Sermon 24 August – Luke 16:19-31
The Rich Man and Lazarus
This parable contains many of the same themes that we have seen in the previous four parables (The Good Samaritan, The Rich Fool, The Dishonest Manager, and The Wicked Tenants). This parable comes shortly after that of the Dishonest Manager, and in response to Jesus’s statement: “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” When the Pharisees (“who were lovers of money”) heard this statement, they ridiculed Jesus, who then responds: “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” Jesus then proceeds to tell this parable.
In the parable, there are two men: a rich man who lived a life of luxury, and Lazarus – a poor man who lived outside his gate, was covered in open sores, and longed to eat even the crumbs that fell from the man’s table. In time, both men died, and the situations were drastically reversed: Lazarus was escorted by angels to Abraham’s side, a place of comfort, peace, and fellowship, and the rich man was buried and ended up in Hades, a place of torment. The rich man asked Abraham to send Lazarus to cool his tongue with his finger, dipped in water. Abraham replies that is impossible; there is a complete separation between the two realms. He then asks Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers, to warn them. Abraham again refuses, saying that they have the Scriptures. If they do not believe them, they will not be convinced by someone coming back from the dead.
There are some lessons that we can learn from this parable:
Future punishment or reward comes from the object of our faith, and how that faith is expressed in our lives. Punishment can be seen as God giving to us what we have chosen – independence from him.
We need to be concerned for and to care for others. Money should be seen as a responsibility, rather than a reward.
The stubbornness of sin. While evidence and arguments can help, the root cause of unbelief is our will; we simply do not want to believe.
The sufficiency of Scripture. It was the authority and the power to bring about belief in itself.
Things to Think About:
- How does our lifestyle express our actual values and the object of our faith?
- What can we do now better express our gratitude and faith in our daily lives?
