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.
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