The Door to Heaven

Lectionary Reading: Luke 16:19-31

There are really only 3 things to do with a doorway. You can:

1. Kick the door in
2. Just walk right through
3. Hold the door open for others

How do you get in most of the rooms in your life? (well, for me – I usually go the 4th way – which is “fall in through an opening because I’m really clumsy” – but that’s another sermon for another time!)

When we look at the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, Jesus shows us all of these options in the prophetic and colorful tale. It is important to note this is a story Jesus is telling to help illustrate his ideas. It is not, as some literalists may want to think, a critical analysis of what heaven and hell is really like. It is not proof of separation, purgatory or the fact that after death, Abraham clearly doesn’t negotiate. It isn’t some kind of warning that those in “hell” can see us and that is part of their torment and it isn’t some kind of sociopolitical statement that only the poor can go to heaven.

So, since I done such a fine job of telling you exactly what it is not – what is it? It’s a parable Jesus uses to a pre-resurrection Hebrew audience (notice its “Abraham” who is the afterlife guide) to show them, and us, some things about the doorway to heaven on earth. It is also a prophecy about the Messiah who will rise from the dead, and go unheard by many so he’s trying to make them hear him while he’s still alive.

Kicking In The Door

In one of his last films, John Wayne plays a tough Chicago cop named Jim Brannigan who is sent to London to extradite a killer. His rough USA manners clash with the polite English law enforcement, but somehow the Duke manages to save the day (just as you knew he would). One of my favorite quirks in this movie is Jim Brannigan’s way of entering the rooms he is supposed to search. After being reminded that he is supposed to knock before entering - he steps back, kicks the door in, then says as it crashes the ground, “Knock, knock”.

That’s the way the rich man in Jesus’ story expects to enter Heaven. He is so rich he flaunts his wealth by dressing in fine linen and the color purple. Purple was the hardest color to dye correctly, so things in the color purple were costly items in those times and showed outrageous expense. Think of those people in our age with solid gold toilet seats or $5000 fountain pens. Meanwhile, Lazarus the beggar sits at the man’s door – so weak from hunger he can’t even chase the dogs away that are licking his wounds. Showing off his vast wealth for the world to see while ignoring the wounded, weak man at the door reveals the rich man has lost all sense of what’s right, what’s wrong and what’s law.

The audience hearing this story knows immediately the rich man is doing things wrong. Jewish law is very clear about using wealth, and about how one is to treat the poor. The rich man is a sinner in the eyes of Mosaic Law and everyone knows it. However, the rich man doesn’t care. He already lives in heaven on earth – having all his desire met, and not worrying about what is to come. After all, when its time to go to heaven, he can simply buy his way in – or kick the door down – right? “Wrong” says the Jewish crowd listening to the tale. “Wrong” says the Lord.

What’s wrong with the rich man isn’t that he has lots of money. What’s wrong is all the things he doesn’t have. He has no soul, no compassion, and no discipline. I’m sure when poor Lazarus died on his doorstep he forgot all about the beggar as soon as his servants removed the body. He believes he can be in God’s presence by virtue of his power, status and wealth. His belief costs him eternity, and sends him crashing to Hades where torment is all he can purchase.

We cannot kick the door in and find ourselves in heaven or in heaven on earth. We cannot force peace to present itself. We cannot overpower righteousness to make its home in our heart. We can memorize scripture until we know the bible by heart, but it won’t compel the Holy Spirit to grant us true wisdom. We must learn another way.

Walk Right On Through

Lazarus is the foil of our friend the rich man. He has nothing. He does nothing. He begs for what he can get, and gets so little that the weakness keeps him from being able to defend his wounds from dogs that wander the roadways, probably better fed than the man himself. When he dies, he is so weak he is carried to heaven by angels and planted with Abraham – the patriarch of Hebrew faith – where he is comforted.

Here Jesus is being prophetic as well as profound. He is talking about Grace in a time before grace was reality. Hebrew culture was about the law, and following it. In the eyes of the audience, Lazarus (who breaks hygiene laws by having open sores in the city, as well as the whole dog licking thing…) is just as guilty at the rich man. However, he just glides through the door of heaven in angel’s arms. He gets the joys of heaven for free, when he could not even get help on earth.

Lazarus is not virtuous because he is poor. In fact, he’s not necessarily virtuous at all. We are told nothing about his heart, or soul or love for God. Just that he dies and goes to Abraham’s side. It’s the first of many times the bible will tell us – Heaven on earth is not about us. It’s about God: God’s grace that takes us despite our poverty (and lack of hygiene!), God’s arms that are strong enough to carry us when we are too weak to walk and God’s protection when others envy what we have.

Hold the Door Open

So, the lazy computer game player inside of me wants to say, “The message of today’s reading is: do nothing and you’ll get to heaven.” Wahoooooo. But, that’s not quite right either. (darn it!).

The rich man asks Abraham to warn others that this upside down reality exists, and Abraham tells him all the knowledge is already available – the people just have to listen. The rich man knows these people are never going to get this by themselves and says if someone like Abraham, raised from the dead, were to speak – that would do the trick.

Here Jesus utters his prophecy. No – people as stubborn as these won’t listen to a prophet – even one that rises from the dead. Jesus knows he will die soon, and he will rise again. People will have chances to hear him in person, in the ministry of his disciples, and in the Word of God. And, people still won’t get it.

If people won’t listen to the risen dead, who WILL they listen to? They will listen to you. They will listen to the living among them – like Jesus who was among them when he told this story. They will see the heaven on earth that has been the gift of God to you when they see it’s not about you – it’s about God.

Here’s the great challenge. Hold the door open for others. Make sure people know the peace you feel is not because of who you are (sometimes we wear our spiritual gifts with the same bad attitude as the rich man’s purple) but because of who God is. You don’t go to church on Sunday because you are so holy. You go because God has carried you from Monday through Saturday and you want to say Thank You as the next week begins. Stop being a spiritual hero, and be a humble servant. Hold the door.

In other words – don’t be a Christian so you will go to heaven. Be a Christian so heaven will come to you. Then, hold the door open as Christ carries yet another person through. The person in Jesus’ arms may be rich, or they may be poor. They may be someone you have longed to see enter, or someone you are surprised to see clinging to Jesus as he carries them with grace.

This is not a story about money, poverty, virtue or sin. This is a story about the very love of God. Jesus speaks truth to us in this story of fashion and flames. People won’t listen to the risen dead. But if the living will hold the door, his arms can carry many well into the light.