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Luke 16v19-31
The Rich man in Sh’ol begging help from Avraham in Heaven.
If the nature of [our] humanity were all that we had, then surely the outlook would be dim. But we also have the aid of God, the Gift of the H S which we are told, walks beside us as ‘Parousia’—an advisor & companion.
And if we look in the wider community around us, we often find that some of the most passionate people for justice, or those greatly incensed at injustice in the world & community, that they are often Humanists. The most inspiring & passionate idealists. But the fact is, they have to hold that ideal, or they would have nothing else to direct them to what is the good. But ours is not just an ideal, it is a relationship---where, if point came to shove—we wouldn’t be so willing to sacrifice individuals for the greater good. [That is an area of Utilitarianism, I’m not going to get into!]
But we can go back a bit further to find the pattern of God’s help here. The central Biblical fact of Sinai, & the covenant given there to Israel, is itself [a major something] superimposed/put over, as it were, on the failure of Adam. The fact that we are given, even then, the knowledge of his will—what he wants from us—is a sign of some ability to cope w/evil & badness. The Torah, when it was given, and as it acts, is a safeguard; only a kind of antidote. Or perhaps I mean an anti-serum. Something which slowly builds resistance through the system, or the community, but only as much as the individual’s native capacity will allow. But it is not a total one. It is not a total ability to comprehend & deal with evil & badness. For that we need a relationship w/God. Not just a knowledge of his will.
Jesus is referring to this when he said to the Pharisees in v.16: “Until John came it was the Law & the Prophets. Since then the Kingdom of God is preached, and all are trying to force their way in. [But it is easier for the heavens & the Earth to disappear than for one hook of the letter of the Law to fall away].” And he repeats “the Law & the Prophets” at the end of this parable.
But it is also pointed out another way, even before this in v.9: “Now what I say to you is this: use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves, so that when it gives out you may be welcomed into the eternal home.” And a bit further in v.11 J adds: “So if you haven’t been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who is going to trust you with the real thing?” A point here is using money well. And that would be unselfishly; with a certain generosity of spirit; with a sense of largesse, as it were.
We are never alone in our struggle w/evil. A generous act on our part, unlike a concept of duty, is not anonymous and impersonal. We are never alone in our action because there is also a relationship w/God we feel as we do it. To do a generous act, as I’ve indicated the HS’s work, is to give an answer to God’s will, but also to God’s spirit. To respond to what he expects & prompts of us.
And what is a generous act? A prayer in the form of a deed, I think. And we do that with some trepidation I think. A small risk of a step into the unknown: but not totally unknown: for the spirit has prompted us. It does not have to be always on our lips; it must be always in our minds, in our hearts. And that is from where God acts.
In the end we have this: there is no reverence for God w/out reverence for man (or woman). Then all deeds are relevant to God. He is present in all our deeds. Love of man is the way to the love of God. The awareness lest we hurt a poor man, must be as deep as our awareness of God, for he that oppresses the poor blasphemes his maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honours Him (Prov.14,31).
Depart from evil, and do good, the Psalmist intoned. That is: the right way of departing from evil is by doing good. It’s not a 2-step process; you’ll be making a stumbling block as it were for yr selves & to others, if you put our faith to them that way. Put yr accent on the 2nd half of the sentence and you’ll find you’ll be there adding G’s spirit and God’s praise to the world. That is also what the rich man missed—the opportunity for himself & for God.
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