I love signals. I value a good compass. When I feel resistance in my job, I know that’s the direction I need to go. I gather up the courage to move, and I open the door. Tension is a great signal. Like finding a live wire in a dark room, I know it when I find it. Tension is my compass.
The bible seems to be a book of tension. Jeremiah is telling me to trust the Lord and all will be great. He’s writing this while his own life is in shambles. Did he hope in the Lord? I think he did; although he did complain about it a lot. Was Jesus a barren bush? Maybe I need to suffer to be holy? Abraham did fairly well for himself.
Was Lazarus holy? I don’t read anything about his life, other than he suffered. The gospel tells me he lost in life, so he gained in the afterlife. The rich man gained in life, so he lost in the afterlife. Is that the formula? What about Solomon? David? Joseph? It seems complicated. Maybe it isn’t complicated for God? After all, He weighs the heart.
I wonder what is that the Rich Man wants Lazarus to tell his brothers. Is it just the shock of someone returning from the dead? Abraham tells the Rich Man that his brothers have already ignored Moses and the prophets. What was it they were ignoring? It isn’t the message that Jesus is the way and the life.
What’s being ignored is the legal prescription on how to treat the poor. It isn’t theoretical or vague. You aren’t allowed to maximize profits. You can’t pursue every piece of grain. You can’t go back for a second pass and pick up every grape. You are required to think of those who don’t have. The Rich Man walked by Lazarus and, day after day, decided not to open his hand. Lazarus had a legal right to the crumbs off his table, and the Rich Man refused to see Lazarus as a brother. Lazarus didn’t belong to him.
Do I live with an open hand? When I seek the Lord, I tend to prefer a table for one. I like my private religion. What compass am I using now? Am I trusting in the Lord or trusting in a man, me? Am I sitting in the tension, or am I walking through life numb, nodding to Lazarus and dining out in comfort? Am I to be ashamed of my minor prosperity? Am I to seek suffering in this life, so I can stack up rewards in the next?
I like to ask questions to help me think through an idea. I’m talking only to myself, not you. I’ll let you talk to you. Tension is my compass toward prayer. For me, I sit in the tension with Jesus, and I’m never satisfied that I’ve figured it out, but I’ll be at peace knowing Jesus will answer for me. So what does this mean for me today? When I feel the tension, I’ll try to remember that’s the signal to open my hand.
Greg Dyche
As a professor at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business, I teach courses in Management Information Systems, Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence. With over 40 years of professional experience and a commitment to helping students discover “the possibilities of technology,” I bring both technical expertise and a heart for service to my work. I am grateful to participate in Creighton’s Online Ministry, sharing in the journey of faith through daily scripture reflections.
