Written ~ 03-22-2024
Read Luke Chapter Sixteen
Luke 16
Let’s dive in!
We are going to look at the parable Jesus told in verses 16:19-31… so let’s read it now…
19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.
22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.
24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’
25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’
27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’
29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’
30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Two men are talked about in this parable, a rich man and a poor man. They have completely opposite circumstances, one lived in the lap of luxury, while the other was sick and starving. One thing to note… Jesus typically does not name the characters in the parables He tells, but in this case He did. He chose to name the poor, sick man (Lazarus), by doing so Jesus is placing a much greater importance on the character of the poor man.
When the poor man dies he is carried up to heaven and cared for by the angels. He finally gets the relief he was longing for. But in contrast when the rich man dies, he is buried and goes to the place of the dead, Hades or in other words, Hell.
We have learned in previous Bible Studies that it is very difficult, nearly impossible for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. In Matthew 19:23-24 Jesus says,
“I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I’ll say it again – it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”
The Gospel of Mark records this as well in Mark 10:23-25. And Luke will also record it in 18:24-25.
So while this “certain rich man” lives in luxury, is clothed in purple garments, longs for nothing, he is missing the truth of the Scriptures and doesn’t realize he needs to be saved. On the flip side the poor man, Lazarus, is humbled, I would imagine he cried out to God from his desperate situation, he longed to be saved.
When the rich man discovers while he is in the anguish and torment of Hell that Lazarus is now being well cared for, he calls out to Abraham for help. But what is Abraham’s reply?
Verse 16:25,
25 “Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish.”
We need to remember that most of the time when Jesus is speaking in parables it is because He is responding to the demands of the Pharisees and religious teachers. The Pharisees would see themselves in this “certain rich man” and it would infuriate them even more.
In this parable the rich man is calling out to Abraham for help, which is explained by Abraham in verse 16:26 that his rescue will never happen because of the chasm between them. It’s too late for the rich man. Then the rich man begs Abraham to send a message to his brothers so they could escape the anguish and torment he is experiencing. But what is Abraham’s reply to the rich man’s request?
Verse 16:29,
29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’”
The rich man would not accept that response and continued to beg…
Verse 16:30,
30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’”
In Abraham’s next reply we can see very clearly the condition of the hearts of the rich man’s brothers…
Verse 16:31,
31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
So how do we translate this parable into something understandable for today?
So many people can go through this life without realizing or completely ignoring the fact that they need to be saved. The pleasures of the world have lured them in so fully that they can’t see passed all the glitz and glamour. Like the rich man they have everything they could possibly want and could eventually end up missing the Kingdom of Heaven because of that ignorance. Or it might be that there are those that have not heard the Good News of Salvation! That’s why the Gospel Message needs to be poured out for all to hear, so everyone can make a choice to accept the truth and be set free. It really is disheartening to think about how many people will turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the truth of God’s Word. But if they won’t listen to the Scriptures, turn from the lure of the world and repent, then, like the rich man, they will have an eternity of anguish and torment.
On the flip side, those who do come to the realization that the world does not fill the void they feel inside, and they see the need to be pulled out of the muck and mire, they will be saved. The call for Salvation has reached their ears and they believe. There comes a juncture in every person’s life where the decision to believe the Word of God or not becomes a very real turning point.
For the rich man in our story, he chose to rely on his riches to save him and turned away from God. The poor, sick man though he may not have chosen to be poor, he knew he needed be saved and he turned to God.
As a believer, one of our responsibilities as followers of Christ is to share the Good News of Salvation. If a loved one, friend or colleague were to die without Christ, it’s at that moment where no more decisions can be made. It will be too late. You cannot “pray” your loved one into Heaven after death. Abraham says in verse 16:26b,
“No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.”
If you are one of those people who hasn’t yet made the decision to believe what the Scriptures tell us, what are you waiting for? What more do you need to convict your hardened heart? What will persuade your stubborn heart? Don’t wait! Don’t leave your loved ones in despair if you were to die without knowing Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Get the questions you have, answered. Ask the Father in Heaven to open your eyes and unplug your ears, so you can see and hear the truth.
To God Be the Glory…
~AMEN~