The First Sunday after Trinity – Pr. Anderson sermon
St. Luke 16:19-31 “You are Comforted Here”
June 7, 2026 | Christ Lutheran Church
In Nomine Iesu
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Lord God, heavenly Father, we beseech You so to rule and govern our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, that we may not, like the rich man, hear Your Word in vain, and become so devoted to things temporal that we forget things eternal; but that we readily and according to our ability serve those who are in need, and not defile ourselves with carousing and pride; in trial and misfortune keep us from despair, and grant us to put our trust wholly in Your fatherly help and grace, so that in faith and Christian patience we may overcome all things; through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen. (Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary, by Veit Dietrich, p. 158)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (Rom. 1:7, etc.)
The sermon text for today is taken from the 16th chapter of the Gospel according to St. Luke. We read selected verses in Jesus’ name:
[Jesus said to the Pharisees:] “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he 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.’
“But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
These are Your words, heavenly Father. Sanctify us by Your truth, Your Word is truth. Amen. (Joh. 17:17)
In Christ Jesus, who with His redemption of your life on the cross, now gives you the comfort and riches of heaven, comfort and riches you hear and see now, comfort and riches you will hold on to forever, dear fellow redeemed:
There is a saying that opposites can attract. In the first setting, you can find it in science where you have protons and electrons that are drawn together. There are many stories where you have two characters with the opposite characteristics and they have to work together through the entire story. Most of the time, they are able to work through their differences and then they prevail. There are also seldom relationships where an introvert and an extrovert might work well together as a pair, or someone who is spontaneous with their planning compared to one who plans out every activity. As you weigh these examples of opposites attracting, there are some opposites that will always remain opposites. As we move into the nonfestival half of the church year, the first place we go is where our God dwells. The opposites that Jesus teaches plain as day is the location of where He dwells in heaven and where the devil will dwell forever in his prison of hell. You have been set free from this prison, and your comfort is found in the opposite location. The location you receive comfort from right now and you will be comforted forever when you get there.
And until it is our time, this is the gracious hope we have, that the kingdom of God continues to be active in our midst. And even when it gives evidence that it is here, there will still be many who will flock towards its opposite location. With our lives being short already, we are very close to these opposite destinations. [Jesus said to the Pharisees:] “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. In the paths of life, it is hard to find hope. This is why many do not care about heaven and hell. Living in the here and now like the rich man and Lazarus were and it feels like there is no hope at all out there.
These are the lives Jesus wants the Pharisees to see, for in this teaching they see their neighbors. As some who they know celebrate all of the possessions they have gathered in this life, there are many who do not have that. Many who as the Gospel writers share, have Jesus coming to them and bringing them sweet relief from their physical ailments. And as the Pharisees witnessed Jesus take care of people with their ailments, yet there will be some who aren’t healed in this life and in the end, rich or poor, there is only one end for both. “The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.” There will be life after, as Jesus confirms. He confirms it in their beliefs as He points out that the poor man was a son for Abraham. The rich man though, who had everything he needed in this life did not go to be by the side of Abraham. Instead, he found the opposite, in Hades, being in torment. They were both gone with no way to talk to them. In fact, all the ways to attempt are banned by God as He commands, you cannot be and should put to death, a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead (Deuteronomy 18:11). While the rich man was given his fate, it didn’t mean the Pharisees listening needed to run to this same fate. The way of escape, the way they can find, they actively push away as Jesus’ resurrection instead hardened the enemies’ opposition to him, and they tried to cover up evidence. They don’t see it now, but Jesus points out to them that the rich man realizes his condition is permanent.
In this permanent place, Jesus reveals you will see the opposite side where He is. It will be seen while being in torment and there is no way to ease the pain. He lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he 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.’ Even in great suffering, he believes he has standing to bark orders revealing his cry is for mercy only, not for repentance. This is still arrogance from what was the former to try and order Abraham and Lazarus to give just a drop of relief. This is a torment that should be feared as it’s not just disrespectful and unbelieving humans that will have to experience it. This was a prison made for others and those tenants don’t even want to be there early. The demons named legion cried out to Jesus saying, “What have you to do with us, O son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” (Matthew 8:29) If evil wants to run, then why don’t people want to run? Believing this is the way to avoid slavery, to embrace this and with the demons Jesus says, “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46).
If hell is so bad that even the powerful prisoners don’t want to experience it early, wouldn’t we want to flee toward the opposite way, the opposite location that Jesus says also exists? This path is a narrow one as it is much easier to accept the unfairness of life and think it can’t be better. That God does not keep his promises otherwise this suffering shouldn’t be taking place. It is easy to be caught up in the moments and events of life and in the process follow our feelings instead of what God has to say. Our feelings can push out the very facts of reality. Jesus lays out the facts. There will be a final judgment He will conduct and the moment of our death has our fate sealed. And it can be sealed by going down the narrow way which has only one belief, to believe in Jesus as the Savior of the world. In a world that would rather dwell in possessions and with those possessions be their own Savior or simply believe that Jesus doesn’t get the job done, many will find themselves, drinking the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name” (Revelation 14:10-11).
As we ask the question why we would want to be on the receiving end of this eternal pain, we find our own shortcoming where we have strayed to the wide path when we have thought things that have happened in our lives have been unfair. God is teaching that in this short life, there is no reason to be worrying about His handling of the situation because we are on His mind. As Lazarus faced a difficult and challenging life, this was only a portion of forever. God heard and witnessed His pain and, in the end, when his life was over, He sent His holy angels to pick him up and bring him right to a seat of honor at the marriage feast of the lamb. The feast he doesn’t deserve to be at even with his great suffering but a feast he is invited to because of his faith and comfort in One who would come to save him. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, (Hebrews 9:27) the judgment Lazarus faced was the judgment of being declared not guilty because of the One who died and rose. Lazarus name means, One whom God helps, and God certainly helped him with bringing him into eternal glory out of suffering. Looking past this short life, this is instant divine help which appears where human help is lacking. And with his name being spelled out, Lazarus’ name is here because his name is written in the book of life.
Your name is spelled out in the Lord’s book with the narrow and opposite way, the only way, the way of Christ. For this way has been given to you and through believing the prophetic testimony about Christ, you have the way to escape eternal torment and suffering. For faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). You have everything you need to find comfort and strength as the power is right here in His Word. Nothing else can do it, for if a person neglects or rejects God’s Word, which is the means by which the Holy Spirit works faith, witnessing a miracle will not bring about his or her conversion. This doesn’t mean miracles don’t happen. Your God sees you where you are right now, and He wants you to hear and see your divine relief is near. Jesus says, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39). This isn’t a feeling. It is right here for you to possess and you do possess it, because your Savior who died on the cross for the sins of all people says, “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:11).
The detractors will hear this news and still say that since there are still those who choose the wide path, then it is not enough. It still doesn’t look fair. And no matter how much you try to convince them, like Abraham telling the rich man, “He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” Jesus could stand in front of the masses and like the people of history they would still reject Him. But this doesn’t mean you give up, for you know what God promises. He promises to work through His Word. He promises the comfort He brings of His cross and resurrection is for all people. This is the time to heed His Word while gracious mercy can be shown, for this life is short. In proclaiming the good news of Jesus victory over sin, death, and the devil, His Word gives us the outcome of the devil, who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10) And as you rejoice in hearing this great comfort, this isn’t even the most important and comforting part. Like Lazarus, it’s because of your name. “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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