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The Rich Man and Lazarus
Scripture: Luke 16:19-31
"There was a rich
man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every
day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, 21 who
desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table; moreover the dogs
came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels
to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; 23 and in Hades,
being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in
his bosom. 24 And he called out, `Father Abraham, have mercy upon 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.' 25 But Abraham said, `Son, remember that you in your
lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but
now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 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.' 27
And he said, `Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house, 28 for
I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this
place of torment.' 29 But Abraham said, `They have Moses and the prophets; let
them hear them.' 30 And he said, `No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to
them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, `If they do not hear
Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.
Why study this parable It behooves us to know the poor and the needy among
us And to help them while we prosper. There will come a judgment, and it will
be too late then to change our fate. We learn from this parable How God views
our relationships. What our fate will be and why. Our salvation is right there
for the taking. Do you see Jesus anywhere in this parable?
19 There was a rich
man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every
day.
Q.1 In describing this man, What does Jesus emphasize?
Q.2 Aside from being rich, what else is mentioned?
Q.3 How one dresses, and how one eats. Is that important?
Eze
16:49 "'Now this was the sin of
your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and
unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, 21
who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table; moreover the
dogs came and licked his sores.
Q.1 What is the discerning feature of the description of
Lazarus?
Q.2 Can we imagine how he must have suffered?
Q.3 Being a poor beggar, Have we any idea how he lived
1Sa 2:8 He raises the
poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with
princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. "For the foundations of
the earth are the LORD's; on them he has set the world.
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22 The poor man died
and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and
was buried;
Q.1 What immediately stands out in this verse?
Q.2 Why do you think Jesus made this distinction?
Q.3 What is the obvious difference?
Psa 91:11 For he will command his angels concerning
you to guard you in all
your ways;
Psa 91:12 they will lift
you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw
Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he called out, `Father
Abraham, have mercy upon 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.'
Q.1 What mental picture do you get from vs. 23?
Q.2 And what is your thought about vs. 24?
Q.3 What is the obvious difference?
Psa
9:17 The wicked go down to the realm of
the dead, all the nations that forget God.
Jas 3:6 The tongue also
is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole
body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by
hell.
25 But Abraham said, `Son, remember that you in your lifetime
received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he
is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
Q.1 What is the distinction that Abraham is making?
Q.2 What is even more ominous evil that the rich man
faces?
Jas 2:13 because judgment
without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs
over judgment.
26 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.'
Q.1 What is the great chasm between them?
Q.2 Have we a notion about the Grand Canyon?
Q.3 What is meant by those who would pass from here to you
may not be
able?
Rev 22:11 Let the one who
does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let
the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue
to be holy."
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27 And he said, `Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's
house, 28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also
come into this place of torment.'
Q.1 Why did he not ask to go himself and tell his
brothers?
Q.2 Warn them how, by words, by reason, by example ?
Q.3 Why is this not possible?
Psa 49:12 People, despite
their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish.
Psa 49:13 This is the
fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve
their sayings.
29 But Abraham said, `They have Moses and the prophets; let them
hear them.' 30 And he said, `No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them
from the dead, they will repent.'
Q.1 “They have Moses and the prophets”. Meaning?
Q.2 “let them hear them” what is implied here?
2Ti 3:15 and how from
infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for
salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful
for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
2Ti 3:17 so that the
servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
31 He said to him, `If they do not hear Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.
Q.1 Is this a commentary on our world today?
Q.2 Should we re consider our more stringent laws
regarding God?
Q.3 There are those who don’t believe to this day, who are
they?
2Co 4:3 And even if our
gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
2Co 4:4 The god of this
age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of
the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Closing Prayer
"Lord Jesus, you are my joy
and my treasure. Make me rich in the things of heaven and give me a generous
heart that I may freely share with others the eternity in Gods Heaven
that is promised to all who will call on Your name. Help us to follow you bearing our yoke in this world,
as an example to others. And May we cause you great joy as we share with
others, your love as we have seen it in Jesus, in whose name we do pray. AMEN
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Meditation: What sustains you when trials and affliction come your way and how
do you treat others in their affliction? In this story Jesus paints a dramatic
scene of contrasts – riches and poverty, heaven and hell, compassion and
indifference, inclusion and exclusion. We also see an abrupt and dramatic
reversal of fortune. Lazarus was not only poor, but sick and unable to lift himself.
He was laid at the gates of the rich man’s house. The dogs
which licked his sores probably also stole the little bread he got for himself.
Dogs in the ancient world symbolized contempt. Enduring the torment of these
savage dogs only added to the poor man’s miseries and sufferings. The rich man
treated the beggar with contempt and indifference, until he found his fortunes
reversed at the end of his life! In God's economy, those who hold on
possessively to what they have, lose it all in the end, while those who share
generously receive back many times more than they gave way. The name Lazarus means God
is my help. Despite a life of misfortune and suffering, Lazarus did not
lose hope in God. His eyes were set on a treasure stored up for him in heaven.
The rich man, however, could not see beyond his material wealth and
possessions. He not only had every thing he needed, he selfishly spent all he
had on himself. He was too absorbed in what he possessed to notice the needs of
those around him. He lost sight of God and the treasure of heaven because
he was preoccupied with seeking happiness in material things. He served wealth
rather than God. In the end the rich man became a beggar! Do you know the joy
and freedom of possessing God as your true and lasting treasure? Those who put
their hope and security in heaven will not be disappointed (see Hebrews 6:19)?
Questions?
1. What perception do you draw from the description of the rich man?
Does he “Have
it made”? Does it seem to you that some people are that way?
2. Conversely there is Lazarus, describe his misery, what was it
like?
Are there
places where you might find people like Lazarus?
3. Lazarus died and was in Abraham’s bosom, what does that Imply?
Do you feel it
means he is in Heaven? Is there more than one Heaven- see 2nd Cor.
12:2
4. The rich man died and descended to Hades, what does that imply?
Isn’t it obvious that he was sent to
hell ?
5. If you have a choice of final destinations, which would you
choose?
Is it possible
some would choose other than Heaven?
6. The rich man was in agony, why was that?
It should be
obvious, do you believe it? Do you know anyone that doesn’t
7. The rich man, in hell saw Lazarus, and asked Abraham for a favor,
send Lazarus to me. For what? Do you suppose he thought he could get relief?
8. Abraham’s response was what?
Is what
Abraham said an indication that it is not possible?
9. The rich man made a second request, about his 5 brothers, what was
that?
And what was the answer given him?
10 The last
statement is very descriptive can you explain?
Was there salvation from sin in the time
of Moses?
10. So there you have it, what is the end result?
It is as if
there is no way out , do you agree?
11. There is the reference of one being raised from the dead what’s
that about?
Luke
16:31, Is that a reference to the
return of Jesus?
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