Eyes That See

Sermon: "Eyes That See" (Luke 16:19-31)

Scripture Reading (Luke 16:19-31 - NLT):

19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet.[a] The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and he went to the place of the dead.[b] There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.

24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’

25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’

29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’

30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’

31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Introduction: "Eyes That See"

Opening Thought/Illustration:

Every weekday morning and afternoon, I serve as a crossing guard behind James Clemens High School.

For about 45 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon, my main job is managing traffic, waving buses through, and ensuring a few students safely cross the intersection. Most days, honestly, all I see is a routine: traffic, cars, buses, occasionally a student or two. The scenery doesn't change much, and if I'm not careful, it all blends into one monotonous background.

But every now and then, I see something remarkable—something that catches my attention and lifts my eyes above the routine. Sometimes it’s the elegant flight of Canadian geese, their graceful formation soaring overhead. Their beauty always grabs my attention. But my absolute favorite visitor is a Red Tail hawk. Majestic, watchful, powerful—it will perch nearby, reminding me that there is more happening around me than I usually notice.

That hawk and those geese remind me of something important:

How easy it is to live our lives seeing without truly noticing. We look without seeing, glance without observing. We can get so caught up in our routines—in our everyday tasks, problems, and responsibilities—that we miss the beauty, the wonder, and especially the people right around us.

Today’s scripture, Luke 16:19-31, tells a similar story. It's a challenging parable from Jesus about seeing and not seeing. It’s about two men: one who had everything but saw nothing clearly, and another who had nothing but was clearly seen by God.

Today, Jesus invites us not only to open our physical eyes but our spiritual eyes—to truly see the people around us, especially the Lazaruses at our gates.

Connection to Scripture:

As Nazarenes, we are part of the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, which emphasizes that holiness is about loving God completely and loving others deeply. John Wesley believed strongly that holiness isn’t just about avoiding sin—it's about positively expressing love through action. True holiness opens our eyes to clearly see the world and the people around us as God sees them, compelling us toward compassionate engagement.

In this parable, Jesus challenges religious people—the Pharisees—who thought holiness was about outward purity and rules, yet they failed to truly see the suffering right at their doorstep. Wesley reminded us that genuine holiness transforms our hearts and sharpens our vision, moving us beyond mere religious routines into lives marked by profound compassion and active justice.

Today, let’s explore this parable, asking God to open our eyes and hearts fully—to truly see, love, and serve the Lazaruses at our gates.

Contextual Background:

Jesus shared this parable with Pharisees, (maybe about baddies) well-intentioned religious people whose love for wealth and status kept their eyes closed. Jesus loved them enough to warn them—warning them that how we live and how we see others profoundly matters in God's kingdom.