Some call it the Divine Reversal, when God takes what we place first and suddenly flips it upside down to be last. When a beggar turns out to have a luxurious life while a famous rich man has less than nothing. When a rejected carpenter turns out to be the king while the leaders turn out to be dead wrong.
Yet in this life, Lazarus never saw the reversal. It came after the fact, after death. Our society does not do well at thinking beyond itself to the afterlife. We are trained to live for today with no thought of tomorrow. Our movies glorify those who live "as if there is no tomorrow". Yet the divine reversal brings everything into balance because there is a tomorrow after this life is done.
This section also reaches back to the first part of the chapter and calls into question our values. What is more significant to me -- possessions or people? What is more real to me -- this life or the next? Where will I be after the divine reversal occurs in my life?
Showing posts with label riches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label riches. Show all posts
Friday, January 8, 2010
Monday, November 2, 2009
Luke 12:13-21; American Fool
The subtitle in the text calls this the story of the rich fool. It would seem appropriate to call it the American Dream. Work hard, save for the future and retire comfortable; isn't that the dream we are taught from birth?
The text written so long ago seems to be quite timely. Is it speaking against hard work or planning? I don't think so; both are praised in other places. The punch line indicates that the text is speaking against a focus of life, i.e., a focus upon self care only.
In my rush to take care of self (or even family), how much effort do I give to take care of God's business? How much attention do I pay to the spiritual life on a daily basis? What and where is my treasure anyway?
The text written so long ago seems to be quite timely. Is it speaking against hard work or planning? I don't think so; both are praised in other places. The punch line indicates that the text is speaking against a focus of life, i.e., a focus upon self care only.
In my rush to take care of self (or even family), how much effort do I give to take care of God's business? How much attention do I pay to the spiritual life on a daily basis? What and where is my treasure anyway?
Sunday, June 14, 2009
favor and grace
Luke 1 makes two references to the favor of God and the grace of God. One is a proclamation by the angels of peace on earth to men "on whom his favor rests" and the other is that Jesus was filled with wisdom and the "grace of God was upon him."
Sounds like a easy life and all that makes the nativity story sweet . . . until you look at the context. Jesus was in a cave lying in a feed trough before the first statement. His parents were on the way to Jerusalem to offer the Jewish sacrifice for the birth of the firstborn prior to the second. The text clearly says they were to offer a pair of doves or pigeons; that is the sacrifice of the poor according to Leviticus 12. The rich offered a lamb. So favor and grace resting on someone doesn't mean anything about socio-economics. In this case, favor and grace were upon a kid born into such poverty that they had no home, no proper clothes for him and could only offer the poorest of sacrifices.
So what does favor and grace mean to me? Am I so North American that I have come to believe that the American dream is God's grace to me? Am I so materialistic that I think that divine favor means middle class riches? Is it possible for me to view the world through God's perspective and not look at wealth as a measure of anything spiritual?
Grace and favor . . . I don't think they look like what we think they do.
Sounds like a easy life and all that makes the nativity story sweet . . . until you look at the context. Jesus was in a cave lying in a feed trough before the first statement. His parents were on the way to Jerusalem to offer the Jewish sacrifice for the birth of the firstborn prior to the second. The text clearly says they were to offer a pair of doves or pigeons; that is the sacrifice of the poor according to Leviticus 12. The rich offered a lamb. So favor and grace resting on someone doesn't mean anything about socio-economics. In this case, favor and grace were upon a kid born into such poverty that they had no home, no proper clothes for him and could only offer the poorest of sacrifices.
So what does favor and grace mean to me? Am I so North American that I have come to believe that the American dream is God's grace to me? Am I so materialistic that I think that divine favor means middle class riches? Is it possible for me to view the world through God's perspective and not look at wealth as a measure of anything spiritual?
Grace and favor . . . I don't think they look like what we think they do.
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