Thursday in the Second Week

Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalm 1; Luke 16:19-31

So much of what used to be called sin (remember when we talked about sin?) is a result of disordered perceptions.  Speaking through Jeremiah, we hear God saying, “If you trust in yourself and in human institutions, you will not see what you need or notice when it is available.  What you think will satisfy will never satisfy, and when the real thing shows up you won’t even see it.  You’ll die of thirst next to a spring because it doesn’t look like what you expect or want.”  But those who trust in God will recognize the spring, and plant their roots deep.  When the land looks dry they won’t panic, but will stretch further down.

The rich man in Luke’s story put everything into himself (literally!).  He took as much as he could, thinking that would satisfy.  But it doesn’t.  We don’t need to believe in a literal hell of fire to know that this story is true.  The rich man lived in hell before he died, separated by a great chasm from God and his neighbor, who he couldn’t even recognize.  

I don’t feel comfortable with the message that this chasm can’t be breached.  I understand the need to imagine it this way, though.  In my sinful, disordered state, I can put off reaching out to God and my neighbors.  I’ve heard the words of welcome and comfort from God, sometimes I’ve preached them, but I can forget and start putting my trust in myself.  I can build a chasm.  I need to hear that now is the acceptable time, that now is the only time available to me.  And I need to hear that building a bridge is quite simple - not easy, but simple.  Our baptismal covenant shows me how.  

Dear God, let me see you.  Let me see my neighbor.  Let me see you in my neighbor.  Let me sink my roots deep into your rich soil, trusting in your nourishment to care for me when I care for others.  Open the eyes of my heart, and let me see your goodness all around me.  Bless us all.  Amen.