Sunday School Lesson January 26, 2014 Showing Compassion for the Poor - Luke 16:19-31

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1 Sunday School Lesson January 26, 2014 Showing Compassion for the Poor - Luke 16:19-31 The parable we study today follows directly the story that Jesus told about the unjust steward (Luke 16:1-15). J. W. McGarvey suggested, If the parable of the unjust steward teaches how riches are to be used, this parable sets forth the terrible consequences of a failure to so use them. The beggar was named Lazarus. This is the only occasion when a person is named in one of Jesus parables. The name is derived from Eleazar which means God a help. His body was covered with sores. Unable to work, he longed to eat the leftovers and scraps which fell from the rich man s table. (Compare him with the prodigal son in Luke 15:16 and the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7:28.) The wild dogs (who also ate scraps from the rich man s table) licked his sores. A. T. Robertson noted, It is not clear whether the licking of the sores by the dogs added to the misery of Lazarus or gave a measure of comfort, as he lay in his helpless condition. Paradise and Torment - Luke 16:19-26 (NIV) (Luke 16:19). 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, covered with sores (21) and longing to eat what fell from the rich man s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. (22) The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham s side. The rich man also died and was buried. (23) In hell, where he was torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. (24) So he called to him, Father Abraham, 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. (25) But Abraham replied, Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, 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 fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us. Jesus taught that heaven and hell are two separated destinations for those who die physically: a person who dies must go to one of these two places. Lazarus went to heaven to live with Abraham, who was declared righteous and saved because of his faith in God: Abraham believed God. Lazarus also believed God. The rich man went to Hades, because even though he may have believed in God, he did not believe God by doing what God commanded. If he had believed God, he would have obeyed God s law and have cared for the poor especially his neighbor Lazarus, who the Bible commanded him to love. He would have loved his neighbor as himself, and Lazarus would have been fed well by him and his sores treated. 1

2 Even if he thought Lazarus was being punished by God, he would have prayed for God s guidance in how best to help Lazarus make the changes he needed to make so he could help him get well and live right in the future. Death eventually came to both men. Note that only Lazarus is reported to have been carried to Abraham s side by the angels. Nothing is said about the rich man s journey. Abraham s side describes paradise, where Jesus went at his death (Luke 23:43). The King James Version says Lazarus was carried by the angels into Abraham s bosom. The picture is of a person reclining at a meal where the head of one lay on the bosom of another, denoting intimacy and friendship (see John 13:23; 21:20). The rich man, on the contrary, was in Hades, where he was in torment. The rich man called, Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. Without God, the person who dies faces only pain and anguish. The rich man was punished, not for having been rich, but for refusing to use his riches nobly. In addition, Abraham reminded the rich man that a great chasm separates the two parts of the spirit world. No one can go from one to the other. Return and Rescue - Luke 16:27-31 (NIV) (Luke 16:27) He answered, Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father s house, (28) for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment. (29) Abraham replied, They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them. (30) No father Abraham, he said but if some 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, In Jesus parable, Abraham replied truthfully that those who will not listen to the Scriptures will not believe God or repent even if they see someone raised from the dead. After Jesus raised His friend Lazarus from the dead, the Jewish leaders still did not believe, but they wanted to kill both Lazarus and Jesus. Jesus proved His statement to be true, because after His resurrection from the dead the religious leaders who had not listened to what Moses and the prophets said, but had crucified him, were not convinced that Jesus was the Messiah; they were not convinced to repent of their sins or do what God commanded them to avoid Hades. Instead, they were more determined to try to silence the apostles and kill some of them. When he could find no relief available for himself, the rich man thought of his family members who were still alive. Send Lazarus to warn them so they won t end up here, he begged. Scripture clearly affirms that there is no communication between those who 2

3 have died and those who are still living on the earth, as in Spiritualism. Neither is there a second chance after death, as the Roman Catholics teach in their doctrine of Purgatory. Abraham replied, They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them. A. T. Robertson pointed out, Even the heathen have the evidence of nature to show the existence of God as Paul argues in Romans so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20-23). The rich man learns that repentance is what is lacking. Not wealth, not poverty, not alms, not influence, but repentance is needed. Moses and the Prophets taught that it is the obligation of the rich to care for the poor (see Deuteronomy 15:7; Amos 4:1; Zechariah 7:9, 10). The Scriptures are a sufficient guide to godliness (2 Timothy 3:16, 17), and a failure to live rightly when possessing them is due to lack of will, not lack of knowledge. The rich man argued, But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent. Abraham had the last word: If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus confirmed this truth! Key Verse He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. Luke 16:10 (KJV) (NIV) Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Note: The Rich Man and Lazarus The rich man s life was consumed in self-centered living. He made the wrong choice and suffered eternally (vv ). Lazarus lived all his life in poverty, but his heart was right with God. His name means God is my help, and he never gave up his faith in God. He died and was immediately taken to paradise with Abraham. The destinies of both men were irreversible at death (vv ). Poor-- having little or no wealth and few or no possessions; lacking in financial or other resources. Although the poor will remain a part of society, the Bible instructs the righteous to show concern for them. Poor in Spirit those who admit their spiritual in adequacy and cast themselves on the mercy of God (Matthew 5:3). The poor in spirit are the opposite of the proud, the arrogant, the self-righteous who boast of their own goodness. Jesus parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14) illustrates this contrast. The Gospel of Luke declares, Blessed are you poor for yours is the kingdom of God (Luke 6:20). The poor in spirit are those who look to the Lord for justice, mercy, and deliverance, and not to themselves. 3

4 What we shall learn from this scripture: Temptation to sin by doing things the Lord doesn't want us to do is a problem we all have to face on earth. Although many of us don't have to worry about being rich and powerful, we are all spiritually challenged with helping those of us who are less fortunate. Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus is one in which the dangers of a person's power and wealth are emphasized. When money and power become our "idol god," we very possibly will find our ability to have compassion for the poor is lessened. While affluence on earth is a highly sought after accomplishment, in the Kingdom of God our earthly riches are of no value. As one preacher said, "We never see a U-Haul trailer behind a hearse; because we can't 'take it' with us." People that treat the poor with indifference and disdain, may find themselves in a predicament such as the rich man in the parable. The poor man, who had been rejected and ignored by the rich man, was elevated to heavenly status in the afterlife. Conversely, the rich man was thrust into hell. But, even in hell, this rich man still considered Lazarus in a lower class even though Lazarus was in heaven standing next to Abraham. Whether we are rich or poor, we are all equal in the eyes of the Lord. With that thought in mind, when we interact or speak to all people with the same respect regardless of their financial or social status. Those of us who are fortunate to not be poor should show empathy for those who are struggling to make a living. By doing so, perhaps we can learn to show more compassion for the poor. Unfortunately, empathy is sometimes hard to accomplish, and we should pray for God for Him to inspire us to seek to help others in need. When this synopsis was being written, and my thoughts went to the wealthiest people in the world, Bill Gates came to mind. Even though he is one of the riches people on earth, my first thoughts were how he has sought to help the less fortunate through his contributions to charity and through his foundation. It is said he has given over 28 billion dollars to help the less fortunate. By contributing that much money, he lost his ranking as the richest person in the world in This was roughly one third of his fortune. His example is one in which we can all learn from; not to forget those who really need our help. Regardless of our status in life, we should never be as the rich man in Jesus' parable; one who rejected a plea by someone needing our help. As a final thought, this lesson can be applied into other areas of need. Financial challenges are not the only thing which should qualify for our compassion. A person can be poor in spirit, poor in health, poor in happiness, and poor in the number of friends. Show compassion to all those who are in need of our help. Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further 1. Why did the rich man go to Hades after he died? He went to Hades because he did not believe God or have faith in God and the Scriptures. If he had believed God and the Scriptures, he would have shared the good 4

5 things that he had with Lazarus and other poor people whose needs he could meet. He would have loved God and his neighbor. 2. Do you think the rich man s attitude about wealth was the same or similar to everyone else in his family? Give a reason for your answers. Yes. He wanted father Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his five brothers to repent. 3. Do you think the rich man thought he was religious enough and blessed by God so that he was surprised when he began his existence after death in Hades? Yes. He probably felt that he was doing the right things because all the right things were being given to him and they were his right to possess. He did not believe God and use the right things that were being given to him to bless or help others. He probably felt that because of his religion he would not go to Hades. 4. Do you think Lazarus went to heaven just because he was poor? Why might someone think that? No. Someone might think that because Abraham told the rich man that Lazarus had received bad things in this life that God was being fair to give him good things in the next life. Lazarus went to heaven because he trusted God and believed God in spite of receiving bad things in this life. The Bible says that we are saved by grace through faith, and during Lazarus life he was saved by grace through faith and went to heaven when he died. 5. Why should people repent? They have Moses and the prophets who have told them how to live, who have told them the consequences of disobeying God, and who have warned them of the consequences if they do not repent. In addition, they have the teachings and warnings of Jesus, the Son of God and Messiah, who did rise from the dead. They have many expressions of God s love shown to them in this life, so they have many reasons to turn from their sins and love and trust God. 5