of it, either. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who [are not financially ethical and] crave to get rich [with a compulsive, greedy longing for wealth] fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction [leading to personal misery]. 10 For the love of money [that is, the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically] is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves [through and through] with many sorrows.
Again we find ourselves talking about separation and this ultimate perspective to avoid.
11 But as for you, O man of God, flee from these things; aim at and pursue righteousness [true goodness, moral conformity to the character of God], godliness [the fear of God], faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith [in the conflict with evil]; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and [for which] you made the good confession [of faith] in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and [in the presence] of Christ Jesus, who made the good confession [in His testimony] before Pontius Pilate, 14 to keep all His precepts without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will bring about in His own time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign [the absolute Ruler], the King of those who reign as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords, 16 He alone possesses immortality [absolute exemption from death] and lives in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal power and dominion! Amen.
17 As for the rich in this present world, instruct them not to be conceited and arrogant, nor to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share [with others]. 19 In this way storing up for themselves the enduring riches of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
With God in our lives we can almost say it isn't as important what we do as why we do. We don't turn to God to avoid suffering. We turn to God because we suffer without. We like to often talk and think about how people suffer. We like to put on our passion plays and think about how Jesus suffered. We think suffering is important. In the end I think that is God suffering in the loss of every single creation that turns away. I guess there must be apart so we could know together.
29 But Abraham said, ‘They have [the Scriptures given by] Moses and the [writings of the] Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 He replied, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent [they will change their old way of thinking and seek God and His righteousness].’ 31 And he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to [the messages of] Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Or if they did not want to listen to Jesus that day or this.
Ebenezer would certainly agree. Well we have someone returned from the dead, in fact the person teaching here we have returning from the dead. We have this holy spirit as well to test everything we think and feel. Are there people or will there be people suffering in a place called hades? I don't know, but I can imagine no greater suffering than to be separated from God. Even the worst things I know people have been through there was God. Paradise is knowing and seeing and turning to God that much is clear.
Backwards only would seem to matter to us
But we all know where we are going
You may not find the words to tell me
The new insults for the new art give name
Art is a voracious consumer and the only commodity
We have many hold overs from ancient Greece like: "the gods help those who help themselves." This is one of the widest supposedly know verses of the bible. Problem is it isn't in the bible. What people mostly think the bible is about it is not. Our God helps everyone with an offer of grace and the holy spirit. Jesus does not save the select few. It can take longer so we plan backwards.
God helps those created who are given to suffer so they will know its end.
Let Us Pray
Creator of the Universe
Keep us from suffering more
Keep us from wandering too far
Help us to understand your will for our life
Help us to find comfort in comforting
As your creation we celebrate
Help us bring more to your feast
Help us to see the equation and know what we are equal to
We ask today in the name of Jesus our great teacher
Amen
Benediction
Go and listen
Go and help
Bring your soul with you
Share your gifts to God's glory
Nottingham UMC 9/25.2022
