Letters from St Paul’s - Faith and works in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

Rich Man and Lazarus

This morning we read one of the most famous parables of Jesus: the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Sometimes, when I’m preparing a sermon, I think to myself, “How do I deliver this without stepping on people’s theological toes? How do I preach this without making people think I’m all about works-righteousness or salvation by anything other than grace through faith?” Then I realize—Jesus didn’t have to think about that! He simply spoke the truth.

The false dichotomy between faith and works needs to be addressed, for we see both topics clearly displayed in the Bible.

Faith and Works in Scripture

Did Jesus speak to people and say, “Your faith has saved you”? And did He also not say, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who DO the will of my Father”? Did He not say, “Whosoever BELIEVES in the Son has everlasting life,” but also, “Enter into the joy of your Lord; for when I was hungry you fed me, when I was thirsty you gave me drink,” etc.?

For centuries, faith and works have been pitted against each other. But it is completely unnecessary to do so. Faith works. Faith works.

The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

In the parable this morning, we read about a rich man. We don’t get his name, but we know he was wealthy. He had expensive clothes, and he ate very good food every day. Outside, at his gate, was a poor and destitute man named Lazarus. We do get his name.

Lazarus would have been happy to eat the table scraps from the rich man’s house, but he didn’t even get that. The dogs licked his sores. He was in a truly terrible spot in life.

Lazarus dies, and the angels carry him to Abraham’s side—an analogy for paradise or heaven. The rich man also dies, and Jesus says, “He was buried and went to Hades.” He was in torment. The poor man is receiving comfort, but the rich man is suffering. We are told by Abraham that the rich man received good things in his life and Lazarus suffered; so now the rich man is suffering, and Lazarus is being comforted.

A Deeper Analogy

First of all, this is an analogy. The rich man represents the Jews—the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day. They had all the riches of God. They were the keepers of the Scriptures. They had the promises and the priesthood. They were recipients of the covenants of God.

But when Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan (Samaritans were hated by religious Jews and considered unclean), who passed by the man beaten on the road? A priest and a Levite. Two religious men. Who helped the man who was beaten on the road? A Samaritan. Who loved his neighbor? A man who, according to the Jews of the day, was not worthy of salvation or compassion.

In the parable today, the rich man did not care for the poor man. This is essentially the same message told in two different stories.

The Heart of the Parable: Compassion

What is at the heart of this parable? What is Jesus concerned about?

Our compassion toward others.

Just because Jesus was speaking to religious Jews who thought they were better than others doesn’t mean this parable doesn’t apply to all people for all time. In fact, it actually applies more to the church than it did to the Jews!

Why? Because we have the truth. We have Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. We ought to know better, because we have the fulfillment of the promises. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises, and we have Him.

Why Did the Rich Man Go to Torment?

Let’s dig into this parable a little more. Did the rich man go to hell because he was wealthy and had a nice life on earth? No. That is not why he went to torment.

He went to torment because he didn’t have love in his heart for a suffering man. He had this world’s goods and did not provide what the man needed, just as James tells us in his epistle when discussing faith and works.

If we have Jesus, and we have been forgiven, and we are allowed to partake of His body and blood and receive salvation and the seal of the Holy Spirit—which is a down payment on eternal life—should we not feel love and compassion for others?

Don’t we want everyone we love to repent, turn to Jesus, and be in heaven with us? And not only those we love, but also everyone in our sphere of influence. If we have been forgiven of grievous sins, should we not be more than willing to forgive others freely?

We pray it daily: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Why Was Lazarus Comforted?

Why was Lazarus allowed to go to the bosom of Abraham? Was it his good works? Did he ask Jesus into his heart? Did he have faith? We don’t know. But what we do know is that God had compassion on him because he suffered in this life, so God granted him rest and comfort in the next.

We can only speak what we read and know—and that is all we know about this poor man. But this gives us a peek into the heart of God.

God cared about the Ninevites and sent Jonah to tell them to repent because God said:

“Shall I not spare Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and many cattle also?” (Jonah 4)

Were the Ninevites recipients of God’s promises? No. They were a pagan nation within the Assyrian Empire. But God said there are more than 120,000 children there—and many innocent cattle! This same theme runs through the minor prophets. God is loving and compassionate toward all creation. This doesn’t mean all creation is saved, but it does mean He sent His Son into the world with the desire that all people would be saved.

Faith, Works, and Our Response

So, what about us? What are we to do when we read that faith is what saves us, but also that we must have works?

When Jesus tells the parable in Matthew chapter 24 about the people separated to the right and left, the ones who were compassionate to those in need did those works for Jesus Christ Himself. They were the ones received into the kingdom. When we help others, we are actually doing it to and for Jesus.

Have you heard the saying, “No one cares what you know unless they know that you care”? Have you ever argued or fought your way into a happy relationship? Have you ever argued harshly with someone and converted them to Christ? It doesn’t happen. People must know we care before they care what we know.

Do our works save us? No. Our works do not save us.

Works are the fruit on the tree. A good tree produces good fruit. A bad tree does not produce much fruit, if any at all. The works we do are commensurate with the amount of actual faith we have. I might even say the works we do are commensurate with the amount of love we have.

The more we love God, the more we love His creation. The closer we draw to Him, the closer He draws to us. And we would not love Him or draw close to Him if we didn’t have faith.

The Example of “Good Works” Without Faith

A lot of people do “good works.” Bill Gates funds many projects that help the destitute in parts of the world. He donates an enormous amount of money. But Bill Gates has no faith. Are his works done out of love for God? No. They are done to further whatever agenda he might have.

Maybe he does care about poor people—but he’s the same man who said the world population needs to be dramatically reduced, so I doubt he has the best intentions in mind. So we see that works without faith are dead, just as faith without works is dead.

What Are Our Works?

I hope you don’t hear this and think that you have to frantically search for ways to help people or prove to God that you love Him. If you love Him, He knows you love Him. He already loves you.

Most of us have busy lives. Many of us have children. Some have careers that consume much of our time. So what are our works?

When we can do something for someone, we should do it. A parent can be a loving and kind parent who raises their children rightly without being harsh. A person with an important career can do their best in that career and remember to be compassionate along the way—and not turn a blind eye to the less fortunate. Etc.

Conclusion

In summary, the more you tend to a plant, the healthier it will grow. The more you water your faith by reading the Bible, praying to God, attending church, and receiving the Eucharist, the more deeply love and compassion will grow in you.

Sometimes the growth is slow. That’s okay. Just be persistent. And this might sound counterintuitive, but don’t try. Trying creates stress. Just be. Just do. Just keep showing up, keep praying, keep reading. If Jesus Christ is in your heart, it will happen.