of Jesus’ most memorable parables:
the unjust steward and the rich man,
the prodigal son and his sullen older brother,
the man fallen among thieves
and the Samaritan who helps him.
But today’s Gospel reading is the only parable
in which a character is given a name: Lazarus.
Why might this be the case?
and the Samaritan who helps him.
But today’s Gospel reading is the only parable
in which a character is given a name: Lazarus.
Why might this be the case?
The name “Lazarus” is Aramaic,
which was the language spoken by Jesus,
and is a form of the Hebrew name Eleazar,
which means “God saves.”
So it is certainly a fitting name for the poor man
who receives from God a heavenly reward.
But Jesus could also have given symbolic names
to other characters in his parables.
The shepherd who goes seeking the lost sheep
could have been named Adriel,
which means “flock of God,”
or the prodigal son’s older brother
could have been named Mara,
which means “bitter.”
But Jesus chooses not to give them names,
perhaps so that we would be more inclined to see them
as representative kinds or types of people
with whom we might more easily identify.
which was the language spoken by Jesus,
and is a form of the Hebrew name Eleazar,
which means “God saves.”
So it is certainly a fitting name for the poor man
who receives from God a heavenly reward.
But Jesus could also have given symbolic names
to other characters in his parables.
The shepherd who goes seeking the lost sheep
could have been named Adriel,
which means “flock of God,”
or the prodigal son’s older brother
could have been named Mara,
which means “bitter.”
But Jesus chooses not to give them names,
perhaps so that we would be more inclined to see them
as representative kinds or types of people
with whom we might more easily identify.
Yet Lazarus is named.
Perhaps more significant
than the meaning of his name
is the simple fact that he has a name at all.
For to have a name is to have an identity
that is more than simply being
a kind or type of person.
To have a particular name is to be unique
and not reducible to an identity category
like “shepherd” or “older brother.”
To be an individual person and not simply a type
is to be recognized as capable of acting in ways
that are not “typical” or “predicable”
but are surprising and free and often delightful.
To have a name is to become irreplaceable.
Perhaps more significant
than the meaning of his name
is the simple fact that he has a name at all.
For to have a name is to have an identity
that is more than simply being
a kind or type of person.
To have a particular name is to be unique
and not reducible to an identity category
like “shepherd” or “older brother.”
To be an individual person and not simply a type
is to be recognized as capable of acting in ways
that are not “typical” or “predicable”
but are surprising and free and often delightful.
To have a name is to become irreplaceable.
This is important in the parable
because the rich man’s sin
is that he fails to see Lazarus as anything more
than one more poor person he steps over
on his way to another sumptuous meal
in his purple garments and fine linen.
Though he seems to know Lazarus’s name,
this does not lead him to see Lazarus
as an irreplaceable individual,
but simply as one more poor person
who is no concern of his,
unless it is to be his servant.
because the rich man’s sin
is that he fails to see Lazarus as anything more
than one more poor person he steps over
on his way to another sumptuous meal
in his purple garments and fine linen.
Though he seems to know Lazarus’s name,
this does not lead him to see Lazarus
as an irreplaceable individual,
but simply as one more poor person
who is no concern of his,
unless it is to be his servant.
The funny thing is,
by his actions the rich man shows himself
to be nothing more than one more rich person,
behaving in typical rich-person ways:stepping over the poor as he proceeds
to indulge his appetites and satisfy his desires.
It is the rich man who is locked into actions
that are typical and predictable,
who has reduced himself to a mere category type
and, in a sense, made himself replaceable,
since there are many of the same type
who are ready to step into his shoes
and act in the same way.
And when both he and Lazarus die,
and Lazarus is in the bosom of Abraham
and the rich man is in the fires of hell,
the rich man seems unable
to break out of that category type.
Even as he begs for mercy he still presumes
that the poor man should act as his servant,
bringing him water to slake his thirst
and taking messages to his brothers.
His punishment is unrelenting
because he cannot cease acting in the way
that led him to his sad destiny.
In the Christian tradition,
the rich man comes to be referred to as Dives,
which might seem like a name,
but is simply the Latin word for “rich.”
His individual identity has been completely lost
and he is nothing more
than a parody of a human being.
Perhaps this is what hell is:
to cease being an irreplaceable individual
with a name known by God,
to lose one’s capacity to act in ways
that are surprising and free and delightful,
to be condemned to following the script
that we once chose for ourselves
but now determines our every action.
the rich man comes to be referred to as Dives,
which might seem like a name,
but is simply the Latin word for “rich.”
His individual identity has been completely lost
and he is nothing more
than a parody of a human being.
Perhaps this is what hell is:
to cease being an irreplaceable individual
with a name known by God,
to lose one’s capacity to act in ways
that are surprising and free and delightful,
to be condemned to following the script
that we once chose for ourselves
but now determines our every action.
Of course, Jesus does not tell this parable
simply to inform us about the afterlife.
He tells it to get us to examine our own lives now.
As Abraham says to the rich man,
we don’t need a miraculous visitation
from the realm of the dead
to tell us what God thinks of our self-indulgence
and our neglect of the poor.
We, like the rich man and his kind,
have Moses and the prophets,
and the prophet Amos says to us this day,
“Woe to the complacent in Zion!”
Woe to those reclining
on fancy beds and couches.
Woe to those drinking fine wine
and getting spa treatments.
Woe to those who see
the poor one at their gate
as simply a category of human being
that can be dismissed and ignored
as a “panhandler”
or “welfare queen”
or “illegal immigrant,”
and not as someone with a name and a story
and an irreplaceable God-given identity,
an identity that we ignore at our peril.
simply to inform us about the afterlife.
He tells it to get us to examine our own lives now.
As Abraham says to the rich man,
we don’t need a miraculous visitation
from the realm of the dead
to tell us what God thinks of our self-indulgence
and our neglect of the poor.
We, like the rich man and his kind,
have Moses and the prophets,
and the prophet Amos says to us this day,
“Woe to the complacent in Zion!”
Woe to those reclining
on fancy beds and couches.
Woe to those drinking fine wine
and getting spa treatments.
Woe to those who see
the poor one at their gate
as simply a category of human being
that can be dismissed and ignored
as a “panhandler”
or “welfare queen”
or “illegal immigrant,”
and not as someone with a name and a story
and an irreplaceable God-given identity,
an identity that we ignore at our peril.
Even more, Jesus is asking us
to look at ourselves and to see
if we have chosen to live our lives in such a way
that we have reduced ourselves to a mere category-type
and lost our capacity to act in ways
that are surprising and free and delightful.
Do I simply conform to the expectations
of my social class
or my political ideology
or my generational cohort
or my racial or ethnic identity,
rather than letting God call me by my unique name,
calling me out of any class or ideology or cohort or identity
other than that of “child of God,”
the irreplaceable brother or sister of Jesus
and of all those for whom he died?
to look at ourselves and to see
if we have chosen to live our lives in such a way
that we have reduced ourselves to a mere category-type
and lost our capacity to act in ways
that are surprising and free and delightful.
Do I simply conform to the expectations
of my social class
or my political ideology
or my generational cohort
or my racial or ethnic identity,
rather than letting God call me by my unique name,
calling me out of any class or ideology or cohort or identity
other than that of “child of God,”
the irreplaceable brother or sister of Jesus
and of all those for whom he died?
Christ is calling us this day
to let ourselves be named by God,
and to learn the names by which he calls
the irreplaceable ones whom we would ignore.
Let this call give us hope that God,
“the King of kings and Lord of lords,
who alone has immortality,
who dwells in unapproachable light,”
will, in his boundless mercy.
have mercy on us all.
to let ourselves be named by God,
and to learn the names by which he calls
the irreplaceable ones whom we would ignore.
Let this call give us hope that God,
“the King of kings and Lord of lords,
who alone has immortality,
who dwells in unapproachable light,”
will, in his boundless mercy.
have mercy on us all.
