In Luke 16:19-31 one man finds himself tormented in flames following his death, and another, Lazarus, is escorted by angels into the arms of Abraham. (Note that this is a story, not an eye-witness account! As we teach our confirmands each year, we can take scripture seriously, without taking it literally.) Here and elsewhere, Luke’s gospel seems to paint a picture that wealth is innately bad and leads to ruin.

Does Jesus tell this story as a cautionary tale? To the Lazarus’ of the world – those who have suffered at the hands of the wealthy and “long to satisfy [their] hunger with what [falls] from the rich man’s table” (Lk 16.21) – is Jesus saying, “I know this is bad, but don’t you worry, you’ll have your reward in eternity”? To the rich men and women of the world – those who do not worry about what they will wear or what they will eat – is Jesus saying, “enjoy it while you can”?

The faith we pass on to each new generation teaches us that we are saved by God’s grace and not by our works. So whether we share or hoard what has been entrusted to us, Christ’s death and resurrection is what makes us heirs of God’s promise of eternal life, not our wealth or lack thereof; not what we do with our wealth . . . or don’t do.

So what if Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus not as a cautionary tale about our future, but as an invitation to consider what God is calling us to today?

What if Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus as an invitation to see and notice those who matter to God and yet are missing from our communities?

As Jesus makes his way to Jerusalem, where his own life will be taken at the hands of those with wealth and power, Jesus tells this story, reminding his followers in every age that God’s table of abundance has room for those we can not or will not see. In God’s kingdom where God’s table of abundance is set – no one is missing. At God’s table of abundance all those made in the image of God will feast and be satisfied!

Yes, YOU MATTER! Or in the language of our southern siblings: ALL Y’ALL MATTER!  Jesus’ story invites us to notice all of those who are beloved by God, yet remain absent from our community and from his table. Rich and poor, young and old, saint and sinner, red and blue, foreigner and native-born – God’s table of abundance has room for one and all.