Lazarus and the Rich Man

Luke 16:19

Intro question

• what does your name mean?

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, 

• Why does the rich man have no name, but the beggar does?
  • You name what is important.  You name what has value
    • You name your dogs, your pets, because they’ve become apart of your family.
    • If you are unnamed, it signals a lack of value.  
    • Named our daughter Rynn – Catherine – family name.  We don’t know her name!  I would do anything to figure out the name her mother gave her. 
  • In this life, the rich have the honor, they have the name, but in the next life the lowly will be honored
  • Lazarus means he who God helps

At his gate

• Why is it important that the rich man was “at his gate?”
  • This wasn’t a random person, this was a needy person right in front of the rich man.
  • I don’t think we will be held responsible for all the needy people of the world, but we will be held responsible for the needy people “at our gate.”
• Do you have a needy person “at your gate?”

covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.(T) Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

• What stands out to you in this verse?
• Lowliness of Lazarus
  • Beggar
  • Sores
    • Unclean, Leprosy
    • Leviticus 13:40-45
  • Longing to eat the scraps
    • A dog at the table. 
  • Dogs licked his sores

22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. 

• What is the significance of Lazarus being carried to the “side” of Abraham?
  • Genesis 26:3-5
  • You will be the father of many nations
    • Image: All of Abraham’s descendents multiply into the earth, but when they die, they come back into him.  
    • Being in Abraham symbolized being God’s blessing. 
  • He was truly a part of Abraham

The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, 

• Rich man goes to Hades
  • Jesus is always flipping this on our head.  In life, we think the rich are blessed and the poor are not.  But Jesus is constantly helping us think differently.  Often times it is the poor that are blessed, and the rich that are not
  • Verses
    • Matthew 19:24 – Eye of a needle
    • Matthew 5:3 – Blessed are the poor in spirit
  • Why is it difficult for rich people to get into the kingdom of heaven?
• Lazarus – carried away by angels.  Rich man – was buried.
  • When you die, do you want to be carried away by angels or simply buried?

he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham,(U) have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.

• Why is hell described as fire?
  • Fire consumes matter.  It burns a log till there is nothing left.
  • It is a place where you live eternally with your sin.  Your separation from God. 
  • Sin consumes like fire.  
• Do we choose hell or are we cast into hell?
  • So many of us have the option to choose Jesus, but we don’t.  We choose ourselves.

25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things,(W) but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

• What is weird about Lazarus’s response to Abraham?
  • He didn’t repent.  It wasn’t his fault

29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

• Why is this important?
  • They have enough.  This book is enough.  The teachings in this book are enough. 

30 “‘No, father Abraham,’(AB) he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

• Why would a miracle still not be enough to convince someone to repent?
  • The rich man is in hell, seeing Abraham, and he still hasn’t repented.
  • There are a million miracles every single day that people completely ignore
  • Following God is not about merely believing intellectually.  It is about a moral change in your body.  
• It is very interesting that there was another Lazarus that was raised from the dead.  And in the book of John, his raising from the dead did not convince the Jewish leaders

Travis Waltner