Jesus says,
“And [the rich man]
called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end
of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’”
Here, Jesus removes your free will and says that there will
be a judgment, even without your approval. That some will go to hell and some
will go to heaven. That hell is made up of pain and torment, as fiery flames
and heaven is like cool water.
This is how it is and, just as the rich man suggests, only
water can be of relief. In the next chapter of Genesis, from our OT reading,
Abraham allows Sarah to throw out Hagar, because Hagar is pregnant with Ishmael.
Cast out into the desert, Hagar and her son find small
refuge by a spring of water and there are found by the Lord and He has mercy on
her. Not because of who she is or what was done to her, but because of Who God
is. He is the Savior and save He does.
Although the spring of water quenches Hagar’s thirst and may
save her from dying, it is the Promise of the Lord that gives her a mighty son,
to which the great nation of Islam claims heritage. The Lord took a small,
unborn child, and made of him a great nation.
Likewise, the rich man asks for water. He asks that Abraham
command Lazarus to baptize his finger and apply this heavenly, rich water to
his inflamed tongue. This only so that the rich man may remain where he is, yet
be comforted: a sinful request in attempting to drag heavenly things into hell.
What is baptism for you all? In the same vein, we may ask,
who do you all say that St. Luke Evangelical is? Is baptism simply a symbol; a
tool you choose to use when and where you desire? A nice thing that grandma and
grandpa did so we should too? Or is it a part of who you tell others you are?
Likewise, what do you say about your church to others?
Repent. You and the rich man are fed up with Church. You are
in it for social and familial status. You treat it like a sumptuous buffet
table, only taking those things which you think you need and discarding
everything else. You dress up in nice clothes and think, God has blessed me,
but I don’t know about these others, especially that guy up front.
In your own zeal for what you think the Church is and Who
Jesus is, you have completely ignored Moses and the Prophets. You have
forgotten that the prophets call for a complete repentance for all your works,
bad AND good. You have forgotten that your catechism has judged you and found
you lacking.
Lazarus is Jesus. Jesus is not handsome. Jesus is not
charismatic or lovey-dovey. He has no form that we should hold Him of any
account. He is cast aside by our sinful will and left for the dogs who, instead
of eating what is falling from their master’s table, lick Lazarus instead.
Jesus does not do what we want Him to, neither does He act
the way we want Him to. He does not save everyone and He does so in His own
way: through baptism. For, unlike Lazarus who could not save the rich man from
torment with water, Jesus can.
Jesus is greater than Lazarus, for although both are stricken,
smitten, and afflicted and left by their friends, Jesus exalts Himself for our
benefit. Jesus has come specifically and only to cross that chasm and come
back. Jesus has gone to those who are tormented in hell. He has preached His
gospel, but they reject it even then.
Moreover, Jesus does rise from the dead, yet there is still
unrepentance among even us. Jesus defeats death, rises again to new life, and
we can hardly bring ourselves to Sunday morning, much less any other activity
in Church.
But, by the grace of God, Jesus never misses a Service.
Jesus never misses an opportunity to prove that He has saved you and that your
sins are forgiven. Jesus constantly and consistently combines His Word with
water to produce new Christians. Jesus inexorably, time and time again, calls
you by His Gospel and enlightens you with His Sacraments.
This is how Abraham knows Lazarus; this is how the rich man
knew Lazarus and this is how Jesus knows Lazarus. In his own baptism, Lazarus
wasn’t just Lazarus anymore. He had a new name engraved on his forehead. It
reads, “Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”
Your name is not to be found on your birth certificate, but
on your re-birth certificate. You are a Christian. That is how you answer any
who ask. You are also Lutheran, which is the same thing, but in our day and age
a necessary addition. That is to say, you believe that Jesus is the Christ and
that He still works among us in His Word.
And that Word is, “Go and make disciples of all nations by
baptizing them in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” So, when people
ask, or even when they don’t; or when Satan asks, you say, I am baptized into
Christ. That is who you are.
What does such baptizing with water indicate? I mean, if
Jesus is Lazarus and we would just as soon pass Him by like any other person
strewn by the wayside, then what makes you think a baptism done by Him, is so
great?
It is the Word of God written so that you may believe. So
that you may believe, not only that Jesus gives you all you need for this life
in this Divine Service, but so that you might also believe that you were buried
with Jesus into death.
That the Old Adam, your dead, blind, and deaf self, is daily
drowned; drowned by daily contrition and repentance. So that, you should daily
emerge and arise to live before God in everlasting righteousness and purity,
before God. For, just as Christ was raised from the dead, you too may live a
new life.
A new life of love, excitement, and forgiveness. Even though
Lazarus suffered and died, he was carried by the angels, because His Savior
gave him the kingdom. As we are and as we will be, we are royalty because the
King of kings has baptized and redeemed us.
Even if we die, we will yet live. Death’s flood has lost its
chill since Jesus crossed the river. He has loved our souls and delivered them
out of all our ills and woes.
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