Service

I scared my sixth graders today. 

In our class, the Ethical Teachings of Jesus Christ, they
read the Gospel for this Sunday, Luke 16:19-31. In this lesson, Jesus tells a story about an  unnamed rich man and a poor man, named Lazarus, who lived at the rich man’s gate. Lazarus, who we called Larry, ate what the rich man threw away. Both men died. Larry was carried away to heaven by angels but the rich man went to Hades. 

When the rich man saw Larry and father Abraham together, he cried out, “Have
mercy on me!” Abraham said, “No, child; remember in your life you had good
things and Larry had bad things. Now Larry is comforted and you are not.” The
rich man then asked Abraham to send Larry to him with a drop of water. But
Abraham said no again because there is a “fixed chasm” no one can cross. The
very persistent and desperate rich man then said, “Please send Larry to my house
to warn my five brothers so they will not come to this place of torment.” Again
Abraham said no, because, “They have Moses and the prophets, they should listen
to them.” Interrupting Abraham, he insisted, “No, father Abraham, but if someone
goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” Abraham replied, “If they do not
listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone
rises from the dead.” 
 
The students gulped and became very quiet. One brave
student raised his hand and said, “Does this mean that all rich people go to
hell?” 
 
The virtue Saint John’s school is covering this month is
service. We are learning how to serve God and one another. This past Saturday, members from the congregation participated in the Coastal Cleanup day of service. At the event, something difficult happened – our group stumbled upon an abandoned make-shift shelter. Inside the shelter were baby bottles and used baby onesies. That is when they “lost it” emotionally. As a result, Saint John’s is looking at participating in the next  Sleepless in San Diego event where participants stay out and stay up to learn about the plight of homeless people in our county. In a very real sense, we will be trading places with ‘Larry’ in order to understand the poor in our time. 
 
Back to the sixth graders – the ethical lesson for the day
was “help and serve others.”  Jesus was once asked if a blind man was born
that way because of his sin or his parent’s sin. Jesus said it was neither;
rather, the man was born that way so that the righteousness of God would be
revealed. I asked the class if they knew anyone who was blind. Three students
raised their hands and told stories of helping people they knew who could not
see. I asked, “Was God’s righteousness revealed when you helped someone in
need?” At that moment the fear-induced silence was broken and they started
chatting about how they’ve helped people. Hope had replaced fear as the Gospel
was revealed.  
 
The same student who asked if rich people go to hell then
asked, “So, if rich people serve others, they will go to heaven?” I replied,
“I’m not the one who makes that decision, but I know who does, in fact I talk to
him every day.” I waited and they all leaned forward in anticipation. “His name
is Jesus – it is through his mercy and Grace that we are received into heaven.”
They sat back with a combined, “Ahhhh.” I then asked, “Does Jesus want
you to serve those in need?”  
 
May you, who serve the needy, the friendless, and those in
emotional distress, be blessed with the Grace from God this day,

-Fr. Marshall