In Luke 16, Jesus relates the account of Lazarus and a very rich man, both Israelites. The two men are a study in contrast. The wealthy man loved to show off in expensive sartorial splendor--purple and fine linen. His very presence was an exercise in what Thorstein Veblen called, "conspicuous consumption."
"Conspicuous consumption is the spending of money on and the acquiring of
luxury goods and services to publicly display economic power—of the
income or of the accumulated wealth of the buyer. To the conspicuous
consumer, such a public display of discretionary economic power is a
means either of attaining or of maintaining a given social status." So goes the formal definition.
Contrary to the idea that money can't bring happiness, this wealthy man lived "joyously" and "in splendor everyday."
In contrast, Lazarus lived a crummy life (pun intended); he literally had to live on crumbs. Not only that, but also he was not a person with whom others would want to associate because he had a disease that produced visible sores covering his body. He was so sick, others had to carry him near the mansion of the wealthy man so he could beg for sustenance there.
According to the beliefs of the day, the wealthy man was a favorite of God, a good man, a righteous man and the way the Pharisees said that they knew of his favored status was because of his wealth, a sign of his right standing before God.
The Pharisees regarded Lazarus as the opposite, one of those not in favor with God and they way they knew that was that he was just another sick, pathetic beggar, one with crumbs for food, rags for clothes, and no money. Whatever he was doing, it was wrong in their arrogant opinion.
When Lazarus died, Jesus gave the Pharisees the shocking news that the sick beggar was in the presence of God while Mr. Got Bucks was in a place such torment that he was now begging for water.
What?
WAIT A MINUTE
Hadn't Lazarus read the books or gotten the memo? The prosperity preachers tell us that God "doesn't want us to be average." (If nobody is average, what happens to "average?") Their sermons tell us God wants us to enjoy all the things the wealthy man in the story enjoyed and if we'll just apply the right "biblical" principles, God will become our personal ATM. (These "principles" are waiting for us when we buy their books and tapes and attend their seminars, all for a fee of course, thus making them wealthy.)
In their books and sermons, do these prosperity peddlers ever give their readers a verse-by-verse study of Luke 16:19-31? Do they ever take their listeners/readers to Hebrews 11:36-38? Do they quote Peter's words when he said he had no silver or gold and the Son of Man who said he had no home? Such texts go down the Orwell's Memory Hole in "1984."
Just one story Jesus told destroys the prosperity gospel.
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