DOGGIE DOS & BLESSINGS TOO

A Sermon for The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 30, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Luke 16:19-31
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ He said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house—for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” (NRSV)

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Day spas with pampering massages and whirlpools are not just for people anymore. Doggie day spas and luxury resorts seem to be a new phenomenon and are popping up all over the country.

Citizen Canine in California, for example, has been named “The Bay Area’s first five star kennel” by the San Francisco Chronicle. Each dog, referred to as a “guest”, is treated to a private room built with walls and ceilings, glass windows and doors, and furnished with raised beds and bedding. Each guest enjoys a private indoor room furnished with a raised bed and bedding. Individually prepared meals are served up to 3 times per day depending on your dog’s age and appetite. Every dog enjoys at least two extended playgroups daily and can receive extra pampering for an additional fee.

Meanwhile, across the country New York's elite dogs are booked with the best hair stylists and enjoy luxury body treatments at the chicest spas. Over-the-top luxury is the name of the game on Manhattan's East Side. The Ritzy Canine Carriage House rivals even the Plaza Hotel for upscale furnishings. The lobby has European crystal chandeliers, antique wall sconces and period artwork. Overnight stays include room service spa meals, private suites and limousine service.

As if the lodging weren't fancy enough, the Ritzy Canine has a full selection of day spa treatments. Your dog can soak in a whirlpool and then indulge in a special massage which combines elements of Reiki, myofascial release and acupressure. Aromatherapy is, of course, available too.

At another spa in New York, Doggie-Do and Pussycats, Too, dogs don't just get soaped up and rinsed off. Instead, Doggie-do professionals provide a soapy massage aimed to relax the dogs and melt away stress. This deep cleansing process, using all-natural botanical products, stimulates skin and hair follicles.

Now, juxtapose this pooch-pampering trend with the message from Amos this morning: “Alas for those who are at ease...for those who feel secure...alas for those who lie on beds of ivory and lounge on their couches...who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, who anoint themselves [and their pets, I might add] with the finest oils!” While pet spas may be humorous to us, they are but a symptom of the growing and massive disparity in wealth in the United States. In 2006, the poverty rate for minors in the United States was 21.9%, the highest child poverty rate in the developed world. It is shocking that some American dogs have it better than many American children!

The Gospel narrative of the rich man and poor Lazarus is Luke’s way of summarizing Jesus’ teachings about the dangers of wealth. Luke’s Gospel is focused on the poor from the very start, when Mary sings about how through the gift of her son, Jesus, God will bring the mighty down from their thrones and uplift those who are lowly.

Here in the story of Lazarus, the contrast is established between the very wealthy man and the poor one. One is dressed in lavish purple garments of fine linen, the other is clothed in ulcerous sores. One feasts on sumptuous daily meals while the other scavenges for food while stray dogs lick his sores. They are polar opposites, living very different realities. Yet the poor man is given a name: Lazarus. Note that names are very rare in parables.

Then the poor man dies. But he is not forgotten by God as he’s been forgotten by his fellow humans. Upon his death, angels carry him to the bosom of Abraham. He is awarded a place of honor in heaven. Meanwhile, the rich man also dies and has a costly funeral, which is normally a sign of God’s favor.

The parable shifts dramatically with a surprising reversal of fate: the rich man is in torment in the Hades, while Lazarus enjoys the pleasures of heaven. When the rich man looks up and sees Lazarus, he begs Abraham to send Lazarus with a drop of water to cool his torment. It is only now that the rich man first sees Lazarus, who had always lain at his gate. During his lifetime, his wealth created a gulf that made him blind to the sufferings of the poor. Now the rich man finally notices Lazarus—but it is too late. Abraham denies his request.

Having realized how wrong he was to have lived so lavishly while Lazarus suffered, the rich man then begs Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers, who apparently are living in the same lavish style. Abraham replies that they have the same opportunities the rich man had, namely the Law and the prophets—a reference to God’s commandment to care for the poor and the needy and the warnings of the prophets, like those we read today from Amos. Persistently, the rich man shows a deep blindness to God’s revelation. He begs for Lazarus to return from the dead in order to convince his brothers not to make the same mistake. Abraham again states that without listening to the Law and the prophets, the brothers will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead!

This parable demonstrates how wealth can take over people’s lives and make them deaf to the teaching of scripture and blind to the sufferings of their neighbors. Today, as many elite zip along the freeways from plush offices to their gated communities in the suburbs, it is no wonder they cannot see the poor at their gates.

But the problem is that it is easy to not see ourselves in this parable. Most of us here this morning do not consider ourselves to be excessively rich people. We do not live in lavish homes or work in fancy office buildings, and we most certainly do not take our dogs to pet spas—in fact, we don’t even use aromatherapies for our pets at home! But don’t be so sure that we wouldn’t be categorized with the rich man in this story. I read that if, for statistical purposes, you could shrink the world’s population down to 100 people, just 6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and all 6 of them would be from the United States, 80 of the 100 would live in substandard housing, 70 would be unable to read, 50 would suffer from malnutrition, and only one would own a computer (so if you don’t have a computer, don’t feel bad—you’re in the majority). That kind of puts things into perspective, doesn’t it? What we must recognize is that even if we think we don’t have enough and we still need more, we are tremendously blessed. We are called to use the abundance of these blessings to bless others, rather than allowing our wealth to blind us to the plight of the needy.

Also of importance in this story is the prominent role of the “Law and the prophets” to shape our understanding. Christians today believe in the risen Jesus, and, some in Luke’s community felt that this was enough. They thought they no longer had to take seriously the Jewish tradition of justice and compassion for the weak. Sometimes we can get so caught up in the victory that Christ won for us by his resurrection, so hooked on the free grace God offers us, that we can forget that this same Jesus, who offers salvation to us today, is the very one who listened to the voice of Moses and the prophets and offered love and acceptance to the marginalized of his day, while uttering sober warnings to the proud and prosperous. Like the brothers of Lazarus, if we cannot take notice of the mandates of the holy scriptures, the words of Jesus will fall on deaf ears.

This morning, let us take delight in the many gifts that God has given us. May we recognize our abundance—abundance which should motivate us to generously share our gifts and bless those around us, rather than letting these very gifts to be a stumbling block to our faith. It’s not about selfishly indulging in doggie-dos and other excesses of wealth, its about sharing. We are blessed to bless. That’s what we need to be about. And may the words of the Law the the prophets challenge us anew to speak out for justice and dignity for all God’s people.

Now, may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© 2007 Laura E. Gentry