25 Sergius, Abbot
of Holy Trinity, Moscow, 1392 was a spiritual leader and monastic reformer of medieval Russia.
26 Lancelot
Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester, 1626. Wilson Carlile, Priest, 1942
27 Vincent de
Paul, Religious, and Prophetic Witness, 1660. Thomas Traherne, Priest, 1674 was an English poet, clergyman, theologian, and religious writer.
28 Richard Rolle,
1349, Walter Hilton, 1396, and Margery Kempe, c. 1440, Mystics
29 Saint Michael
and All Angels
30 Jerome, Priest,
and Monk of Bethlehem, 420
October[edit]
1 Remegius, Bishop
of Rheims, c. 530 On 25 December
496 he baptised Clovis I, King of the
Franks. This baptism, leading to the conversion of the entire
Frankish people to Chalcedonian
Christianity, was a momentous success for the Church and a seminal event
in European history.
OLD TESTAMENT:
Jeremiah 32: 1 - 3a, 6 - 15 (RCL)
Jere 32:1 (NRSV)
The word that came to Jeremi'ah from the LORD in the tenth year of King
Zedeki'ah of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrez'zar. 2 At that
time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and the prophet
Jeremi'ah was confined in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the
king of Judah, 3 where King Zedeki'ah of Judah had confined him.
6 Jeremi'ah said,
The word of the LORD came to me: 7 Han'amel son of your uncle Shal'lum is going
to come to you and say, "Buy my field that is at An'athoth, for the right
of redemption by purchase is yours." 8 Then my cousin Han'amel came to me
in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the LORD, and said to
me, "Buy my field that is at An'athoth in the land of Benjamin, for the
right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself." Then I
knew that this was the word of the LORD.
9 And I bought the
field at An'athoth from my cousin Han'amel, and weighed out the money to him,
seventeen shekels of silver. 10 I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses,
and weighed the money on scales. 11 Then I took the sealed deed of purchase,
containing the terms and conditions, and the open copy; 12 and I gave the deed
of purchase to Bar'uch son of Neri'ah son of Mah'seiah, in the presence of my
cousin Han'amel, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of
purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court
of the guard. 13 In their presence I charged Bar'uch, saying, 14 Thus says the
LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of
purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, in order that
they may last for a long time. 15 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.
Amos 6: 1a, 4 -
7 (Roman Catholic, alt. for RCL)
Amos 6:1 (NRSV)
Alas for those who are at ease in Zion,
and for those who
feel secure on Mount Samaria,
4 Alas for those
who lie on beds of ivory,
and lounge on
their couches,
and eat lambs from
the flock,
and calves from
the stall;
5 who sing idle
songs to the sound of the harp,
and like David
improvise on instruments of music;
6 who drink wine
from bowls,
and anoint
themselves with the finest oils,
but are not
grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
7 Therefore they
shall now be the first to go into exile,
and the revelry of
the loungers shall pass away.
PSALM 91: 1 - 6,
14 - 16 (RCL)
Psal 91:1 (NRSV)
You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the
shadow of the Almighty,
2 will say to the
LORD, "My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I
trust."
3 For he will
deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly
pestilence;
4 he will cover
you with his pinions,
and under his
wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness
is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not
fear the terror of the night,
or the arrow that
flies by day,
6 or the
pestilence that stalks in darkness,
or the destruction
that wastes at noonday.
14 Those who love
me, I will deliver;
I will protect
those who know my name.
15 When they call
to me, I will answer them;
I will be with
them in trouble,
I will rescue them
and honor them.
16 With long life
I will satisfy them,
and show them my
salvation.
91
Qui habitat (ECUSA BCP)
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the
Most High, *
abides under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 He shall say to the Lord,
“You are my refuge and my stronghold, *
my God in whom I put my trust.”
3 He shall deliver you from the snare
of the hunter *
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with his
pinions,
and you shall find refuge under his wings;
*
his faithfulness shall be a shield and
buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of any
terror by night, *
nor of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the plague that stalks in the
darkness, *
nor of the sickness that lays waste at
mid-day.
14 Because he is bound to me in love,
therefore will I deliver him; *
I will protect him, because he knows my
Name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will
answer him; *
I am with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and bring him to honor.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, *
and
show him my salvation.
Psalm 146 (alt. for RCL)
Psalm 146: 7 -
10 (Roman Catholic)
Psal 146:1 (NRSV)
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O
my soul!
2 I will praise
the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing
praises to my God all my life long.
3 Do not put your
trust in princes,
in mortals, in
whom there is no help.
4 When their
breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day
their plans perish.
5 Happy are those
whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in
the LORD their God,
6 who made heaven
and earth,
the sea, and all
that is in them;
who keeps faith
forever;
7 who executes
justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to
the hungry.
The LORD sets the
prisoners free;
8 the LORD opens
the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up
those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the
righteous.
9 The LORD watches
over the strangers;
he upholds the
orphan and the widow,
but the way of the
wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The LORD will
reign forever,
your God, O Zion,
for all generations.
Praise the LORD!
146
Lauda, anima mea (ECUSA BCP)
1 Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord, O my soul! *
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have
my being.
2 Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child
of earth, *
for there is no help in them.
3 When they breathe their last, they return to
earth, *
and in that day their thoughts perish.
4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for
their help! *
whose hope is in the Lord their God;
5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all
that is in them; *
who keeps his promise for ever;
6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
and food to those who hunger.
7 The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind; *
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
8 The Lord loves the righteous;
the Lord cares for the stranger; *
he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked.
9 The Lord shall reign for ever, *
your God, O Zion, throughout all
generations.
Hallelujah!
NEW TESTAMENT: 1
Timothy 6: 6 - 19 (RCL)
1 Timothy
6: 11 - 16 (Roman Catholic)
1Tim 6:6 (NRSV) Of
course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; 7 for we
brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; 8 but if
we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want
to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful
desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money
is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered
away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
11 But as for you,
man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
endurance, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the
eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good
confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the presence of God, who
gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before
Pon'tius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep the
commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus
Christ, 15 which he will bring about at the right time--he who is the blessed
and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16 It is he alone who
has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen
or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
17 As for those
who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set
their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides
us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in
good works, generous, and ready to share, 19 thus storing up for themselves the
treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the
life that really is life.
h/t Montreal
Anglican
Our passage is the
concluding section of the book. In vv. 3-5, the author has again warned against
those who teach other than the body of faith passed down from Jesus and the
apostles. He has charged these teachers with monetary gain for teaching
falsehoods. Now, writing in Paul’s name, he counters that there is “great
[spiritual] gain” (v. 6) in teaching the truth; those who do so are content
with enough to pay for necessities (“food and clothing”, v. 8). But false
teachers “who want to be rich” (v. 9) succumb to “senseless and harmful
desires”, and lead people astray from godliness. The true church leader is very
different.
Now he addresses
Timothy, a “man of God” (v. 11), spiritual leader of the Church. He sees
Christian life as a “fight” (v. 12). Timothy “made the good confession” that
Jesus is Lord at his baptism; Jesus made his “confession” (v. 13) of fidelity
in his conduct when facing death. Timothy is to keep “the commandment” (v. 14,
Christ’s orders) until he returns at the end of the era, “at the right time”
(v. 15), i.e. when God chooses. “Immortality” (v. 16) is an attribute of God.
We cannot see him, but Jesus can and will reveal him. The author now speaks to
affluent members of the community (v. 17). They should not set store in money,
but rather in God, for it is God’s gift. It is to be used in a godly way, for
“good works” (v. 18) and sharing with the needy, for through such generosity
they will attain eternal life, “life that really is life” (v. 19).
It is all too easy to
take the warning in vv. 3-5 as
only applying to the behaviour of slaves towards their masters (vv. 1-2),
but the division into chapters (made many centuries later) is unfortunate in
this case. Vv. 1-2 is
the last of the author’s instructions for various groups of members of the
Church. This section begins at 4:11:
“These are the things you [Timothy] must insist on and teach”. 6:3-10 concerns
false teachers; 6:11-16are
instructions to Timothy as to how he is to act; 6:17-19 is
a supplementary reflection on the rich. [ NJBC]
Verses 3-10: Much of the language of this section,
especially the charge of money-grubbing, is borrowed from the polemic of Greek
philosophers against their opponents. In the dialogues of Plato, the opponents are depicted as Sophists who teach for pay and
seek to please, rather than presenting the truth. [ NJBC]
Verses 3-5: The author has harsh words for the false
teachers; they are conceited, contentious, and greedy. [ NOAB]
Verse 3: “sound words”: i.e. apostolic testimony. [ NOAB] See also Titus 1:13 (“That
testimony is true”) and 2:1 (“teach
what is consistent with sound doctrine”). A scholar suggests that the author is
referring to the second quotation in 5:18 (i.e.
“‘The labourer deserves to be paid’”), a saying of Jesus (see Luke 10:7 and
Matthew 10:10)
which is also alluded to in 1 Corinthians 9:14. NJBC offers healthy words.
The true philosopher was often looked on as a physician of the soul. The Pastoral Letters all
hold that falsehood is a disease that only the truth can remedy.
Verse 4: For similar lists of vices, see 1 Corinthians 5:10-11; 6:9-10;
Galatians 5:19-21;
Ephesians 5:1-5;
Colossians 3:5;
1 Peter 2:1; 4:1-3.
[ CAB]
Verse 4: “conceited”: In 3:6,
the author says that a bishop “must not be a recent convert, or he may be
puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil”. [CAB]
Verse 4: “controversy and ... disputes about words”: In 1:4,
the author cautions Timothy about “certain people” ( 1:3)
– that members of the community not to occupy themselves with myths and endless
genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is
known by faith”. A similar caution is found in Titus 3:9.
[ CAB] “Envy” and “wrangling”
show a state of affairs directly opposed to the love produced by the true
“instruction” of 1:5:
“the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good
conscience, and sincere faith”. [ NJBC]
Verse 4: “slander”: 2 Timothy 3:2-5 says:
“You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come.
For people will be ... slanderers ...”. Titus 3:2-3 advises
“Remind them ... to speak evil of no one”. In Mark 7:21-23,
Jesus says: “... it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions
come: ... slander ... All these evil things come from within, and they defile a
person”. See also Colossians 3:8 and
Ephesians 4:31.
[ CAB]
Verse 5: In 2:3-4,
the author writes that “God our Saviour ... desires everyone to be saved and to
come to the knowledge of the truth”. See also 4:3;
2 Timothy 2:15; 3:7-8.
[CAB]
Verse 5: “imagining that godliness is a means of gain”: Platonists charged so-called Sophists with teaching for
profit ideas that would please, rather than presenting the truth.
Verse 6: “contentment”: The Greek word autarkeia was
current from the time of Aristotle to
the time of the Stoics. It was
used to describe the virtue that makes a person content with what he has. [ NJBC] In 2 Corinthians 9:8,
Paul writes “God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so
that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every
good work”. [ NOAB]
Verse 7: “for we brought nothing into the world, so
that we can take nothing out of it”: This sentiment is found in many ancient
sources: see Job 1:21;
Wisdom of Solomon 7:6, Philo, and Seneca. [ CAB] [ NJBC]
Verse 8: See also Genesis 28:20 (Jacob’s
dream at Bethel); Deuteronomy 10:17-18;
Sirach 29:21;
1 Corinthians 9:15-17;
Philippians 4:11;
James 2:15-16.
[ CAB] 2 Timothy 4:13 depicts
Paul as exemplifying simplicity in his clothing needs. [ NJBC]
Verse 9: In Mark 10:25,
Jesus tells his disciples: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God”. See also 1
John 2:15-17 and
James 1:13-18.
[ CAB]
Verse 10: “the love of money is a root of all kinds of
evil”: A common proverb in Greek philosophical writings – frequently misquoted
today. [ CAB]
Verse 10: “some have wandered away from the faith”: The
author writes in 4:1-2:
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will renounce the faith
by paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the
hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared with a hot iron”. See also 5:8.
[ CAB]
Verse 11: “you”: In Greek the word is in the singular,
so it clearly refers to Timothy.
Verse 11: “man of God”: An appellation often applied to
Old Testament prophets, e.g. Deuteronomy 33:1 (Moses);
1 Samuel 2:27;
1 Kings 12:22 (Shemaiah); 13:1,
calling attention to the spiritual power and responsibility of church leaders.
[ NJBC]
Verse 11: “pursue righteousness”: For other list of
virtues, see Galatians 5:22-23;
Colossians 3:12;
2 Peter 1:5-7.
[ CAB]
Verse 12: “Fight the good fight ...”: Timothy is also
instructed to “fight the good fight” in 1:18.
Paul uses another figure, that of a foot-race: see 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and
Philippians 3:12-15.
Paul’s own life exemplified how this fight should be carried out: see 2 Timothy 4:7.
[ CAB] [ NJBC]
Verse 12: “made the good confession”: From the language
of worship: adoration and praise of God. In baptism and before a Roman court
the believer praises God by confessing that Jesus is Lord. CAB holds that this is a reference
to Timothy’s ordination: 4:14 advises
“Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through
prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders”; see also 2
Timothy 2:2.
The “commandment” (v. 14)
is then the charge given to Timothy on this occasion.
Verse 13: “his testimony”: For Jesus’ testimony before
Pilate, see Mark 15:1-5.
[ CAB] Jesus’ own conduct in
facing his passion and death when “Pilate” was governor exemplifies proper
fidelity. [ NJBC]
Verse 14: “commandment”: This word is here probably
synonymous with the Christian way of life. [ NOAB] Often the Greek word refers
to a specific commandment from God (divine revelation), but
here it refers to the entire divine mandate given to Timothy.
[NJBC]
Verse 14: “until the manifestation ...”: Titus 2:11 says
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all” and Titus 2:13:
“while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our
great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ”. [ NJBC]
Verses 15-16: A doxology in praise of God
somewhat parallel to that in 1:17 (quoted
below). It is Hellenistic Jewish in inspiration; it stresses God’s
transcendence and his superiority to all earthly rulers. [ NJBC] These verses are probably
from an ancient Christian hymn.
Verse 15: “King of kings”: A phrase picked up from
Ezekiel 26:7 and
Daniel 2:37,
and also found in Revelation 19:16.
[ CAB]
Verse 15: “Lord of lords”: A phrase also found in
Deuteronomy 10:17;
Psalm 136:3;
Revelation 17:14.
[ CAB]
Verse 16: “he alone who has immortality”: In 1:17,
the author writes “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God,
be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen”. See also John 5:26.
[ NOAB]
Verse 16: “unapproachable light”: Psalm 104:2 speaks
of God as “wrapped in light as with a garment”. [ NOAB]
Verse 16: “whom no one has ever seen”: John 1:18 says
“No one has ever seen God”. See also John 6:46 and
1 John 4:12.
But the Son can and will reveal him (see Matthew 11:27;
1 John 3:2;
Revelation 22:4),
[ NOAB] but with the aid of
grace, some vision of God is (or will be) available to humans. A beatitude in Matthew 5:8 says:
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”.
Verses 17-19: Perhaps raising the issue of money in vv. 6-10 led
the author to adding this piece of instruction to the more prosperous members
of the community. It seems that there were a significant number of them: see 2:9 (women
were dressing expensively); 6:2 (slave
owners); Titus 2:9-10 (slaves
and masters). [ NJBC]
Verse 18: “do good”: 2:10 says
that women who hold God in awe should be known for their “good works”. 5:10 says
that a widow of great age should be put on the list (presumably of those to be
assisted by the community) if, amongst other things, she is known for her good
works. 5:10, 25; 6:18;
2 Timothy 2:21; 3:17;
Titus 1:16; 2:7; 3:1, 8, 14 also
emphasize the importance of “good works”. [ CAB]
Verse 20: “guard what has been entrusted to you”: In the Pastoral Letters, the
function of ministry is to safeguard the traditions handed down about Jesus and
the apostles. See also 1:3, 18;
2 Timothy 1:13-14; 2:2, 14-15, 24-25; 3:14; 4:2;
Titus 1:13; 2:1.
[ CAB] The Greek word paratheke (“entrusted”)
can refer to a deposit, e.g. of money, which a person is to hand
back exactly as received. The emphasis here is on preservation of a trust. [ NJBC]
Verse 20: “what is falsely called knowledge”: The Greek
word translated “knowledge” here is gnosis. The false teachers
called their teachings gnosis, so they may be forerunners of those
we today call Gnostics. On
the other hand true Christianity is epignosis, clear
knowledge . See Titus 1:1;
1 Timothy 2:4;
2 Timothy 2:25; 3:7.
[ NJBC]
Verse 21: “you”: The Greek word is in the plural, so
this blessing is intended for a wider group of readers. [ NJBC]
GOSPEL: Luke 16:
19 - 31 (all)
Luke 16:19 (NRSV)
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who
feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named
Laz'arus, covered with sores, 21 who longed to satisfy his hunger with what
fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22
The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The
rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was being tormented,
he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Laz'arus by his side. 24 He called
out, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Laz'arus to dip the tip
of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.'
25 But Abraham said, "Child, remember that during your lifetime you
received your good things, and Laz'arus in like manner evil things; but now he
is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 Besides all this, between you and
us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here
to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.' 27 He said,
"Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house-- 28 for I have
five brothers--that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this
place of torment.' 29 Abraham replied, "They have Moses and the prophets;
they should listen to them.' 30 He said, "No, father Abraham; but if
someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him,
"If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be
convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"
In v. 27-28, the rich man changes tactics: upon learning that the gulf between him and Lazarus cannot be bridged (“a great chasm has been fixed”, v. 26), he asks that his brothers be saved from the same fate. Abraham’s answer (v. 29) amounts to: God reveals himself and his will in the Old Testament, so the “brothers” (v. 28) have been warned of the fate that awaits them. The Law required landowners, God’s tenants, to share with the needy.
In v. 31, in speaking of “someone rises from the dead”, Jesus is referring to his resurrection. Even then, “they” will not “repent” (v. 30). Like Lazarus, those whom God helps will come into his presence but, like the rich man, the ungodly will suffer irreversible punishment. God has revealed his will through “Moses and the prophets” (v. 29); those who neglect it will suffer after death. In this case, Jesus overturns conventional Jewish wisdom: it said that wealth was a sign of being blessed by God; if one was poor, one must be ungodly.
This story may
illustrate vv. 10-15 [ NOAB], but note that while Jesus has been speaking to
Pharisees “who were lovers of money” (v. 14), they sought to find justification
in their own punctilious observance of the Law ( 11:37-44).
Will the “five
brothers” (v. 28) and Luke’s readers follow the example of the rich man or heed
Jesus’ teaching and that of the Old Testament regarding care of the needy, like
Lazarus, and thus be children of Abraham? If they do not, they will not have
places at the messianic banquet. [ NJBC]
There are
parallels to this story in Egyptian folklore and in the Jewish story of the
rich tax collector, Bar Ma’yan, but the parallels do not include the dialogue
between the rich man and Abraham. Also, in the parallels, Lazarus gloats over
the punishment of the rich man. See also 1 Enoch 92-105 and Apocalypse of Peter
13. [ NJBC] In the Jewish story, Bar Ma’yan is a rich tax collector. He dies,
and is given a well-attended ostentatious funeral. About the same time, a poor
scholar dies and is buried without pomp or attention. Yet the scholar finds
himself in Paradise, by flowing streams, while Bar May’an finds himself near
the bank of a stream unable to reach the water. [ Blomberg]
This is the only
parable that has a transcendental element, and in which the characters have
names. [ Blomberg]
Verses 19-20: Some
hold that the text gives no indication that the rich man was guilty of moral
wrong or that Lazarus was morally right. Using 1:51-53 (the Magnificat) and
6:20-26 (the Beatitudes) to support their argument, they say that these verses
condemn the rich just because they are rich, and bless the poor because they
are poor. NJBC disagrees.
Verse 19: “rich
man”: He is commonly called Dives, the Latin for rich man. [ NOAB]
Verse 19:
“purple”: The dye came from a type of sea snail found along the coast of Syria
and Palestine. [ NOAB]
Verse 19: “fine
linen”: In the Allegory of the Unfaithful Wife (Ezekiel 16), based on a
folktale, Yahweh speaks, through the prophet, of Jerusalem. In Ezekiel 16:11-13,
he says that he adorned her with ornaments, that he “adorned [her] with gold
and silver, while ... [her] clothing was of fine linen, rich fabric, and
embroidered cloth. [She] ... had choice flour and honey and oil for food. She
... grew exceedingly beautiful, fit to be a queen”, but she “trusted in [her]
... beauty, and played the whore because of [her] ... fame, and lavished [her]
... whorings on any passer-by”. See also Revelation 18:11-13. [ JBC]
Verse 20:
“Lazarus”: He is not the same Lazarus as in John 11:1-44; 12:1, 9. [ NOAB]
Lazarus is a shortened form of Eleazar. Aaron, the priest, had a son by this
name: see Exodus 6:23. [ CAB] Perhaps his name is given because it means God
helps; he is probably meant to be seen as one who has faith in God. [ Blomberg]
Verses 22-26:
Being developed from folklore, we should probably not use this story to deduce
the detailed post mortem state of believers and unbelievers. [ Blomberg]
Verses 21-22: The
moral quality of Lazarus is passed over to illustrate the fatal deficiency in
the life of the rich man, and the impossibility of changing the latter’s
condemnation. [ NOAB]
Verse 22: “to be
with Abraham”: In 13:28-29, Jesus says “There will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the
kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out. Then people will come from east
and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God”. [ NJBC]
Abraham’s bosom was a contemporary Jewish term for the lodging place of the
godly dead prior to the expected general resurrection. [ NOAB]
Verse 23: “Hades”:
Chapter 22 of 1 Enoch, a popular book in Jesus’ time, speaks of adjoining
quarters for the ungodly and the godly in this abode of the dead, and seems to
imply that they will be there until the general resurrection. Rabbinic teaching
was that, after the apocalyptic battles of the messianic age, an age to come
would dawn. [ JBC]
Verse 25: Your
request is futile!
Verses 27-31: The
Old Testament speaks an urgent and sufficient call to repentance. [ NOAB] The
rich man’s failure to care for Lazarus is not in accord with the Old Testament
(vv. 29-31) and with Jesus’ teaching in v. 9: “And I tell you, make friends for
yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may
welcome you into the eternal homes”. [ NJBC] Every Jew knew the Old Testament
laws commanding the compassionate use of riches, so the rich man had no excuse
for his wanton neglect of one whom he saw regularly (vv. 20-21) and could have
helped easily. [ Blomberg]
Verse 29: See also
John 5:45-47 and Acts 15:21. In John 5:46, Jesus says: “If you believed Moses,
you would believe me, for he wrote about me”. [ NOAB]
Verse 30: In 3:8,
Jesus says: “Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to
yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from
these stones to raise up children to Abraham”. See also 19:9 for his words to
Zacchaeus. [ NOAB] Mere words do not make one a child of Abraham, and therefore
a member of reconstituted Israel. The rich man’s claim that Abraham is his
father is of no effect, for he has not done the deeds which would have
signified repentance from his self-centred, callous way of life. [ NJBC]
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