“Karma . . . Sucks” (Luke 16:19-31)

Our scripture reading this morning is a classic example of “karma”.  Karma is the broadly defined notion of being a force that affects the events of one’s life.  We more commonly know it as “you reap what you sow” and “what goes around comes around”.  The rich man in Jesus’ parable is definitely experiencing some “karma” as he peers up from the fires of Hades watching his antagonist, Lazarus, reap the benefits of Heaven.  It is hot down there!

A quick recap of the story is that the rich man had received all the good things in life, but he never showed any compassion or mercy upon those less fortunate than himself . . . not even a beggar by the name of Lazarus who laid at the rich man’s gate.  A time came when both died.  Lazarus was whisked up to heaven to be beside Abraham.  The rich man was dropped into the fires of Hades.  From Hades the rich man could see Lazarus and asks Abraham to have Lazarus show him some pity by dipping the end of his finger is water to cool his tongue. 

Abraham refuses.  Tells the man he had his chance.  Tells him that “karma sucks!”  Actually he tells the man: “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.”

None of us needs to be biblical scholars or theologians to get the point of this parable . . . it is not the wealth of the rich man that condemns him to his place in Hades.  No, it is the fact that he did not do anything to assist those who were in need despite having plentiful resources to do so.  The guy just did not care enough to have compassion.  The rich man got his “karma” in the end . . . he reaped what he sowed.  At the same time we need to remember that this is a story . . . it is not a fact.  As story we still have the power to rewrite the ending.

That is what Jesus is hinting at when Abraham refuses the request of the rich man to send Lazarus to his brothers and to warn them.  Abraham tells the man: “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.”  But the rich man knows his brothers, knows them well enough to know that they will not listen to that which is already there . . . but, if a heavenly being like Lazarus shows up; well, they will listen.

Still Abraham refuses as he tells the man: “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” 

Abraham could have said, “Karma sucks!”

Within the parable, and for us, that is the loophole.  There is still time to change . . . still time to right our actions . . . still time to do the right thing.  We have all heard the words of Jesus, just as the brothers had heard the words of Moses and the Prophets . . . love God . . . love others.  Those words are a call to action . . . a call to do something.  If the brothers heed the call of Moses and the Prophets . . . if we heed the words of Jesus . . . there is still time to rewrite how the story ends.  There is still time to change “karma”.

So, there you go . . . the BIG warning.  We are in the realm of the rich man’s brothers.  We need to heed the words of Jesus.  We need to live our lives as Jesus lived his.

Author Donald Van de Mark, in his book The Good Among the Great: 19 Traits of the Most Admirable, Creative, and Joyous People writes: “Not only is there often a right and wrong, but what goes around does come around, Karma exists, chickens do come home to roost, and as my mother, Phyllis, liked to say, ‘There is always a day of reckoning.’ The good among the great understand that every choice we make adds to the strength or weakness of our spirits—ourselves, or to use an old fashioned word for the same idea, our souls. That is every human’s life work: to construct an identity bit by bit, to walk a path step by step, to live a life that is worthy of something higher, lighter, more fulfilling, and maybe even everlasting.”

In other words, we are called upon to live our lives in such a way that we are loving God completely and loving others as we love ourselves.  We are called upon to live up to the expectations of who God created us to be as members of God’s family.  Whether we believe in karma or not, we do believe that one good turn deserves another . . . and, that what goes around comes around.  We believe that there are consequences to our words and action.  It is our choice.

It was the choice of the rich man.  Each and every day, he walked past that beggar at his gate.  Each and every day, he ignored the plight and condition of Lazarus . . . never gave him any attention, not even a simple acknowledgement or greeting.  He chose not to help another in a time of need; and, in the end, it turned around and bit him in the rear end.

Luke’s gospel has always focused upon those who are on the “outside” looking in . . . those who are on the fringe of life . . . those who are considered to be “lesser than”.  The writer wants us, the readers, to consider who those “outsiders” might be in our lives . . . in the world around us.  Wants us to consider who they are, but more importantly wants us to consider what we are going to do about them and their situations in life.  Are we going to go the route of the rich man . . . walk past Lazarus; or are we going to do something about it?

Again, the choice is ours.  We know what Jesus is implying about the choices we make . . . are they leading to some place quite warm or someplace heavenly?

As I stated earlier, for us, there is still time to rewrite the ending of this story.  There is still time to heed the words of Jesus . . . still time to do the right things in our lives and in our journey of faith.  No one, including us, needs to end up in Hades.  We have heard the words.  We have seen the example in Jesus.  Now is the time to live and “walk” the “talk”.  Now is the time to begin rewriting the ending to the story for ourselves.

Karma might suck, but as author Wayne W. Dyer wrote, “How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.”    That is something we can control.  Let others sow their own karma, let us take control of ours.  Let us love God . . . let us love others.  It is our choice and that choice is going to pay off one way or another.  Author John O’Donohue, in his book—Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom, reminds that we are what we sow.  He writes: “If you send out goodness from yourself, or if you share that which is happy or good within you, it will all come back to you multiplied ten thousand times. In the kingdom of love there is no competition; there is no possessiveness or control. The more love you give away, the more love you will have.”

We have been warned.  It is our choice.  Don’t let karma suck.  Choose Jesus’ way.  In the end, you will be glad.  Amen.

“Harvest of Disappointment” (Jeremiah 8:18-9:1)

“The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.” 

Having served as a pastor in rural agricultural communities this is a phrase I have heard muttered in various forms over the years from those members who made their living from either farming or ranching.  It could be that drought hit or inclement weather—like tornados or hail storms—took out the crops.  Maybe it was that the market fell out and it was costing more to farm or ranch than the actual product was worth.  Or, it could have been a crisis within the family that made everything get screwed up.  Whatever the situation, the tone was always the same . . . disappointment.

Disappointment that the work was completed.  Disappointment that the harvest was brought in.  And, disappointment in the fact that none of it would be enough to save anyone.

That is the lament of the people that the prophet Jeremiah shares with the Lord.  The harvest has come, and it is not enough . . . the people are not to be spared of the consequences to their non-compliance to the Lord’s will.  Jeremiah hurts for the people.  He proclaims: “Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me.  Is there no balm in Gilead?  Is there no physician there?  Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?”

Many biblical commentators write that the emotions and feelings of Jeremiah are much like those of a parent who ache for that child that has not admonished the words of warning and are now faced with the consequences of their choice.  It hurts to see someone who is loved have to suffer.  Yet, at the same time, like the parent, Jeremiah knows that this is the price that is paid for those who choose to go against the will of the parent . . . in this case, the Lord.

This lament of Jeremiah for the people is not at the beginning of the story, no this is towards the end of the story.  At the beginning were the words from God calling upon the people to shape up, change their ways, or face the consequences of their choices.  From the start it was not like the people were not warned that there would be a price to pay if they did not change their ways to God’s ways.  They knew what they were dealing with.  Despite that knowledge, the people did what most people would do . . . they took the easy way out.

As I have said many times throughout my ministry, M. Scott Peck in his book, “The Road Less Traveled”, writes that sin is taking the easy way out . . . of finding the loophole . . . of avoiding the hard work, and hoping for the best.  This is what the people of Jeremiah’s time did.  They paid lip service to the demands of God . . . they spoke a pretty talk, but they never did the walk.  In the end, despite thinking in their minds that they had done the work, their actions betrayed them.  They had failed.  When they went to harvest the crops of their efforts, it was not enough.  The consequences were about to be dealt.

As we know, the consequences were swift and brutal.  They were invaded by the Babylonians who laid waste to the city and temple.  The people were captured and hauled back to Babylon.  There they would live in captivity . . . away from their homes, their temple, and the way of life they had always known.  It is terrible.  Psalm 137 reflects the despair of the people: “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion . . . for there our captors asked us for songs . . . how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?”

So, to say the least, we have this morning a scripture reading that deals with disappointment . . . in particular, disappointment in God.  The people are disappointed that—in their minds—they have done everything they said they would do, and it is not enough.  When things get tough . . . their expectations aren’t being met . . . they want to know, “Where is God?”  The assumption is that God is going to be there to stop whatever calamity would befall the people.  When it does not happen . . . well, there is disappointment.

God is not going to step in and stop the consequences of the people’s inaction.  The game must be played out to its conclusion.  Sometimes, experience is the toughest teacher of all.  This is what the people will find out in the end.

The problem with the people’s disappointment is in where they are placing that disappointment . . . they place it squarely on God; but, where it should be placed is upon themselves.  The situation is that they are not who they profess and think themselves to be.  They are not the faithful, God-abiding people they proclaim themselves to be.  Their actions betray them.  They did nothing of what was asked of them from God.  Instead they paid lip service and went on as they had always done.

The question that Jeremiah is really posing for the people is not “where is God?” but “What have we done?”  The challenge here is not to God, but to the people . . . to us.  The challenge is for the people and us to pull back the veil of our appearance of godliness and find the way to real healing.  It is to walk the talk . . . it is to be faithful.

When God confronts the people through the prophets, God tells the people exactly what God is expecting from them.  It is no mystery.  God expects action . . . expects that the words of faith they proclaim are the actions that they take in their daily lives.  The people of Jeremiah’s time are not the only ones guilty of saying one thing and doing another when it comes to faith.  We have all been guilty of this at times in our lives.  Jeremiah wants the people to see this . . . wants us to see this.

Over the past few years we have seen a slew of tragedy occur in the world around.  We have seen mass shootings take place in schools and other public places.  We have seen natural disasters occur.  Wars that have broken out . . . countless things.  And, we have seen the quick response to these tragedies being the words . . . “thoughts and prayers.”

We have seen our leaders use that phrase, “Our thoughts and prayers are with those touched by these terrible things.”  We, too, have used that phrase ourselves from time to time when we do not know what words to say.

And, for some, those words are enough; but, for many those words ring hollow as more and more of these tragedies happen in the world around us.  When nothings seems to stop all this senseless activity.  There is an air of disappointment . . . a “where is God?” sense to the words.  These people are disappointed . . . not in the fact that it seems that God has not come through with God’s end of the deal, but that nothing has been done to quell any of what is happening.  Words are no longer good enough, people are wanting action . . . people are wanting something done.

So, there is disappointment . . . we know where Jeremiah is coming from.  We know where the people are coming from.  Yet, God is not going to intervene.  God is expecting everyone to do the right thing . . . to walk the talk.  Until then God is going to let the cards play where they are . . . whatever the consequences they carry . . . good or bad. 

God expects the faithful . . . the followers of Jesus . . . to be and live as they claim they are.  Nothing less will do.  Until that time there will continue to be harvests of disappointment . . . for us, for God.  As it was for the people of Jeremiah’s time, so it is for us today . . . it is our choice.  It is always our choice.  To quote Joshua: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . but as for me and my household, we will service the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15, NIV)

The choice is ours . . . may we choose well.  Amen.