<SLIDE 1>I don’t know whether you have met Lazarus, the beggar to whom Jesusrefers in Luke 16:19-31, but I have, and meeting him is teaching me that Jesuschanges everything.

Read Luke 16:19-31 <http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=199264155>.

<SLIDE 1>I don’t know whether you have met Lazarus, the beggar to whom Jesusrefers in Luke 16:19-31, but I have, and meeting him is teaching me that Jesuschanges everything.

Read Luke 16:19-31 <http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=199264155>.

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<SLIDE 2>The first time that I met Lazarus, I was eating lunch in an outdoor café atthe Virginia Square Metro Station in Arlington, just a few miles from here. Myluncheon companion and I were having an animated discussion about our plans forgoing to heaven in light of evangelical pastor Rob Bell’s newest book “Love Wins: ABook About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.” We hadpushed aside our uneaten food and were having one of those energizingconversations. Actually, we were arguing, when Lazarus approached our table andasked for food. I recognized Lazarus as a daily client of the food pantry thatvolunteers operate in the very church in which I worked, and I knew that he hadbeen given food there that very day, so I shooed him away. That’s when I sawJesus—out of the corner of my eye. He got up off the ground, beckoned Lazarusover to him, broke his own sandwich in half, no questions asked, and gave a half tothe man.--------------See Erik Eckholm, “Pastor Stirs Wrath with His Views on Old Question,” The NewYork Times, sec. U.S., March 4, 2011, 2011 (accessed 3/6/2011),http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/us/05bell.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=homepage

<SLIDE 2>The first time that I met Lazarus, I was eating lunch in an outdoor café atthe Virginia Square Metro Station in Arlington, just a few miles from here. Myluncheon companion and I were having an animated discussion about our plans forgoing to heaven in light of evangelical pastor Rob Bell’s newest book “Love Wins: ABook About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.” We hadpushed aside our uneaten food and were having one of those energizingconversations. Actually, we were arguing, when Lazarus approached our table andasked for food. I recognized Lazarus as a daily client of the food pantry thatvolunteers operate in the very church in which I worked, and I knew that he hadbeen given food there that very day, so I shooed him away. That’s when I sawJesus—out of the corner of my eye. He got up off the ground, beckoned Lazarusover to him, broke his own sandwich in half, no questions asked, and gave a half tothe man.--------------See Erik Eckholm, “Pastor Stirs Wrath with His Views on Old Question,” The NewYork Times, sec. U.S., March 4, 2011, 2011 (accessed 3/6/2011),http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/us/05bell.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=homepage

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<SLIDE 3>Meeting Lazarus that day didn’t change my life, not yet, but I met himagain. The second time was late on a dark winter night as I was going into a 7-Eleven right over here on Duke Street. There he was again, Lazarus, sitting on a lowwall outside the store and he asked me if I would pray with him. He scared me, butnot for the usual reasons. He was clean and neatly dressed, and he seemed sober.But the man was talking to someone I couldn’t see or hear, and he was clutching agreen-bound Qu’ran. I clutched my coat tighter and passed on by. When I left thestore, though, another man was there also. The two of them were kneeling on thenew man’s coat, which was spread out on the ground. They were facing east andpraying—in Arabic, no less!

<SLIDE 3>Meeting Lazarus that day didn’t change my life, not yet, but I met himagain. The second time was late on a dark winter night as I was going into a 7-Eleven right over here on Duke Street. There he was again, Lazarus, sitting on a lowwall outside the store and he asked me if I would pray with him. He scared me, butnot for the usual reasons. He was clean and neatly dressed, and he seemed sober.But the man was talking to someone I couldn’t see or hear, and he was clutching agreen-bound Qu’ran. I clutched my coat tighter and passed on by. When I left thestore, though, another man was there also. The two of them were kneeling on thenew man’s coat, which was spread out on the ground. They were facing east andpraying—in Arabic, no less!

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<SLIDE 4>I’ll never forget what that second man said, although I am not entirelysure to whom he was speaking. He said, “Don’t worry,” in the kindest, gentlestvoice, “God loves you even-so.” Even-so. That is a way of talking that we don’t hearvery often, one that reminded me of church; so did the feeling of love andacceptance that he exuded. That’s when I recognized him: Jesus. Have you noticedthat Jesus always seems to be near Lazarus?But I judged that this Lazarus was not even a Christian; why was Jesus praying withhim? And did God, my God, really love Lazarus “even-so?” And why did Jesus saythat he loved me “even-so?” What had I done that had been so terribly wrong? Iclutched my dogma tighter around me and I fled the scene, moving along with mylife.

<SLIDE 4>I’ll never forget what that second man said, although I am not entirelysure to whom he was speaking. He said, “Don’t worry,” in the kindest, gentlestvoice, “God loves you even-so.” Even-so. That is a way of talking that we don’t hearvery often, one that reminded me of church; so did the feeling of love andacceptance that he exuded. That’s when I recognized him: Jesus. Have you noticedthat Jesus always seems to be near Lazarus?But I judged that this Lazarus was not even a Christian; why was Jesus praying withhim? And did God, my God, really love Lazarus “even-so?” And why did Jesus saythat he loved me “even-so?” What had I done that had been so terribly wrong? Iclutched my dogma tighter around me and I fled the scene, moving along with mylife.

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<SLIDE 5>I wonder, though. And I have a lot of questions, questions that I would liketo talk to Lazarus about. However, I don’t think that Lazarus is here in person today.I could be wrong about that, but he seems to be a pretty busy guy, for being deadand all. I have given my questions a lot of thought and I know what Lazarus wouldsay if he were here. He would say that Jesus changes everything!Now everything is a pretty big subject, even for a priest-wanna-be, so today I amonly going to share three ways that Jesus changes everything. First, Jesus changesthe very landscape of our life hereafter. Second, Jesus changes our understanding ofwhat it means to love God. And finally, Jesus changes us, if we let him.

<SLIDE 5>I wonder, though. And I have a lot of questions, questions that I would liketo talk to Lazarus about. However, I don’t think that Lazarus is here in person today.I could be wrong about that, but he seems to be a pretty busy guy, for being deadand all. I have given my questions a lot of thought and I know what Lazarus wouldsay if he were here. He would say that Jesus changes everything!Now everything is a pretty big subject, even for a priest-wanna-be, so today I amonly going to share three ways that Jesus changes everything. First, Jesus changesthe very landscape of our life hereafter. Second, Jesus changes our understanding ofwhat it means to love God. And finally, Jesus changes us, if we let him.

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<SLIDE 6>The first way that Jesus changes everything is that, by his life, death, andResurrection, the order of the cosmos—the very arrangement of our lifehereafter—is changed forever. Some people use the passage in Luke’s gospel whereJesus talks about the beggar Lazarus to figure out what it will be like after we die.But that’s a useless endeavor. Luke 16:19-31 tells us the way things used to be. Theyare not that way any more because Jesus changes the very nature of our lifehereafter.

<SLIDE 6>The first way that Jesus changes everything is that, by his life, death, andResurrection, the order of the cosmos—the very arrangement of our lifehereafter—is changed forever. Some people use the passage in Luke’s gospel whereJesus talks about the beggar Lazarus to figure out what it will be like after we die.But that’s a useless endeavor. Luke 16:19-31 tells us the way things used to be. Theyare not that way any more because Jesus changes the very nature of our lifehereafter.

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<SLIDE 7> The people of Jesus’ time viewed the geography of the world verydifferently than we do today, aided as we are by our explorations of the geographyof the earth and outer space. In Jesus’ time “the great deep” surroundedeverything. The “great deep” was the primal chaos that originally covered the faceof the earth, the chaos which God had banished when he created our world. Theway these ancient people conceived things, there was a place called “sheol” underour world, a place where the souls of everyone went when they died. We translate“sheol” as “Hades,” so in Jesus’ time the souls of all who died were thought to havegone to Hades.

<SLIDE 7> The people of Jesus’ time viewed the geography of the world verydifferently than we do today, aided as we are by our explorations of the geographyof the earth and outer space. In Jesus’ time “the great deep” surroundedeverything. The “great deep” was the primal chaos that originally covered the faceof the earth, the chaos which God had banished when he created our world. Theway these ancient people conceived things, there was a place called “sheol” underour world, a place where the souls of everyone went when they died. We translate“sheol” as “Hades,” so in Jesus’ time the souls of all who died were thought to havegone to Hades.

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<SLIDE 8>In this ancient concept, there were two parts of Hades. The souls of somepeople—those who did not obey the Law of God—went to the lower portion, whichwas very hot! Those who observed God’s Law went to Hades’ upper region to spendeternity in bliss. In Luke’s gospel Jesus says that the two were separated by chaosmagnum—a large chaos—and that no one could cross this great chasm.--------------Luke 16:26 (all scripture references herein are from the NRSV). I think that thischaos magnum is the “formless void and darkness” of Genesis 1:2, the “not-nothing” in Karl Barth and others, The Doctrine of Creation : (Church Dogmatics,Volume III, 3) [Die Lehre von der Schèopfung, 3.], Vol. III, 3 (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark,1986; 1960).

<SLIDE 8>In this ancient concept, there were two parts of Hades. The souls of somepeople—those who did not obey the Law of God—went to the lower portion, whichwas very hot! Those who observed God’s Law went to Hades’ upper region to spendeternity in bliss. In Luke’s gospel Jesus says that the two were separated by chaosmagnum—a large chaos—and that no one could cross this great chasm.--------------Luke 16:26 (all scripture references herein are from the NRSV). I think that thischaos magnum is the “formless void and darkness” of Genesis 1:2, the “not-nothing” in Karl Barth and others, The Doctrine of Creation : (Church Dogmatics,Volume III, 3) [Die Lehre von der Schèopfung, 3.], Vol. III, 3 (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark,1986; 1960).

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<SLIDE 9>In Luke 16 Jesus tells us of two men who had died. One of these men,whose name we do not know, ended up in the hot portion of Hades. FollowingChristian tradition I’ll call him Dives, a name which means “very rich.” The otherman, whose name is Lazarus, ended up in the blissful region. This was greatlysurprising because Lazarus had been a lowly beggar, an outcast who had needed torely on the generosity of others for his very survival. Dives, on the other hand, hadbeen well-off during his life on earth. In fact, in one of those re-orderings of thingsthat we encounter so often in the Bible, Lazarus had sat begging at Dives’ very gate.And yet now Lazarus was in bliss and he was in a place of honor next to the greatJewish patriarch Abraham. To make matters worse, Dives could see across the chaosmagnum and he noticed that Lazarus’ eternal circumstances had become a greatdeal better than his own.

<SLIDE 9>In Luke 16 Jesus tells us of two men who had died. One of these men,whose name we do not know, ended up in the hot portion of Hades. FollowingChristian tradition I’ll call him Dives, a name which means “very rich.” The otherman, whose name is Lazarus, ended up in the blissful region. This was greatlysurprising because Lazarus had been a lowly beggar, an outcast who had needed torely on the generosity of others for his very survival. Dives, on the other hand, hadbeen well-off during his life on earth. In fact, in one of those re-orderings of thingsthat we encounter so often in the Bible, Lazarus had sat begging at Dives’ very gate.And yet now Lazarus was in bliss and he was in a place of honor next to the greatJewish patriarch Abraham. To make matters worse, Dives could see across the chaosmagnum and he noticed that Lazarus’ eternal circumstances had become a greatdeal better than his own.

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<SLIDE 10>Dives begged Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth from death itself towarn his many siblings about what awaits them in the hereafter. However, Abrahamthought even that wouldn’t change anything. Abraham said to Dives, “If they do notlisten to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someonerises from the dead.”Luke is being very ironic. He knows that God had raised Jesus from the dead. ChristJesus didn’t just come back from the dead, though. While he was dead he went toHades and transformed it forever by emptying it completely of everyone who wasthere at the time.--------------Luke 16:31Hans Urs von Balthasar, Mysterium Paschale : The Mystery of Easter [Theologie derDrei Tage.] (Edinburgh, Scotland: T&T Clark, 1990), 177.

<SLIDE 10>Dives begged Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth from death itself towarn his many siblings about what awaits them in the hereafter. However, Abrahamthought even that wouldn’t change anything. Abraham said to Dives, “If they do notlisten to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someonerises from the dead.”Luke is being very ironic. He knows that God had raised Jesus from the dead. ChristJesus didn’t just come back from the dead, though. While he was dead he went toHades and transformed it forever by emptying it completely of everyone who wasthere at the time.--------------Luke 16:31Hans Urs von Balthasar, Mysterium Paschale : The Mystery of Easter [Theologie derDrei Tage.] (Edinburgh, Scotland: T&T Clark, 1990), 177.

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<SLIDE 11>Now you might be thinking, “Jesus went to Hell? What kind of heresy isthis?” Let me assure you, if this is a heresy it is a biblical one. The first epistle ofPeter—which was the epistle reading this year on the First Sunday in Lent—says:“For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, inorder to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in thespirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison …” (1Peter 3:18-19)

<SLIDE 11>Now you might be thinking, “Jesus went to Hell? What kind of heresy isthis?” Let me assure you, if this is a heresy it is a biblical one. The first epistle ofPeter—which was the epistle reading this year on the First Sunday in Lent—says:“For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, inorder to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in thespirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison …” (1Peter 3:18-19)

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<SLIDE 12>This prison that First Peter talks about was Hades, and Peter says thatwhen Jesus visited Hades he “made a proclamation” to the spirits who were there.In biblical terms “making a proclamation” is sharing the Good News of God’ssalvation. In biblical terms the Good News of God’s salvation is Jesus Christ himself,dead and raised from the dead to provide a way for us to have eternal life. Inbiblical terms, Christ Jesus visited Hades.--------------See, for example, Jonah 3:2, in which God instructs Jonah to bring a “message,”literally “proclamation,” (האירק) to Nineveh. This verse is the only place in theHebrew Bible in which this noun appears. James Limburg, Jonah : A Commentary,1st ed. (Louisville, KY.: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993), 75.

<SLIDE 12>This prison that First Peter talks about was Hades, and Peter says thatwhen Jesus visited Hades he “made a proclamation” to the spirits who were there.In biblical terms “making a proclamation” is sharing the Good News of God’ssalvation. In biblical terms the Good News of God’s salvation is Jesus Christ himself,dead and raised from the dead to provide a way for us to have eternal life. Inbiblical terms, Christ Jesus visited Hades.--------------See, for example, Jonah 3:2, in which God instructs Jonah to bring a “message,”literally “proclamation,” (האירק) to Nineveh. This verse is the only place in theHebrew Bible in which this noun appears. James Limburg, Jonah : A Commentary,1st ed. (Louisville, KY.: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993), 75.

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<SLIDE 13>Think about it: Christ Jesus visited Hades and there he found all who haddied before he had lived, before he himself had provided a way for their eternalsalvation. And while Christ Jesus was in Hades he offered those who he found therethe chance to be saved. How many of them do you think took him up on his offer?This situation reminds me of my favorite comedian inquiring, “Cake or death?” andthen being surprised that everyone had chosen cake.--------------Technically it was the souls of all those who had died which Christ Jesus “harrowed.”Eddie Izard, “Church of England Fundamentals” in Dress to Kill, 1999,http://www.auntiemomo.com/cakeordeath/d2ktranscription.html#, 26 Feb. 2011.

<SLIDE 13>Think about it: Christ Jesus visited Hades and there he found all who haddied before he had lived, before he himself had provided a way for their eternalsalvation. And while Christ Jesus was in Hades he offered those who he found therethe chance to be saved. How many of them do you think took him up on his offer?This situation reminds me of my favorite comedian inquiring, “Cake or death?” andthen being surprised that everyone had chosen cake.--------------Technically it was the souls of all those who had died which Christ Jesus “harrowed.”Eddie Izard, “Church of England Fundamentals” in Dress to Kill, 1999,http://www.auntiemomo.com/cakeordeath/d2ktranscription.html#, 26 Feb. 2011.

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<SLIDE 14>Luke knew that Jesus was the Christ who had come back from the dead,and Luke knew what Christ Jesus had been doing between his Crucifixion and hisResurrection: Christ Jesus had visited Hades and emptied it of everyone who hadlived and died up until that time. Luke knew more than that, though. Luke knewthat while Christ Jesus was dead he had also defeated the chaos magnum, turningHades into the place that we now know as Hell. Luke knew that Christ Jesus himselfhad provided the “bridge” between Hell and Heaven. The place which Jesus hasprepared for us, Heaven, is the very one in which he invites us to spend eternity.This place which Jesus has prepared is a new place, and Jesus invites us to spendour hereafter with him there.--------------Here I speak of Christ Jesus providing a “bridge,” which implies a physicalconnection between two places. Karl Rahner, Theological Investigations, Vol. 17[Schriften zur Theologie.] (New York: Crossroad, 1974), 33, says that is we diewithout Christ, we enter into nothingness, but in the Incarnation God has given ushis very nature. Rahner says that “only God can bear us across the abyss of death.”

<SLIDE 14>Luke knew that Jesus was the Christ who had come back from the dead,and Luke knew what Christ Jesus had been doing between his Crucifixion and hisResurrection: Christ Jesus had visited Hades and emptied it of everyone who hadlived and died up until that time. Luke knew more than that, though. Luke knewthat while Christ Jesus was dead he had also defeated the chaos magnum, turningHades into the place that we now know as Hell. Luke knew that Christ Jesus himselfhad provided the “bridge” between Hell and Heaven. The place which Jesus hasprepared for us, Heaven, is the very one in which he invites us to spend eternity.This place which Jesus has prepared is a new place, and Jesus invites us to spendour hereafter with him there.--------------Here I speak of Christ Jesus providing a “bridge,” which implies a physicalconnection between two places. Karl Rahner, Theological Investigations, Vol. 17[Schriften zur Theologie.] (New York: Crossroad, 1974), 33, says that is we diewithout Christ, we enter into nothingness, but in the Incarnation God has given ushis very nature. Rahner says that “only God can bear us across the abyss of death.”

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<SLIDE 15>How do we know that the place which Jesus has prepared is a newplace? Jesus himself tells us this in John’s gospel:“In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I havetold you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you,I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may bealso.” (John 14: 2-3)

<SLIDE 15>How do we know that the place which Jesus has prepared is a newplace? Jesus himself tells us this in John’s gospel:“In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I havetold you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you,I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may bealso.” (John 14: 2-3)

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<SLIDE 16>Not only has Christ Jesus prepared a new place for us to be after we die,he has become the way that we will get there. When you hear this next passage,which is a continuation from the one that I just read from John’s gospel, envision aliteral way, a bridge over which we have to pass to reach heaven in our lifehereafter, with Jesus (in Heaven) as the bridge-keeper:And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord,we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said tohim, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father exceptthrough me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you doknow him and have seen him.”By saying “No one comes to the Father but by me,” Jesus is saying that he himselfhas become the path we must follow to get to Heaven and he has become the onewho will decide where we each will go when we die.Whether heaven and hell are bound by time and space is an open question,theologically speaking. My aim here is to duck this question while appropriating thevocabulary and concepts of temporality to explain something which mightotherwise be beyond our reckoning. For a survey of the subject of temporality inheaven see Randy C. Alcorn, Heaven (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers,2004).I am using here another metaphor for Jesus having “the keys of Death and Hades”(Rev. 1:18).John 14:4-7

<SLIDE 16>Not only has Christ Jesus prepared a new place for us to be after we die,he has become the way that we will get there. When you hear this next passage,which is a continuation from the one that I just read from John’s gospel, envision aliteral way, a bridge over which we have to pass to reach heaven in our lifehereafter, with Jesus (in Heaven) as the bridge-keeper:And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord,we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said tohim, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father exceptthrough me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you doknow him and have seen him.”By saying “No one comes to the Father but by me,” Jesus is saying that he himselfhas become the path we must follow to get to Heaven and he has become the onewho will decide where we each will go when we die.Whether heaven and hell are bound by time and space is an open question,theologically speaking. My aim here is to duck this question while appropriating thevocabulary and concepts of temporality to explain something which mightotherwise be beyond our reckoning. For a survey of the subject of temporality inheaven see Randy C. Alcorn, Heaven (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers,2004).I am using here another metaphor for Jesus having “the keys of Death and Hades”(Rev. 1:18).John 14:4-7

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<SLIDE 17>As Christians, of course, we believe that we must choose in this lifewhether to follow the way of Jesus. We must “confess Christ with our lips,” This isthe direct way, the surest way to aim for where we hope to spend eternity. We canthink of it as the express lane to Heaven! And yet, like many theologians, I wonder ifthere might not be some post-mortem way of confessing Christ Jesus with our lips,even after we die.Matthew 10:32-33Compared to the “Limbo of the Just and Unevangelized” concept of Gavin D’Costa,Christianity and WorldReligions : Disputed Questions in the Theology of Religions (Chichester, U.K. ;Malden, Mass.: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), confessing Christ before we die wouldappear to be a much more direct way of getting to Heaven.For a history of the early church’s wrestling with the concept of post-mortemsalvation, see Gavin D’Costa, 6-8.

<SLIDE 17>As Christians, of course, we believe that we must choose in this lifewhether to follow the way of Jesus. We must “confess Christ with our lips,” This isthe direct way, the surest way to aim for where we hope to spend eternity. We canthink of it as the express lane to Heaven! And yet, like many theologians, I wonder ifthere might not be some post-mortem way of confessing Christ Jesus with our lips,even after we die.Matthew 10:32-33Compared to the “Limbo of the Just and Unevangelized” concept of Gavin D’Costa,Christianity and WorldReligions : Disputed Questions in the Theology of Religions (Chichester, U.K. ;Malden, Mass.: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), confessing Christ before we die wouldappear to be a much more direct way of getting to Heaven.For a history of the early church’s wrestling with the concept of post-mortemsalvation, see Gavin D’Costa, 6-8.

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<SLIDE 18>Our Book of Common Prayer hints at this hope. The catechism at theback asks why we pray for the dead. The answer that it gives is two-fold:We pray for them, because we still hold them in our love, and because we trust thatin God’s presence those who have chosen to serve him will grow in his love, untilthey see him as he is.Episcopal Church and others, The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of theSacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church : Together with thePsalter Or Psalms of David According to the use of the Episcopal Church [Book ofcommon prayer or BCP (1979)] (New York; Greenwich, Conn.: Church Hymnal Corp.;Seabury Press, 1979), 862.

<SLIDE 18>Our Book of Common Prayer hints at this hope. The catechism at theback asks why we pray for the dead. The answer that it gives is two-fold:We pray for them, because we still hold them in our love, and because we trust thatin God’s presence those who have chosen to serve him will grow in his love, untilthey see him as he is.Episcopal Church and others, The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of theSacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church : Together with thePsalter Or Psalms of David According to the use of the Episcopal Church [Book ofcommon prayer or BCP (1979)] (New York; Greenwich, Conn.: Church Hymnal Corp.;Seabury Press, 1979), 862.

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<SLIDE 19>So the two-fold answer is this: we pray for the dead for our own sake,but also for their sake, that those who have died and who have chosen to serve Godwill grow in God’s love. We hear something of this also in the burial office in the1928 Book of Common Prayer, where one of the Collects reads:Remember thy servant, O Lord, according to the favour which thou bearest unto thypeople, and grant that, increasing in knowledge and love of thee, he may go fromstrength to strength, in the life of perfect service, in thy heavenly kingdom; throughJesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever,one God, world without end. Amen.The idea that, after our death, we can “go from strength to strength, in the life ofperfect service” implies that we believe some sort of spiritual growth is possibleafter we die.--------------Episcopal Church, The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of theSacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church According to the use ofthe Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America; Together with thePsalter Or Psalms of David. Printed for the Commission A.D. MDCCCCXXVIII [Book ofcommon prayer (1928)] (Boston: Printed by D. B. Updike, The Merrymount Press,1930), 193. Rahner would not agree. He thinks (Vol. 17, 33) that “death is going tobe final for us because our history will be over when we die. The offer of eternal lifedoes not eradicate this finality of our history at death, just deepen it.”

<SLIDE 19>So the two-fold answer is this: we pray for the dead for our own sake,but also for their sake, that those who have died and who have chosen to serve Godwill grow in God’s love. We hear something of this also in the burial office in the1928 Book of Common Prayer, where one of the Collects reads:Remember thy servant, O Lord, according to the favour which thou bearest unto thypeople, and grant that, increasing in knowledge and love of thee, he may go fromstrength to strength, in the life of perfect service, in thy heavenly kingdom; throughJesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever,one God, world without end. Amen.The idea that, after our death, we can “go from strength to strength, in the life ofperfect service” implies that we believe some sort of spiritual growth is possibleafter we die.--------------Episcopal Church, The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of theSacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church According to the use ofthe Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America; Together with thePsalter Or Psalms of David. Printed for the Commission A.D. MDCCCCXXVIII [Book ofcommon prayer (1928)] (Boston: Printed by D. B. Updike, The Merrymount Press,1930), 193. Rahner would not agree. He thinks (Vol. 17, 33) that “death is going tobe final for us because our history will be over when we die. The offer of eternal lifedoes not eradicate this finality of our history at death, just deepen it.”

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<SLIDE 20>The bottom line on this issue is that we simply do not know for sure whowill go to Heaven or how. What we do know is that Christ Jesus will be both ourAdvocate before God the Father (1 John 2:1), and also our judge after we die (John5:22). In other words, whether Hades-turned-Hell remains empty after Jesus had“harrowed” it, emptied it, we just do not know. But we do know this with certainty:Jesus changes everything, including the terrain of our life hereafter.

<SLIDE 20>The bottom line on this issue is that we simply do not know for sure whowill go to Heaven or how. What we do know is that Christ Jesus will be both ourAdvocate before God the Father (1 John 2:1), and also our judge after we die (John5:22). In other words, whether Hades-turned-Hell remains empty after Jesus had“harrowed” it, emptied it, we just do not know. But we do know this with certainty:Jesus changes everything, including the terrain of our life hereafter.

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<SLIDE 21>There was a time when Christians thought that Christ Jesus sets to workon our hearts to change us through fear of Hell. Perhaps that used to work, in agespast. … Did you know? ... A full quarter of all Americans do not believe in life-after-death or in Heaven? And about half do not believe in Hell? In the Episcopal Churchwe are a bit more nuanced about it than that. Instead we say things like, “God’sjustice demands that Hell exist, and God’s mercy demands that it remain empty.”Perhaps. Others think that Hell is the bad situations that we create here on earth.Perhaps. Or perhaps Christ Jesus has prepared a place for us, so that where he andLazarus are, there we might be also.--------------Summery 2008 survey, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life,http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report2religious-landscape-study-key-findings.pdf, accessed August 26, 2010. See also http://pewforum.org/Religion-News/Belief-in-hell-dips-but-some-say-theyve-already-been-there.aspx. I am toldthat William Temple fist said this. However, after considerable looking, I cannot findthe source of this quote.

<SLIDE 21>There was a time when Christians thought that Christ Jesus sets to workon our hearts to change us through fear of Hell. Perhaps that used to work, in agespast. … Did you know? ... A full quarter of all Americans do not believe in life-after-death or in Heaven? And about half do not believe in Hell? In the Episcopal Churchwe are a bit more nuanced about it than that. Instead we say things like, “God’sjustice demands that Hell exist, and God’s mercy demands that it remain empty.”Perhaps. Others think that Hell is the bad situations that we create here on earth.Perhaps. Or perhaps Christ Jesus has prepared a place for us, so that where he andLazarus are, there we might be also.--------------Summery 2008 survey, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life,http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report2religious-landscape-study-key-findings.pdf, accessed August 26, 2010. See also http://pewforum.org/Religion-News/Belief-in-hell-dips-but-some-say-theyve-already-been-there.aspx. I am toldthat William Temple fist said this. However, after considerable looking, I cannot findthe source of this quote.

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<SLIDE 22>Christ Jesus doesn’t want to scare us or trick us into obeying God. Weknow from his summary of the Law that he wants us to love God, and he wants usto love everyone else just as much as we love ourselves. The story of Dives hints atthe second thing that Christ Jesus changes: our understanding of how to live ourlife here on earth. Christ Jesus changes our understanding of how to live life hereon earth by instructing us about how to follow the way that he provides to theeternal home that he has prepared for us to live in.

<SLIDE 22>Christ Jesus doesn’t want to scare us or trick us into obeying God. Weknow from his summary of the Law that he wants us to love God, and he wants usto love everyone else just as much as we love ourselves. The story of Dives hints atthe second thing that Christ Jesus changes: our understanding of how to live ourlife here on earth. Christ Jesus changes our understanding of how to live life hereon earth by instructing us about how to follow the way that he provides to theeternal home that he has prepared for us to live in.

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<SLIDE 23>The purple-wearing Dives thought that he knew what being faithful toGod entailed. Those who heard Jesus tell the story would have understood fromDives’ costly clothes that he was a high-level Temple leader. If so, it would havebeen very shocking for Jews of Jesus’ time to think that such a man would havebeen in the hot part of Hades. What did Dives do that was so terribly wrong?

<SLIDE 23>The purple-wearing Dives thought that he knew what being faithful toGod entailed. Those who heard Jesus tell the story would have understood fromDives’ costly clothes that he was a high-level Temple leader. If so, it would havebeen very shocking for Jews of Jesus’ time to think that such a man would havebeen in the hot part of Hades. What did Dives do that was so terribly wrong?

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<SLIDE 24>We have to wonder if Dives understood the essence of the Law. HadDives ever loved Lazarus? Had he even seen him as an individual? We get a hint thatthe answers to these questions was “no.” Dives didn’t talk to Lazarus even afterthey were both dead. Instead he begs Abraham for Lazarus’ help. Dives is dead andvery hot, and yet he still doesn’t get it!

<SLIDE 24>We have to wonder if Dives understood the essence of the Law. HadDives ever loved Lazarus? Had he even seen him as an individual? We get a hint thatthe answers to these questions was “no.” Dives didn’t talk to Lazarus even afterthey were both dead. Instead he begs Abraham for Lazarus’ help. Dives is dead andvery hot, and yet he still doesn’t get it!

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<SLIDE 25>Jesus tells us that Dives “feasted sumptuously every day,” while Lazarus“longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table.” Did Dives begLazarus for forgiveness for not sharing his food? No, Dives is dead and very hot, andyet he still doesn’t get it! As a Temple leader Dives would have feasted sumptuouslyon God’s Word every day. Did Dives realize that he should have shared the Word ofGod with Lazarus? No, Dives is dead and very hot, and yet he still doesn’t get it! DidDives have a relationship with Lazarus, one that transcended claims about truth inthe name of Truth, a relationship that transcended claims about God, in the nameof God? No, Dives is dead and very hot, and yet he still doesn’t get it! Will Divesever get it? Yet, curiously, we note that Lazarus “got it!”

<SLIDE 25>Jesus tells us that Dives “feasted sumptuously every day,” while Lazarus“longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table.” Did Dives begLazarus for forgiveness for not sharing his food? No, Dives is dead and very hot, andyet he still doesn’t get it! As a Temple leader Dives would have feasted sumptuouslyon God’s Word every day. Did Dives realize that he should have shared the Word ofGod with Lazarus? No, Dives is dead and very hot, and yet he still doesn’t get it! DidDives have a relationship with Lazarus, one that transcended claims about truth inthe name of Truth, a relationship that transcended claims about God, in the nameof God? No, Dives is dead and very hot, and yet he still doesn’t get it! Will Divesever get it? Yet, curiously, we note that Lazarus “got it!”

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<SLIDE 26>“But wait!” you might say, “Dives is only about the economically richshowing God’s mercy toward the economically poor!” To which I reply, “Reallllly?”The great thing about a parable is that there are many possible interpretations!Jesus’ counterpart to Dives was the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37a), a man whomJews from Judah would have considered a heretic. The Good Samaritan—theheretic—saw a man close to death and provided for his needs, treating him as hewould have his own family member, while a “proper” Jew—a Rabbi, no less—passed the wounded man by. The Good Samaritan story bends our brains aboutwho is “in” according to Jesus. Jesus’ teachings don’t ever seem to have just onepoint. “Love your neighbor as yourself” gets stretched when we realize that whoour neighbor is transcends our dogma, no matter how good and proper and rightour dogma is.

<SLIDE 26>“But wait!” you might say, “Dives is only about the economically richshowing God’s mercy toward the economically poor!” To which I reply, “Reallllly?”The great thing about a parable is that there are many possible interpretations!Jesus’ counterpart to Dives was the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37a), a man whomJews from Judah would have considered a heretic. The Good Samaritan—theheretic—saw a man close to death and provided for his needs, treating him as hewould have his own family member, while a “proper” Jew—a Rabbi, no less—passed the wounded man by. The Good Samaritan story bends our brains aboutwho is “in” according to Jesus. Jesus’ teachings don’t ever seem to have just onepoint. “Love your neighbor as yourself” gets stretched when we realize that whoour neighbor is transcends our dogma, no matter how good and proper and rightour dogma is.

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<SLIDE 27>Both the Dives-Lazarus and the Good-Samaritan stories teach us that totruly love God we must first truly love our neighbors as ourselves. The one—trulyloving God—leads to the other—truly loving our neighbor. To love one’s neighbor isto love God. Perhaps the hardest neighbors to love are the ones who, like we,diligently and faithfully strive to worship God, but not as we know God. Perhaps thehardest neighbors to love are the ones who, like us, are diligently and faithfullystriving to worship God, but who do not know Christ Jesus the way that we knowChrist Jesus. Undoubtedly our non-Christian neighbors love our God—the only Godthere is—when they love us.--------------Matt. 25:34-46 suggests that our love of neighbor is the only explicit standard bywhich we will be judged.

<SLIDE 27>Both the Dives-Lazarus and the Good-Samaritan stories teach us that totruly love God we must first truly love our neighbors as ourselves. The one—trulyloving God—leads to the other—truly loving our neighbor. To love one’s neighbor isto love God. Perhaps the hardest neighbors to love are the ones who, like we,diligently and faithfully strive to worship God, but not as we know God. Perhaps thehardest neighbors to love are the ones who, like us, are diligently and faithfullystriving to worship God, but who do not know Christ Jesus the way that we knowChrist Jesus. Undoubtedly our non-Christian neighbors love our God—the only Godthere is—when they love us.--------------Matt. 25:34-46 suggests that our love of neighbor is the only explicit standard bywhich we will be judged.

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<SLIDE 28>How can we best love these neighbors? By telling them about Christ,certainly, but not “Cake or death,” not “Convert, heathens, or die!” Like all effectivesharing about Christ Jesus the telling is best done as part of an ongoing relationship.“Love your neighbor as yourself,” even your non-Christian neighbor, especially yournon-Christian neighbor.

<SLIDE 28>How can we best love these neighbors? By telling them about Christ,certainly, but not “Cake or death,” not “Convert, heathens, or die!” Like all effectivesharing about Christ Jesus the telling is best done as part of an ongoing relationship.“Love your neighbor as yourself,” even your non-Christian neighbor, especially yournon-Christian neighbor.

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<SLIDE 29>What if our non-Christian neighbors choose to follow another way, theirown way? It is always incumbent upon us, as Christians, to share the love of ChristJesus with everyone whom we meet. It is always incumbent upon us, as Christians,to be open to Christ’s Spirit, letting that Spirit lead us in meeting God’s desire thatwe might all be one (John 17:11). And then, as our baptismal covenant say (1979BCP, p305), if those whom we meet choose another way, we must “Respect thedignity of every human being.” This is because Christ Jesus died for the wholeworld, that the whole world through him might be saved (John 12:47).

<SLIDE 29>What if our non-Christian neighbors choose to follow another way, theirown way? It is always incumbent upon us, as Christians, to share the love of ChristJesus with everyone whom we meet. It is always incumbent upon us, as Christians,to be open to Christ’s Spirit, letting that Spirit lead us in meeting God’s desire thatwe might all be one (John 17:11). And then, as our baptismal covenant say (1979BCP, p305), if those whom we meet choose another way, we must “Respect thedignity of every human being.” This is because Christ Jesus died for the wholeworld, that the whole world through him might be saved (John 12:47).

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<SLIDE 30>Now at this point you might be wondering, “What kind of heresy is this?” Modern-day RomanCatholic theologian Karl Rahner argues for something that he calls “the anonymous Christian.” For Rahner,anonymous Christians are people who somehow live a moral and self-sacrificing life even without knowingthat Christ’s Spirit is at work in their lives. Rahner believes that such a person could be living a Christian lifewithout confessing Christ Jesus’ name or even being a believer in God. Such a person’s life would have beenshaped by Christ’s Spirit (which is meant to be depicted in this graphic) without his or her even knowing it.For Rahner, “there is a baptism by desire and a Eucharist without reception.” Rahner bases his thinking onVatican II’s teaching on the existence of a divine will to salvation which was active in the world even beforeChrist Jesus died on the cross. He believes that the salvation which Christ provides is what people in allreligions long for and in their own ways all ask for; it is present in every faith because it is part of what itmeans to be human.--------------Karl Rahner, Theological Investigations, Vol. 14 translated by David Bourke (London: Darton, Longman &Todd, 1976), 283. Rahner’s definition of an anonymous Christian is: “We prefer the terminology according towhich that man is called an ‘anonymous Christian’ who on the one hand has de facto accepted of his freedomthis gracious self-offering on God’s part through faith, hope, and love, while on the other he is absolutely notyet a Christian at the social level (through baptism and membership of the Church) or in the sense of havingconsciously objectified his Christianity to himself in his own mind (by explicit Christian faith resulting fromhaving hearkened to the explicit Christian message) We might therefore put it as follows: the ‘anonymousChristian’ in our sense of the term is the pagan after the beginning of the Christian mission, who lives in thestate of Christ’s grace through faith, hope and love, yet who has no explicit knowledge of the fact that his lifeis orientated in grace-given salvation to Jesus Christ.”Rahner, Vol. 17, 49, as elucidated in our The Finality of Christ class at Virginia Theological Seminary, Feb. 16,2011.Austin Flannery, “Nostra Aetate,” Vatican Council II, the Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents, New rev ed.,Vol. 1 (Northport, N.Y.; Dublin: Costello Pub. Co.; Dominican, 1996; 1975), 738, citing Wis. 8:1; Acts 14:17;Rom. 2:6-7; and 1 Tim. 2:4. I find it most significant in this document (p. 739), though, that “The CatholicChurch rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these [other] religions.”Walter M. Abbott, The Documents of Vatican II (New York: Herder & Herder, Association Press, 1966), 792.Rahner, Vol. 17, 40. Rahner calls it “a general supernatural divine will to salvation which is really efficacious inthe world.” “Nostra Aetate,” 740, also speaks of this in referring to “the exodus of God’s chosen people fromthe land of bondage” as a mystical prefigurement of the salvation of the Church.Rahner, Vol. 17, as elucidated in The Finality of Christ class at Virginia Theological Seminary, Feb. 11, 2011.

<SLIDE 30>Now at this point you might be wondering, “What kind of heresy is this?” Modern-day RomanCatholic theologian Karl Rahner argues for something that he calls “the anonymous Christian.” For Rahner,anonymous Christians are people who somehow live a moral and self-sacrificing life even without knowingthat Christ’s Spirit is at work in their lives. Rahner believes that such a person could be living a Christian lifewithout confessing Christ Jesus’ name or even being a believer in God. Such a person’s life would have beenshaped by Christ’s Spirit (which is meant to be depicted in this graphic) without his or her even knowing it.For Rahner, “there is a baptism by desire and a Eucharist without reception.” Rahner bases his thinking onVatican II’s teaching on the existence of a divine will to salvation which was active in the world even beforeChrist Jesus died on the cross. He believes that the salvation which Christ provides is what people in allreligions long for and in their own ways all ask for; it is present in every faith because it is part of what itmeans to be human.--------------Karl Rahner, Theological Investigations, Vol. 14 translated by David Bourke (London: Darton, Longman &Todd, 1976), 283. Rahner’s definition of an anonymous Christian is: “We prefer the terminology according towhich that man is called an ‘anonymous Christian’ who on the one hand has de facto accepted of his freedomthis gracious self-offering on God’s part through faith, hope, and love, while on the other he is absolutely notyet a Christian at the social level (through baptism and membership of the Church) or in the sense of havingconsciously objectified his Christianity to himself in his own mind (by explicit Christian faith resulting fromhaving hearkened to the explicit Christian message) We might therefore put it as follows: the ‘anonymousChristian’ in our sense of the term is the pagan after the beginning of the Christian mission, who lives in thestate of Christ’s grace through faith, hope and love, yet who has no explicit knowledge of the fact that his lifeis orientated in grace-given salvation to Jesus Christ.”Rahner, Vol. 17, 49, as elucidated in our The Finality of Christ class at Virginia Theological Seminary, Feb. 16,2011.Austin Flannery, “Nostra Aetate,” Vatican Council II, the Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents, New rev ed.,Vol. 1 (Northport, N.Y.; Dublin: Costello Pub. Co.; Dominican, 1996; 1975), 738, citing Wis. 8:1; Acts 14:17;Rom. 2:6-7; and 1 Tim. 2:4. I find it most significant in this document (p. 739), though, that “The CatholicChurch rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these [other] religions.”Walter M. Abbott, The Documents of Vatican II (New York: Herder & Herder, Association Press, 1966), 792.Rahner, Vol. 17, 40. Rahner calls it “a general supernatural divine will to salvation which is really efficacious inthe world.” “Nostra Aetate,” 740, also speaks of this in referring to “the exodus of God’s chosen people fromthe land of bondage” as a mystical prefigurement of the salvation of the Church.Rahner, Vol. 17, as elucidated in The Finality of Christ class at Virginia Theological Seminary, Feb. 11, 2011.

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<SLIDE 31>Gavin D’Costa, another Roman Catholic theologian, uses the concept ofLimbo to find a way to explain how it might be that non-Christians could go toheaven. Limbo is not Purgatory, so we need to distinguish between the two.Purgatory is place which the Roman Church believes exists for people who havedied in the Lord to go after they die to be rid of spiritual imperfections before theyreach Heaven. Not to belittle the doctrine, but it might be helpful to think ofPurgatory as a spiritual decontamination station for Christians who die withunconfessed minor sins to achieve the spiritual purity that many Christians believeis required to see God, to be with Christ Jesus in Heaven. The main point, though, isthat Purgatory is for those who have died in the Lord. Limbo, on the other hand, is a“place or state of souls” that, for whatever reason, although they are just, cannotenter into heaven until Christ returns to earth and establishes his kingdom. InRoman Catholic thinking, there are a lot of unbaptized babies in Limbo.--------------Hanna, Edward. “Purgatory.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 12. New York: RobertAppleton Company, 1911. 4 Mar. 2011<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12575a.htm>.Toner, Patrick. “Limbo.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. New York: RobertAppleton Company, 1910. 4 Mar. 2011<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09256a.htm>.

<SLIDE 31>Gavin D’Costa, another Roman Catholic theologian, uses the concept ofLimbo to find a way to explain how it might be that non-Christians could go toheaven. Limbo is not Purgatory, so we need to distinguish between the two.Purgatory is place which the Roman Church believes exists for people who havedied in the Lord to go after they die to be rid of spiritual imperfections before theyreach Heaven. Not to belittle the doctrine, but it might be helpful to think ofPurgatory as a spiritual decontamination station for Christians who die withunconfessed minor sins to achieve the spiritual purity that many Christians believeis required to see God, to be with Christ Jesus in Heaven. The main point, though, isthat Purgatory is for those who have died in the Lord. Limbo, on the other hand, is a“place or state of souls” that, for whatever reason, although they are just, cannotenter into heaven until Christ returns to earth and establishes his kingdom. InRoman Catholic thinking, there are a lot of unbaptized babies in Limbo.--------------Hanna, Edward. “Purgatory.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 12. New York: RobertAppleton Company, 1911. 4 Mar. 2011<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12575a.htm>.Toner, Patrick. “Limbo.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. New York: RobertAppleton Company, 1910. 4 Mar. 2011<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09256a.htm>.

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<SLIDE 32>D’Costa, though, postulates a “Limbo of the Just and the Unevangelized”as a way of explaining how post-mortem salvation might be possible. In essence,D’Costa extends the concept of Limbo to those non-Christian who are morally justyet who have died without having heard the Good News of salvation. In RomanCatholic theology, souls in Limbo await the general resurrection for determinationof their fate. D’Costa’s “Limbo of the Just and the Unevangelized” is anotherpossibility—in addition to Rahner’s “anonymous Christian” concept—of how itcould be that someone could eventually end up in Heaven when they have not yetprofessed the name of Christ Jesus by the time they die. Like all such theories,D’Costa’s represents the hope that it is possible that all people will be saved.--------------Roman Catholic theology holds that those who have not had a realistic opportunityto hear the Gospel “can attain to everlasting salvation. See Vatican II ‘LumenGentium’ No. 16,http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html, Mar. 4, 2011.See, for example, D’Costa, 6-8 for a survey of pluralistic, inclusivistic, exclusivistic,comparable theological, and postmodern post-liberal theories on the topic of post-mortem salvation.In terms of salvation, both D’Costa and Rahner speak more to “all people who aremorally just” than to “all people.” This is more true for D’Costa than Rahner. Ihaven’t tacked this important nuance because it is beyond the scope of this talk.

<SLIDE 32>D’Costa, though, postulates a “Limbo of the Just and the Unevangelized”as a way of explaining how post-mortem salvation might be possible. In essence,D’Costa extends the concept of Limbo to those non-Christian who are morally justyet who have died without having heard the Good News of salvation. In RomanCatholic theology, souls in Limbo await the general resurrection for determinationof their fate. D’Costa’s “Limbo of the Just and the Unevangelized” is anotherpossibility—in addition to Rahner’s “anonymous Christian” concept—of how itcould be that someone could eventually end up in Heaven when they have not yetprofessed the name of Christ Jesus by the time they die. Like all such theories,D’Costa’s represents the hope that it is possible that all people will be saved.--------------Roman Catholic theology holds that those who have not had a realistic opportunityto hear the Gospel “can attain to everlasting salvation. See Vatican II ‘LumenGentium’ No. 16,http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html, Mar. 4, 2011.See, for example, D’Costa, 6-8 for a survey of pluralistic, inclusivistic, exclusivistic,comparable theological, and postmodern post-liberal theories on the topic of post-mortem salvation.In terms of salvation, both D’Costa and Rahner speak more to “all people who aremorally just” than to “all people.” This is more true for D’Costa than Rahner. Ihaven’t tacked this important nuance because it is beyond the scope of this talk.

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<SLIDE 33>There are a lot of other theories about how someone who is not aChristian during his or her lifetime could end up in Heaven. I have used Rahner’sand D’Costa’s theories as examples because—although they are very different—they work to explain theologically, within the confines of rigorist Christian (RomanCatholic) doctrine, how we might all end up in Heaven. My goal here is not toconvince you to believe that everyone is going to Heaven, regardless of who theyare or what they do here on this earth. I prefer to choose Christ now, while I know Ihave the clear opportunity to accept salvation. And I would recommend that you dothe same! No, I don’t want to convince you to believe that everyone is going toHeaven, regardless of who they are or what they do here on this earth. Instead, mygoal is to convince you to act as if everyone were going to Heaven, to truly love yourneighbor as yourself. If Christ Jesus died for the whole world, then perhaps thewhole world will be saved. But that is literally up to Christ Jesus to decide. “All” thatwe are required to do is to share our faith in Christ Jesus by living it, loving ourneighbors as ourselves, and to tell those whom we meet that Jesus changeseverything.

<SLIDE 33>There are a lot of other theories about how someone who is not aChristian during his or her lifetime could end up in Heaven. I have used Rahner’sand D’Costa’s theories as examples because—although they are very different—they work to explain theologically, within the confines of rigorist Christian (RomanCatholic) doctrine, how we might all end up in Heaven. My goal here is not toconvince you to believe that everyone is going to Heaven, regardless of who theyare or what they do here on this earth. I prefer to choose Christ now, while I know Ihave the clear opportunity to accept salvation. And I would recommend that you dothe same! No, I don’t want to convince you to believe that everyone is going toHeaven, regardless of who they are or what they do here on this earth. Instead, mygoal is to convince you to act as if everyone were going to Heaven, to truly love yourneighbor as yourself. If Christ Jesus died for the whole world, then perhaps thewhole world will be saved. But that is literally up to Christ Jesus to decide. “All” thatwe are required to do is to share our faith in Christ Jesus by living it, loving ourneighbors as ourselves, and to tell those whom we meet that Jesus changeseverything.

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<SLIDE 34>Be honest now, though. Doesn’t this kind of talk make you just a little bitangry? We have been slaving away on the family farm while our siblings—so tospeak—have squandered their portions of our Father’s inheritance. We have beenslaving away in the vineyard for years, and those Johnny-come-lately workers aregoing to get the same pay as we are! If you are wondering, “Why be a Christian ifwe all are going to Heaven?” then let me share Jesus’ words from these twoparables:“You are always with me, and everything that I have is yours. But we had tocelebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; hewas lost and is found.” (Luke 15:31-32)“Are you envious because I am generous? So the last will be first, and the first willbe last.” (Matt. 20:15b-16)Jesus changes everything, including our understanding of the Law and how to liveour lives in obedience to God.

<SLIDE 34>Be honest now, though. Doesn’t this kind of talk make you just a little bitangry? We have been slaving away on the family farm while our siblings—so tospeak—have squandered their portions of our Father’s inheritance. We have beenslaving away in the vineyard for years, and those Johnny-come-lately workers aregoing to get the same pay as we are! If you are wondering, “Why be a Christian ifwe all are going to Heaven?” then let me share Jesus’ words from these twoparables:“You are always with me, and everything that I have is yours. But we had tocelebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; hewas lost and is found.” (Luke 15:31-32)“Are you envious because I am generous? So the last will be first, and the first willbe last.” (Matt. 20:15b-16)Jesus changes everything, including our understanding of the Law and how to liveour lives in obedience to God.

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<SLIDE 35>The final way that Jesus changes everything is that Jesus changes us, too,if we let him. What it takes is for us to pause in our very busy lives, pause in ourstudies, pause in our wealth-acquisition activities, pause in our search for oblivion,and to place ourselves at the willing disposal of the living Jesus. What it means isthat we have to ask Christ Jesus to make us more like him.

<SLIDE 35>The final way that Jesus changes everything is that Jesus changes us, too,if we let him. What it takes is for us to pause in our very busy lives, pause in ourstudies, pause in our wealth-acquisition activities, pause in our search for oblivion,and to place ourselves at the willing disposal of the living Jesus. What it means isthat we have to ask Christ Jesus to make us more like him.

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<SLIDE 36>How, exactly, does Jesus change us? What is it that encourages us tochange and become compassionate to all those with whom we come in contact?How does Jesus get our hearts to bloom with love for God and for each other?Three things suggest themselves as possibilities, and I will end here. First, for Jesusto get into our hearts we have to invite him in. The invitation does not have to beflowery or complicated, just a simple, “Lord Jesus, I want you to come into my heartand into my life. Things are not working the way that I am living my life and I wantyou to come into my life and show me how to live.” When we pray such a prayerChrist Jesus does, indeed, enter our lives in a whole new way. And then, I havenoticed, God prompts us to find others who also have invited Jesus into our heartsand lives so that we can learn from each other how to love and worship and followJesus. Although not everyone who attends a church knows Christ Jesus, thepercentage of people in a church who do is far higher than the percentage in thegeneral population. So people then go to church to seek out others so they canfollow Jesus together. Here we have St. Andrew’s: a Christian community dedicatedto proclaiming God's love, to growing spiritually, and to serving others throughprayer, worship, education, fellowship and outreach. It’s fitting that this year as wegive thanks for our founding 40 years ago that we recognize St. Andrew’s role inteaching us how Jesus changes everything.

<SLIDE 36>How, exactly, does Jesus change us? What is it that encourages us tochange and become compassionate to all those with whom we come in contact?How does Jesus get our hearts to bloom with love for God and for each other?Three things suggest themselves as possibilities, and I will end here. First, for Jesusto get into our hearts we have to invite him in. The invitation does not have to beflowery or complicated, just a simple, “Lord Jesus, I want you to come into my heartand into my life. Things are not working the way that I am living my life and I wantyou to come into my life and show me how to live.” When we pray such a prayerChrist Jesus does, indeed, enter our lives in a whole new way. And then, I havenoticed, God prompts us to find others who also have invited Jesus into our heartsand lives so that we can learn from each other how to love and worship and followJesus. Although not everyone who attends a church knows Christ Jesus, thepercentage of people in a church who do is far higher than the percentage in thegeneral population. So people then go to church to seek out others so they canfollow Jesus together. Here we have St. Andrew’s: a Christian community dedicatedto proclaiming God's love, to growing spiritually, and to serving others throughprayer, worship, education, fellowship and outreach. It’s fitting that this year as wegive thanks for our founding 40 years ago that we recognize St. Andrew’s role inteaching us how Jesus changes everything.

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<SLIDE 37>Lastly, Jesus sends Lazarus—if not the original then someone like him.Lazarus comes into our lives in the form of people who would be content to shareof our great bounty. Lazarus shows up at our very gates, in our very homes, in ourwork places, and Lazarus even shows up in our churches and in our synagogues andin our mosques. He comes to our tables to ask us for our leftovers. He comes intoour lives asking us to pray for, and even with, him.

<SLIDE 37>Lastly, Jesus sends Lazarus—if not the original then someone like him.Lazarus comes into our lives in the form of people who would be content to shareof our great bounty. Lazarus shows up at our very gates, in our very homes, in ourwork places, and Lazarus even shows up in our churches and in our synagogues andin our mosques. He comes to our tables to ask us for our leftovers. He comes intoour lives asking us to pray for, and even with, him.

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<SLIDE 38>Jesus shows up himself. He puts people in our lives who already “get it,”who love the Lord and are filled with his Spirit and know how to live according toGod’s Law. Jesus sends people to share their meager meals and to empty theirpockets and to pray with all others no questions asked, to shock us and to show ushow it’s done. Jesus works on our hearts by making us feel good about doing theleast little thing for someone else, making it feel whole and life-giving and right. Allwe have to do when we leave worship is to let our service begin, and let our lovingand our praying be utterly boundless.

<SLIDE 38>Jesus shows up himself. He puts people in our lives who already “get it,”who love the Lord and are filled with his Spirit and know how to live according toGod’s Law. Jesus sends people to share their meager meals and to empty theirpockets and to pray with all others no questions asked, to shock us and to show ushow it’s done. Jesus works on our hearts by making us feel good about doing theleast little thing for someone else, making it feel whole and life-giving and right. Allwe have to do when we leave worship is to let our service begin, and let our lovingand our praying be utterly boundless.

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<SLIDE 39>Lazarus might not be here in person today, but I know that he and Jesusare not strangers here. I see signs of Christ’s handiwork all around. Because this isthe point: Jesus changes everything, even us if we let him. He teaches us that weare to love the Lord our God and treat our neighbor as ourselves. And when we fallshort we remember that God loves each of us, EVEN-SO.

<SLIDE 39>Lazarus might not be here in person today, but I know that he and Jesusare not strangers here. I see signs of Christ’s handiwork all around. Because this isthe point: Jesus changes everything, even us if we let him. He teaches us that weare to love the Lord our God and treat our neighbor as ourselves. And when we fallshort we remember that God loves each of us, EVEN-SO.

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