The Way of Recovery

The Rev. Brad Sullivan
Lord of the Streets, Houston
September 28, 2025
Proper 21, C
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Psalm 143
Luke 16:19-31

Good morning, y’all. As I said earlier in our service, today we are celebrating Recovery Sunday. The Episcopal Church has a practice to celebrate recovery from addiction, to celebrate the healing and work of those in recovery, and to normalize addiction as something from which many people suffer and to normalize recovery as something to be celebrated and brought to people’s awareness. 

Recovery is about healing, about turning from one way of life and seeking help from others and often from God, and finding a new way of life, freed from the bondage of addiction. One important thing to note is that recovery is not the Gospel. One needs not be a Christian to recover from addiction. At the same time, the Gospel is all about healing and recovery. Whether addiction, trauma, heartache, death of a loved one, or even death of one’s dreams, everyone is recovering from something, including the people we heard about in our Gospel lesson from today.

In Luke 16, Jesus told a story of an unnamed rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. The fact that the beggar, Lazarus, was named and the rich man wasn’t named, tells us what Jesus thought of the two characters in his story. Lazarus, the beggar, Jesus seemed pretty fond of him. The rich man, not so much, because the rich man ignored Lazarus. This guy had more wealth than he needed for multiple lifetimes, and instead of using that wealth to benefit others, he used his wealth only to benefit himself, leaving Lazarus to die in the gutter. 

Jesus was very clear that those who are rich and who are indifferent to the needs and suffering of others are not going to do well with God. In fact those who are rich and who are indifferent to the needs and suffering of others look to be in for a world of hurt in regard to God’s judgement. 

So, what does this have to do with recovery? Well, there are two people in this story who needed recovery. One, obviously, was Lazarus, who needed recovery from whatever ailment had left him begging in the street. The other one who needed recovery was the rich man.

The rich man was addicted to feeling good. He had his wealth, and he used it only for himself. He used his wealth only to feel good, and through constantly trying to feel good, he ended up in torment.

That’s a story of addiction. Whatever the addiction is, the thing that makes us feel good ends up being an instrument of torment. 

Addicts are often trying to run the show, trying to be ok, trying to feel safe and secure in the world around them, and addicts tend to be mighty pissed when everything and everyone aren’t doing what they think they should. 

Wasn’t that like the rich man, wanting the world and everyone in it to bend to his will? Even at rock bottom, being tormented in Hades, he was still trying to run the show. 

Hey Abraham, you know Lazarus, that dude who used to beg outside my house, have him come bring me some water. What do you mean “no”? I’m really thirsty. Come one Abraham. Ugh, fine! At least send him to warn my brothers not to be quite as selfish, miserable schlubs as I was. What do you mean, “No”? Have him do what I want.

Yeah, even being tormented in Hades, the rich man still thought he should be in charge. He was still trying to run the whole show. That’s an addict’s way, trying to run the show and then using whatever they’re addicted to, to feel better, to drown resentments, to just shut everything out and not give a crap for a while.

Now, I hate to compare the rich schlub in Jesus’ story to all addicts because addicts are in need of healing and recovery. Please don’t hear what I’m not saying. I’m not saying “addicts will end up tormented in Hades after they die.” Folks who suffer from addiction are in need of healing and recovery, and regarding being tormented in Hades, when we’re in the depths of addiction, we’re already being tormented in Hades. 

I compare that rich schlub in Jesus’ story to addicts because even he was in need of healing and recovery. If he had been a healed and healthy person, he wouldn’t have been such a selfish, miserable schlub. If he was a healed and healthy person, he would have been glad to share what he had with Lazarus and help heal him as well. Everyone needs healing. Everyone is recovering from something.

It's easy to have contempt on the rich man, and in some ways, I think we’re supposed to. We’re supposed to recognize that a life of selfishness and self-seeking is not the life God has in mind for us. 

Our challenge is to look at the rich man and not tell ourselves, “I must be doing just fine, ‘cause I’m not a rich selfish schlub like that guy.” We don’t need to be rich to be selfish and self-seeking. We don’t need to be the guy in Jesus’ story to need healing and recovery. 

If the rich man had recovered from whatever was keeping him so selfish, that could have led to Lazarus’ recovery as well. Recovery leads to and is a part of repentance. Recovery leads to and is a part of turning our lives around so that we are decidedly less selfish and self-seeking, and that leads to a life of service. Had the rich man recovered, he would have begun living a life of service, and he would have healed and helped Lazarus recover.

Addiction, and the resentment, selfishness, and self-seeking that feeds addiction leads us to being alone. Addiction has thousands of forms; it doesn’t need to be alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, or any other named, identified addictions. Our phones and social media are addictions for a lot of us. TV before that. Whatever we use to feel better that ends up isolating us from others can be an addiction, and addiction, and the desire just to be less miserable, leads us to being alone. Recovery leads us to a life of communion and love with others. 

All of our sins, the ways we harm one another and harm ourselves, lead us to being alone. The Gospel, the reconciliation of Jesus, leads us to a life of communion and love with others. 

We’re all in need of recovery. We’re all in need of communion and love with others. Recovery can come through 12-Step or other recovery programs. Recovery can come through the way of the Gospel of Jesus, and like the way of Jesus, recovery is not done alone. Recovery is done with community. 

So, whatever path we choose, I invite us all to follow a way of recovery. Follow a way from torment to a way of life and peace. Follow a way from selfishness and self-centeredness to a way of love and service to others. Follow a way from isolation and fear to a way of communion and love.

When We Help and Give Love to Folks in Need, We Have Jesus with Us

The Rev. Brad Sullivan

Lord of the Streets, Houston

April 6, 2025

5 Lent, C

Philippians 3:4b-14

Psalm 126

John 12:1-8

“You always have the poor with you,” Jesus said. I’ve often heard this said with a kind of fatalism. You’ll always have the poor with you so, there’s not a whole lot we can do; we wish it were different, but eh, we can’t really help. So, “You will always have the poor with you,” ends up being used as an excuse not to worry too much about poverty and those who suffer from poverty. The poor will always be with us, so just accept it and move on.

Call me crazy, but I’m pretty sure that’s not what Jesus meant when he said, “You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” Jesus taught extensively about caring for the poor. Jesus taught folks with wealth to live off of less so that those with little would have more. Jesus even taught that those at the top, in modern times, the CEOs and shareholders, should choose to earn less for themselves so that those on the bottom of the pay scale could earn more. 

So, when Jesus said, “You always have the poor with you,” he did not mean, “Meh, don’t worry about ‘em.”

Jesus was talking to Judas who was making a good self-righteous show, pretending to be upset about how much money Mary had spent on the perfume she was using to anoint Jesus. It was a huge amount of money, about 10 months’ worth of minimum wage, and she was using it all in one go to anoint Jesus’ feet. So yeah, fair point, that’s an extravagant expense, but as John tells us, Judas didn’t actually care about how the money could have been used on the poor; he just wanted to be able to keep more money for himself.

So, when Jesus responded, “You always have the poor with you,” he was telling Judas, “Dude, I know what you’re really on about, and if you actually care about the poor, like you say you do, I highly recommend doing something about it.” In fact, Jesus was commanding Judas to care for the poor. “You always have the poor with you,” was a paraphrase of Deuteronomy 15:11, “Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land’”.

Yes, Judas, you are commanded to care for the poor and needy in the land, so stop lambasting Mary, stop stealing, and start using what you have to care for those in need. In fact, Judas, not only do you always have the poor with you and should therefore care for them, but you do not always have me. 

Ok, on the one hand, Jesus was obviously speaking about his upcoming arrest and crucifixion. When Jesus was killed and then when he ascended into heaven, his friends and disciples truly didn’t have him there with them anymore. He continued and continues now to dwell in our hearts, in our very souls and bodies, and yet, Jesus is not walking among us physically, at least not in the way he was a couple thousand years ago. 

In Matthew 25:31-46, however, Jesus did say that whatever we do to the least among us, we do to him. We do have Jesus with us among the very poor and needy whom Jesus commanded Judas to care for. By not caring for others among us, we push Jesus away. 

So, anytime someone dismissively says, “You always have the poor with you,” and therefore figure there is nothing we can or should do about it, they are ignoring Jesus and pushing Jesus away. By words and actions that care only for the wealthy and do nothing for the poor and needy, people reveal the truth of Jesus’ statement, “you do not always have me.” When we push away, trample on, and ignore the poor and needy among us, we push away, trample on, and ignore Jesus and find his words are true. We don’t have Jesus with us. 

So, the truth is, we always have the poor with us; we always have people in need among us, but depending on how we treat them, we don’t always have Jesus. 

So, what are we then to do with the hugely expensive bit of perfume that Mary used up in one sitting to anoint Jesus’ feet. Well, it may not have been the best use of money ever in the history of the world, but Jesus meant a huge amount to their family. Beyond that, they seemed to have some idea of Jesus’ importance beyond just a family friend, and Mary wanted to honor and bless Jesus, and draw near to him in this act of pure love. 

Giving of ourselves to spend time with Jesus, never a bad idea. That’s part of what Paul was saying in his letter to the Philippians when he wrote, “I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Paul had been one of the absolute best at his religion, and I don’t think there’s really a contest about being better than others at religions, but even so, Paul was the GOAT at his religion, and he gladly let all of it go when he came to know God as a human being, Jesus. 

Mary had this hugely expensive bit of perfume, and she got rid of all of it, used it all at once, in order to be near and offer love to Jesus. 

Now, don’t let anyone fool you into giving them all your money for some Jesusy, religious, whosadeewhatsit. “Send us $1000 and all your prayers will come true.” “Support our ministries with all you’ve got, and God’ll give it back to you with interest.” The only folks what get rich off things like that are the preachers.

No, when we give all that we have to draw near to Jesus, we’re giving our lives, our wills, desires in order to follow Jesus more fully. Sometimes we do give money to support ministries, and we do give money to help others in need, and when we’re helping those other people, we are drawing near to and loving Jesus. 

Realize too that when we give things up in order to draw near to and love Jesus, they’re usually things that we find we’re just fine without. Paul didn’t regret giving up his number one religious guy card, and Mary didn’t regret using all of that perfume on Jesus. She found afterwards that she didn’t need it anymore. 

When we help others in need, we tend to find that we didn’t really need whatever it was we gave up in order to give that help. We find instead that we have spent time with Jesus in those moments, and it was well worth it. We’ve always got folks in need among us, and when we help and give love to folks in need, we have Jesus with us as well.