Wicked: Dancing Through Life

Life often tempts us to “dance through” with ease, gliding past responsibility and pain, just as the characters in the story of Wicked do—enjoying comfort at the expense of others. The world’s rhythm can be catchy: “Nothing matters but knowing nothing matters.” Yet, beneath the surface, this way of living is fueled by entitlement and greed, where our comfort is built on someone else’s struggle. The prophets, like Micah, and Jesus himself, warn us that this is not just a personal failing but a deep spiritual danger. Greed is not always loud or obvious; sometimes it’s polite, respectable, and even religious. It’s the quiet voice that says, “I deserve what I have. Their problem isn’t my fault.”

Scripture challenges us to see that our resources, our comfort, and our blessings are not truly ours—they are God’s, entrusted to us as stewards. The story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 is a sobering reminder: the rich man’s indifference, not his overt cruelty, was his downfall. His abundance created another’s lack, and his apathy did the damage. We all have “gates” where our compassion stops short, places where we choose not to see or act.

But Jesus offers a new choreography—a dance of compassion. He steps toward pain, not around it. He opens his gate, pours out his power, and invites even the least and the lost to his table. The cross itself is the ultimate interruption of the world’s selfish waltz: God giving everything for those who deserved nothing. Real joy is not found in freedom from responsibility, but in freedom for compassion. The dance of the kingdom is mercy in motion, compassion with purpose, and love that moves toward the hurting.

We are called to let Christ lead us in this dance, to open our eyes and hands, to move to the rhythm of God’s love. The table of communion is not just for us, but for the world—meant to move through us, so that others might know the love of Christ. Our calling is to embody this ethic of giving, not just at Christmas, but all year long, so that others will know we are Christians by our love.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Greed often hides behind comfort and entitlement Greed is not always obvious; it can be masked by comfort, respectability, and even religious activity. The subtle voice of entitlement convinces us that our blessings are earned and our responsibility ends at our own gate. True spiritual maturity requires us to recognize and root out this hidden greed, remembering that all we have is God’s and meant to be shared. [33:08]
• 2. Indifference can be as damaging as cruelty The story of the rich man and Lazarus shows that it is not only active harm that wounds, but also passive neglect. The rich man’s apathy created Lazarus’s suffering. We must be vigilant against the temptation to ignore the needs at our own gates, understanding that indifference is a form of wickedness in God’s eyes. [31:10]
• 3. Jesus models a dance of compassion Jesus consistently steps toward pain, opens his gate, and pours out his power for others. His life and death are the ultimate example of compassion in action. Following Jesus means learning this new rhythm—moving toward the hurting, opening our lives, and giving sacrificially, even when it costs us. [35:04]
• 4. Our resources are God’s, not ours alone We are stewards, not owners, of what we have. The mindset that our resources are ours alone leads to entitlement and withholds compassion. Recognizing that everything belongs to God frees us to share generously and to see our blessings as opportunities for others to experience God’s love. [34:22]
• 5. The table is for the world, not just for us Communion is a reminder that God’s gifts are meant to move through us to others. The love and grace we receive are not for hoarding, but for sharing—so that the least and the lost might also know Christ. Our calling is to embody this ethic of love and giving every day, not just in special seasons. [43:31]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [21:44] - Dancing Through Life: The World’s Rhythm
• [22:31] - Manipulation and Exclusion in Wicked
• [23:15] - The Allure of Effortless Living
• [25:26] - Bullying and Exploitation Unveiled
• [26:44] - The Temptation of Indifference
• [28:02] - Micah’s Warning Against Greed
• [29:53] - The Rich Man and Lazarus
• [31:10] - Indifference as Wickedness
• [33:08] - The Subtle Voice of Entitlement
• [34:22] - Stewardship: Everything Belongs to God
• [35:04] - Jesus’ Dance of Compassion
• [37:39] - Contrasting the Dances: Greed vs. Compassion
• [39:38] - The Gospel’s Rhythm: Everything Matters
• [41:36] - Communion: The Table for All
• [43:31] - Living Out Love Beyond the Table
• [44:50] - Prayer and Sending Forth

Bible Reading

Micah 2:1-2 (ESV) — > Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand. They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.

Luke 16:19-31 (ESV) — > “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house—for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

Observation Questions

1. According to Micah 2:1-2, what specific actions are the people being condemned for? What is their motivation? [28:02]
2. In the story Jesus tells in Luke 16, what is the relationship between the rich man and Lazarus? What separates them? [29:53]
3. What does the sermon say is the real problem with the rich man’s behavior toward Lazarus? Is it something he does, or something he fails to do? [31:10]
4. How does Jesus’ approach to pain and need differ from the way others act in the stories mentioned? [35:04]

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Micah describe greed as “wickedness”? What does this reveal about how God views the use of power and resources? [28:02]
2. The rich man in Luke 16 never physically harms Lazarus, yet he is still judged harshly. What does this suggest about the seriousness of indifference and apathy in God’s eyes? [31:10]
3. The sermon mentions that greed can be “polite, respectable, and even religious.” How can greed hide behind good behavior or religious activity? [33:08]
4. Jesus is described as “stepping toward pain” and “opening his gate.” What does it mean for us to follow this example in our own lives? [35:04]

Application Questions

1. The sermon says, “We all have ‘gates’ where our compassion stops short, places where we choose not to see or act.” What is one “gate” in your life where you tend to stop short of compassion? What would it look like to open that gate this week? [32:31]
2. Think about a time when you felt entitled to your comfort or resources. How did that affect your willingness to help someone in need? What would it look like to see your resources as God’s, not just yours? [33:08]
3. The story of the rich man and Lazarus shows that indifference can be as damaging as cruelty. Is there someone in your life or community whose needs you have been ignoring? What is one step you could take to move toward them? [31:10]
4. The sermon says, “Real joy is not found in freedom from responsibility, but in freedom for compassion.” How does this challenge the way you think about your time, money, or energy? [37:00]
5. Jesus “pours out his power for others” and invites even the least and the lost to his table. What is one practical way you can pour out your time, energy, or resources for someone who is often overlooked? [35:04]
6. Communion is described as a table “not just for us, but for the world.” How can you make the love and grace you receive at church move through you to others this week? [43:31]
7. The sermon challenges us to embody an ethic of giving all year long, not just at Christmas. What is one habit or practice you could start (or restart) to make generosity a regular part of your life? [42:58]