GOSPEL OF LUKE
Chapter 16
16:1
Jesus told his disciples: "There was
a rich man whose manager was
accused of wasting his possessions.
Now He was also saying to the
disciples, "There was a certain
rich man who had a steward, and
this steward was reported to him
as squandering his possessions.
And he said also unto his disciples,
There was a certain rich man, which
had a steward; and the same was
accused unto him that he had
wasted his goods.
16:1-8 Our use of money is a good test of
the lordship of Christ.
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Let us use our resources wisely
because they belong to God, and
not to us.
Money can be used for good or evil;
let us use ours for good.
Money has a lot of power, so we
must use it carefully and
thoughtfully.
We must use our material goods in
a way that will foster faith and
obedience (see Luke 12:33-34).
TODAY IN THE WORD
On his twenty-second birthday, the future
president Theodore Roosevelt married his
first wife, Alice, who died a few years later in
childbirth. To deal with his grief, Roosevelt
left New York to operate two ranches in the
Dakota Territory. One day he found his best
ranch hand about to put Roosevelt’s brand
on a steer that belonged to the neighboring
rancher. Roosevelt told the man to stop, but
he continued with the branding. Finally,
Roosevelt had to tell the man to drop the
iron and go back to the ranch to collect his
pay, because he was being fired. When the
cowboy expressed amazement at Roosevelt
being upset, Teddy replied, “Any man who
will steal for me will steal from me.” this case
was the manager of a rich man’s estate. He
was a person of considerable responsibility,
in charge of all his master’s business
operations. papers. This turn of events
brought Jesus to the point He wanted to
make in the parable. The crooked manager
was also very shrewd. He knew he would
need some friends in the days ahead,
because he was about to be unemployed
and probably homeless, a nice discount on
their bills. It was dishonest, in keeping with
the manager’s character; but it was very
clever, too. We can almost see the owner of
the estate, shaking his head in grudging
amazement at the ingenuity of his manager.
deceit. We should be as resourceful in using
what we have for eternal purposes.
Everything we have falls under the two
conditions Jesus mentioned in verses 11-12.
First, it is worldly wealth, not the “true
riches,” which are spiritual. Second, it all
belongs to someone else—to God. Our
possessions are only on temporary loan
from Him. We need to make our wealth a
servant, using it to help win others to Christ
and build His kingdom, rather than letting
our wealth rule over us. When the Master
calls for an accounting, we’ll be glad we did
things His way!
All The Gold In The World
All the gold in the world put together would
make a cube only eighteen yards on each
side. That is not only all the gold in America
but in the world.
That means all the gold in every watch, ring,
and necklace, in every vault, in every brick
and coin, in every museum, in every false
tooth, and in every gold-plated object. All of
it put together would be only one-tenth the
size of the Washington Monument!
That is the sum total of six thousand years
of digging, scratching, panning, stripping,
and dredging of the earth.
“What shall it profit a man if he gain the
whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark
8:36).
TODAY IN THE WORD
In a sermon entitled “Pressing Into the
Kingdom of God,” American Puritan
theologian and pastor Jonathan Edwards
preached on the value of the kingdom.
“It is [right] that the kingdom of heaven
should be thus sought, because of the great
excellency of it. We are willing to seek
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GOSPEL OF LUKE
Chapter 16
earthly things, of trifling value, with great
diligence, and through much difficulty; it
therefore certainly becomes us to seek that
with great earnestness which is of infinitely
greater worth and excellence. And how well
may God expect and require it of us, that we
should seek it in such a manner, in order to
our obtaining it!”
That’s the central point of today’s somewhat
difficult parable. An estate manager,
accused of wrongdoing, sees that he’s
probably going to lose his job. He decides to
use his remaining time in power to make
friends. He knows people will be grateful for
lowered debts, and since he’s on the way
out he has nothing to lose. After he’s fired,
they’ll be happy to give him a helping hand.
Speaking
to
His
disciples,
Jesus
demonstrated a keen knowledge of human
nature and behavior. We like to look out for
#1! Is He commending dishonesty or
selfishness? Not at all! This is an analogy.
For example: An athlete wins a gold medal,
and we read that she’s been training for
years. Do we want to join her sport?
Probably not. Do we want her dedication to
excellence? Absolutely!
Similarly, we want to imitate the manager’s
shrewdness, but not his methods or
purposes. Just as the manager was clever in
worldly affairs, so we should be wise in
kingdom affairs. Just as the manager was
clever in using his resources for selfish gain,
so we should be wise in using them for
eternal gain (vv. 9-10). We should pursue
God’s will with the same energy that the
manager had in pursuing his own benefit.
16:2
So he called him in and asked him,
'What is this I hear about you? Give
an account of your management,
because you cannot be manager
any longer.'
"And he called him and said to
him, 'What is this I hear about
you? Give an account of your
stewardship, for you can no
longer be steward.'
And he called him, and said unto
him, How is it that I hear this of
thee? give an account of thy
stewardship; for thou mayest be no
longer steward.
$1-Billion Every 4 Hours
It took sixty years from 1789 to 1848 and the
first eleven Presidents combined, before the
U.S. Government spent its first 1 billion
dollars. Today, the government spends 1
billion dollars every 4 hours.
Maxwell
Droke
has
an
interesting
calculation: “If Christopher Columbus
established a business firm in America the
day he discovered this continent, and he
and his successors in that firm managed
their affairs so poorly that they lost a
thousand dollars a day, they would have to
operate until the year 4232 to pile up the first
billion in losses.”
16:3
"The manager said to himself, 'What
shall I do now? My master is taking
away my job. I'm not strong enough
to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg-"And the steward said to himself,
'What shall I do, since my master
is taking the stewardship away
from me? I am not strong enough
to dig; I am ashamed to beg.
Then the steward said within
himself, What shall I do? for my lord
taketh away from me the
stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I
am ashamed.
Golden Gate Bridge’s Suicides
A memorial service was held at the Golden
Gate Bridge for the 600 suicides known to
have leaped from the span since it was
opened in 1937.
More than 500 participants, wearing black
arm bands, walked across the bridge after
the brief ceremony below the toll gates on
the San Francisco side. Some dropped
wreaths from the bridge.
The 600th known suicide was Sharon
Ungewitter, 24, an unemployed medical
laboratory technician, who jumped Saturday.
Her body was recovered by the coast guard.
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Chapter 16
The bridge marked its 40th anniversary
Friday—the day after the parents of anther
jumper sued the Golden Gate Bridge district
for negligence because there were no
suicide barriers along the walkways.
16:4
I know what I'll do so that, when I
lose my job here, people will
welcome me into their houses.'
'I know what I shall do, so that
when I am removed from the
stewardship, they will receive me
into their homes.'
I am resolved what to do, that, when
I am put out of the stewardship, they
may receive me into their houses.
Job Gets Man Not Man Gets Job
I often tell my people that I don’t want any
fellow who has a job working for me. What I
want is a fellow whom a job has. I want the
job to get the fellow and not the fellow to get
the job. And I want that job to get hold of this
young man so hard that no matter where he
is the job has got him for keeps. I want that
job to have him in its clutches when he goes
to bed at night, and in the morning I want
that same job to be sitting on the foot of his
bed telling him it’s time to get up and go to
work. And when a job gets a fellow that way
he’ll amount to something.
Charles F.
Kettering,
16:5
"So he called in each one of his
master's debtors. He asked the first,
'How much do you owe my master?'
"And he summoned each one of
his master's debtors, and he
began saying to the first, 'How
much do you owe my master?'
So he called every one of his lord's
debtors unto him, and said unto the
first, How much owest thou unto my
lord?
DEBTS, DEBTORS
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16:6
How they were handled in Jesus’
day.
The debt we owe Christ.
Why is love for others called a debt?
" 'Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,'
he replied.
"The manager told him, 'Take your
bill, sit down quickly, and make it
four hundred.'
"And he said, 'A hundred
measures of oil.' And he said to
him, 'Take your bill, and sit down
quickly and write fifty.'
And he said, An hundred measures
of oil. And he said unto him, Take
thy bill, and sit down quickly, and
write fifty.
Cultivated Olive Trees Stand Tall
The psalmist says, “Thy children [shall be]
like olive plants round about thy table.”
(Psalm 128:3)
If you lived near the Mediterranean Sea or in
southern Europe, you’d see many olive
trees.
In its wild state, this small, thorny evergreen
has a gnarled trunk and twisted branches.
When cultivated, it sheds its thorns and
reaches a height of twenty to thirty feet and
is capable of producing fruit for three
hundred to five hundred years.
16:7
"Then he asked the second, 'And
how much do you owe?'
" 'A thousand bushels of wheat,' he
replied.
"He told him, 'Take your bill and
make it eight hundred.'
"Then he said to another, 'And
how much do you owe?' And he
said, 'A hundred measures of
wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your
bill, and write eighty.'
Then said he to another, And how
much owest thou? And he said, An
hundred measures of wheat. And he
said unto him, Take thy bill, and
write fourscore.
Legend Of Wheat
Once I chanced upon a sculptured panel of
stone in the Athens Archaeological Museum.
It depicted a woman presenting a grain of
wheat to a little boy. Grecian mythology has
it that Demeter the earth Mother had a
daughter Kore who had been carried off by
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GOSPEL OF LUKE
Chapter 16
Pluto, god of the underworld, to be his bride,
and in desperate search for her daughter,
the legend said, Demeter was hospitably
received by the King of Eleusis.
captains and nobles, I shall be monarch of
the world, the gifts I have parted with will
come back to me with an increase of a
thousand-fold.”
Finally Zeus, the chief god, forced a
compromise by which Kore stayed in the
underworld for six months and returned to
earth to her mother for the remaining six
months of the year. Hence winter and
summer were the reflection of the Earth
Mother’s grief and withdrawal, bounty and
joy.
16:9
According to the legend, when Demeter left
the king’s house, in return for the hospitality
she had received she gave to the little prince
Triptolemos a grain of wheat. This is how
corn came to man, and since Demeter was
also called Ceres, we perpetuate the old
story whenever we eat “cereals.”
16:8
"The master commended the
dishonest manager because he had
acted shrewdly. For the people of
this world are more shrewd in
dealing with their own kind than are
the people of the light.
"And his master praised the
unrighteous steward because he
had acted shrewdly; for the sons
of this age are more shrewd in
relation to their own kind than the
sons of light.
And the lord commended the unjust
steward, because he had done
wisely: for the children of this world
are in their generation wiser than
the children of light.
Alexander Renounces For Greater Gain
When Alexander the Great set forward upon
his great exploits before leaving Macedonia,
he divided amongst his captains and nobles
all his property. On being rebuked by a
friend for having acted so foolishly in parting
with all his possessions, reserving nothing
for himself, Alexander replied:
“I have reserved for myself much more than
I have given away; I have reserved for
myself the hope of universal monarchy; and
when, by the valour and help of these my
I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain
friends for yourselves, so that when
it is gone, you will be welcomed into
eternal dwellings.
"And I say to you, make friends
for yourselves by means of the
mammon of unrighteousness;
that when it fails, they may
receive you into the eternal
dwellings.
And I say unto you, Make to
yourselves friends of the mammon
of unrighteousness; that, when ye
fail, they may receive you into
everlasting habitations.
16:9 We are to make wise use of the
financial opportunities we have, not to earn
heaven, but so that heaven (“eternal
dwellings”) will be a welcome experience for
those we help. If we use our money to help
those in need or to help others find Christ,
our earthly investment will bring eternal
benefit. When we obey God’s will, the
unselfish use of possessions will follow.
16:10
"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.
"He who is faithful in a very little
thing is faithful also in much; and
he who is unrighteous in a very
little thing is unrighteous also in
much.
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.
16:10-11 Our integrity often meets its match
in money matters. God calls us to be honest
even in small details we could easily
rationalize away. Heaven’s riches are far
more valuable than earthly wealth. But if we
are not trustworthy with our money here (no
matter how much or little we have), we will
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Chapter 16
be unfit to handle the vast riches of God’s
kingdom. Don’t let your integrity slip in small
matters, and it will not fail you in crucial
decisions either.
Leave It All In Jesus’ Hand
Do you wonder why the blessing
That you prayed for is delayed,
While others seems to get theirs
Before request is made?
It’s not for us to understand,
But leave it all in Jesus’ hand.
Do you wonder why your loved one
Was taken home to stay,
While other folks were left here
Who were only in the way?
It’s not for us to understand,
But leave it all in Jesus’ hand.
Do you wonder why you suffer pain,
While others are so healthy.
Or why you have to skimp and save,
While other folks are wealthy
It’s not for us to understand,
But leave it all in Jesus’ hand.
Just lean upon the Savior,
Just rest at His dear feet,
His strength will prove sufficient
For the testing you must meet.
It’s not for us to understand,
But leave it all in Jesus’ hand.
16:11
So if you have not been trustworthy
in handling worldly wealth, who will
trust you with true riches?
"If therefore you have not been
faithful in the use of unrighteous
mammon, who will entrust the
true riches to you?
If therefore ye have not been faithful
in the unrighteous mammon, who
will commit to your trust the true
riches?
TRUST
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Half-truths show a lack of trust in
God.
Difficult to continue trusting.
When facing new situations.
Difficult when one is strong,
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16:12
attractive, or talented.
Joseph proved himself trustworthy.
Takes time to build it up.
In God’s promises.
Trust God for the way out of your
problems.
Trusting God the first time.
Trusting God spares us much grief.
Lack of trust leads to stress.
Essential to marriage.
Don’t trust God with only small
problems.
Failing to trust God brings problems.
Broken by unkept promises.
Naomi’s trust in God brought great
blessings.
Trusting God when resources
slipping away.
Wipes out fear.
Can you trust in God no matter
what?
God won’t forsake those who trust
him.
Real trust brings consistency of
character.
How lustful thoughts break trust in
marriage.
With childlike faith.
How worry affects our trust in God.
Children learn it from parents.
Helps with fear.
A part of faith.
Acting upon.
How we trust in God.
Lack of trust keeps us from
receiving God’s best for us.
Danger of trusting in your efforts.
And if you have not been
trustworthy with someone else's
property, who will give you property
of your own?
"And if you have not been faithful
in the use of that which is
another's, who will give you that
which is your own?
And if ye have not been faithful in
that which is another man's, who
shall give you that which is your
own?
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On Giving To God
The most sensitive spot in the surrender of
the whole life to God is my property.
Perhaps it is because property provides me
with material comforts, selfish satisfactions,
and gratifies personal tastes and appetites.
The question is, Who is owner—God or
myself? If God, then I must surrender all to
Him. Always man has attempted to except
his property from the surrender; but when I
begin to condition my surrender, then I begin
to compromise; and to compromise with
God is fatal to my soul.
16:13
"No servant can serve two masters.
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 both God and Money."
"No servant can serve two
masters; for either he will hate
the one, and love the other, or
else he will hold to one, and
despise the other. You cannot
serve God and mammon."
No servant can serve two masters:
for either he will hate the one, and
love the other; or else he will hold to
the one, and despise the other. Ye
cannot serve God and mammon.
16:13 Money has the power to take God’s
place in your life. It can become your
master. How can you tell if you are a slave
to Money?
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Do you think and worry about it
frequently?
Do you give up doing what you
should do or would like to do in
order to make more money?
Do you spend a great deal of your
time caring for your possessions?
Is it hard for you to give money
away?
Are you in debt?
Money is a hard master and a deceptive
one. Wealth promises power and control,
but often it cannot deliver. Great fortunes
can be made—and lost—overnight, and no
amount of money can provide health,
happiness, or eternal life. How much better it
is to let God be your Master. His servants
have peace of mind and security, both now
and forever.
Servant Or Master?
No servant can serve two masters . . . . You
cannot serve God and mammon. --Luke
16:13
An Illinois resident asked his employer for a
two-thirds pay cut in order to put his income
below the poverty level. He reasoned that by
making himself poor he would not have to
pay income tax, and therefore he would not
have to support military policies he didn't
agree with. This would make him more
consistent in practicing his beliefs. A close
friend commented, "He has a strong
commitment to justice and peace, and I think
this is his way of carrying that out."
I'm not suggesting that we should follow his
example, but he is a person who doesn't
want money to divert him from his ideals. He
reminds me of Agur, the wise author of
Proverbs 30, who expressed concern that
too much or too little wealth can get in the
way of commitment to God.
So we are left to consider it—money. The
Illinois resident gave up part of it. Agur didn't
want too much or too little of it (Proverbs
30:7-9). Jesus used it (John 13:29). Paul
could take it or leave it (Philippians 4:11-12).
The rich young ruler clung to it (Luke 18:23).
Ananias and Sapphira died because they
lied to God about it (Acts 5).
What about our relationship to money? Do
we use it wisely or does it control us? Is it
our servant or our master? We cannot serve
both God and money (Luke 16:13).
Money is a good servant,
but a poor master.
Fly With The Eagles
He called His disciples to Himself; and from
them He chose twelve whom He also named
apostles. --Luke 6:13
A well-known business leader commented
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GOSPEL OF LUKE
Chapter 16
on the winners and the losers in his
profession. "The winners fly with eagles," he
said, "and the losers run with turkeys."
When Jesus selected the small group to
whom He would entrust His mission in the
world, the men appeared to be anything but
"eagles." Jesus knew that by His power and
grace they could soar, but first He had to
teach them to fly together.
getting is incompatible with wholehearted
devotion to God and to His service (Col.
3:5). In the parable of the unjust steward
(Luke 15:1-13), Jesus commended the
steward’s foresight, not his method. His
object was to point out how one may best
use wealth, tainted or otherwise, with a view
to the future.
16:14
What a strange mix! There was Peter,
impetuous and uncouth. Andrew was simple
and believing, but Thomas had a question
mark for a mind.
Then consider Matthew and Simon. Matthew
probably had held his post as tax collector
by cooperating with the Romans. Simon the
Zealot may have belonged to a guerrilla
band determined to make life miserable for
the foreign overlords of Rome by disrupting
their trade or by rioting in the streets. Think
of it—it would be a little like having one from
the political right and one from the political
left on the same church board.
Why this diversity? Perhaps to teach us that
loyalty to Jesus comes first. Discipleship,
true to its name, requires us to learn love
and obedience and submission in a diverse
community of faith under one Head—Jesus
Christ.
Unity among believers comes
from our union with Christ.
MAMMON The Greek form of a Syriac or
Aramaic word for “money,” “riches,”
“property,” “worldly goods,” or “profit.” In
general use it was a personification of riches
as an evil spirit or deity. From about 1500 it
has been current in English as indicating the
evil influence of wealth. The word is not
used in the Old Testament. In the New
Testament it is used only by Jesus (Matthew
6:24; Luke 16:9; Luke 16:11; Luke 16:13). In
the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Ye
cannot serve God and mammon.” He meant
that no one can be a slave of God and
worldly wealth at the same time. The
undivided concentration of mind to money-
The Pharisees, who loved money,
heard all this and were sneering at
Jesus.
Now the Pharisees, who were
lovers of money, were listening to
all these things, and they were
scoffing at Him.
And the Pharisees also, who were
covetous, heard all these things:
and they derided him.
16:14 Because the Pharisees loved money,
they took exception to Jesus’ teaching. We
live in an age that measures people’s worth
by how much money they make. Do we
laugh at Jesus’ warnings against serving
Money? Do we try to explain them away?
Do we apply them to someone else—the
Pharisees, for example? Unless we take
Jesus’ statements seriously, we may be
acting like Pharisees ourselves.
SCOFFER People who show contempt for
others. Habakkuk predicted the Babylonians
would be scoffers as they conquered the
Near East (Habakkuk 1:10). 2 Peter 3:3
warns that the last days will see scoffers
laughing at the idea of Christ’s return
(compare Jude 1:18). The wisdom writers
repeatedly warned their students not to
become scoffers (Job 11:3; Proverbs 9:7-12;
Proverbs 13:1; Proverbs 14:6; Proverbs
15:12; Proverbs 19:25; Proverbs 21:24;
Proverbs 22:10; Proverbs 24:9; compare
Psalm 1:1; Isaiah 28:14; Isaiah 28:22). Still,
God is a scoffer, jeering at the feeble efforts
of those who oppose Him (Psalm 2:4;
Proverbs 3:34). Jesus endured scoffing
(Luke 16:14; compare Acts 13:41).
16:15
He said to them, "You are the ones
who justify yourselves in the eyes of
men, but God knows your hearts.
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What is highly valued among men is
detestable in God's sight.
And He said to them, "You are
those who justify yourselves in
the sight of men, but God knows
your hearts; for that which is
highly esteemed among men is
detestable in the sight of God.
And he said unto them, Ye are they
which justify yourselves before men;
but God knoweth your hearts: for
that which is highly esteemed
among men is abomination in the
sight of God.
16:15 The Pharisees acted piously to get
praise from others, but God knew what was
in their hearts. They considered their wealth
to be a sign of God’s approval. God
detested their wealth because it caused
them to abandon true spirituality. Though
prosperity may earn people’s praise, it must
never substitute for devotion and service to
God.
Why Saddam Admires Nebuchadnezzar
Saddam Hussein likes to trace his family
tree back to the prophet Mohammed. He
has been compared to the warrior Saladin
who fought the Christian Crusaders. But,
above all, Saddam’s favorite hero was
Nebuchadnezzar.
At a road crossing near the Hammurabi
Museum,
a
big
cutout
shows
Nebuchadnezzar II, Babylon’s mightiest
king, handing a flower to Saddam.
Nebuchadnezzar II was the Babylonian king
whose empire once stretched from sea to
sea. He conquered the regions that
comprise today’s Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,
Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Israel. (Cf.
Daniel 2, 4)
Saddam once remarked that:
“What is most important to me about
Nebuchadnezzar is the link between the
Arabs’ abilities and the liberation of
Palestine....Whenever
I
remember
Nebuchadnezzar, I like to remind the
Arabs—Iraqis in particular—of their historical
responsibilities.
Open It
01.
How is a shrewd businessperson
viewed in our society today?
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02.
In what ways does our culture
pressure us to love money?
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03.
How can the love of money hurt a
person?
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Explore It
04.
How did the rich man respond to the
manager who was “wasting his
possessions”? (16:1-2)
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05.
Why was the manager scared to lose
his job? (16:3)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
06.
What plan did the manager devise to
secure his future? (16:4-7)
___________________________________
8
GOSPEL OF LUKE
Chapter 16
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
07.
How did the rich master react to the
dishonest dealings of the manager?
(16:8)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Jesus’ teaching? (16:14)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
How did the Pharisees “justify”
themselves? (16:15)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
13.
Who are the “people of light” to whom
Jesus referred? (16:8)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
14. How does God judge people? (16:15)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
09.
15.
08.
How does Jesus want us to use
money? (16:9)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
10.
What main principle should govern the
way we use our resources? (16:10-12)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
11.
Why is it impossible to serve two
masters? (16:13)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
12.
Why were the Pharisees upset with
What does God think of the things that
we typically value? (16:15)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Get It
16.
What did Jesus mean when He said,
“Use worldly wealth to gain friends for
yourselves”?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
17.
Why is it so difficult to keep a proper
perspective on money?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
9
GOSPEL OF LUKE
Chapter 16
___________________________________
18.
How do you think God wants you to
change the way you handle your
resources?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
19.
How can we be sure that we will be
“welcomed into eternal dwellings”?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
20.
How can
you
become more
trustworthy in handling the money and
things that God has given you?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
21.
How do you need to change your
attitude toward your wealth?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
22.
What can you do to demonstrate your
devotion to the Lord?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Apply It
23.
What can you do during this next
week to become a better steward of
the resources God has given you?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
24.
During the next few weeks, what is
one way you can use money to serve
others and show them the love of
God?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
25.
During the next few weeks, what is
one way you can live more simply?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
16:16
"The Law and the Prophets were
proclaimed until John. Since that
time, the good news of the kingdom
of God is being preached, and
everyone is forcing his way into it.
"The Law and the Prophets were
proclaimed until John; since then
the gospel of the kingdom of God
is preached, and everyone is
forcing his way into it.
The law and the prophets were until
John: since that time the kingdom of
God is preached, and every man
presseth into it.
16:16-17 John the Baptist’s ministry was the
dividing line between the Old and New
Testaments (John 1:15-18). With the arrival
of Jesus came the realization of all the
prophets’ hopes. Jesus emphasized that his
kingdom fulfilled the law (the Old
Testament); it did not cancel it (Matthew
5:17). His was not a new system but the
culmination of the old. The same God who
worked through Moses was working through
10
GOSPEL OF LUKE
Chapter 16
Jesus.
LAW, TEN COMMANDMENTS, TORAH
Law refers both to the revelation of the will
of God in the Old Testament and to the later
elaboration on the law referred to as the
“traditions of the elders” in the New
Testament (for example, Mark 7:5).
Law is one of the primary concepts in the
Bible. The specific translation of the term
law is varied. It may be used for a
commandment, a word, a decree, a
judgment, a custom, or a prohibition. The
first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch)
are known as books of the Law because
they are based on the commandments
which God revealed to Moses.
The Hebrew term most frequently translated
“law” in the Old Testament is torah, used
more than 200 times. The central idea of
torah is that of instruction received from a
superior authority on how to live. Torah in
the Old Testament came to mean the way of
life for faithful Israelites. The Torah is more
than just “laws”; it includes the story of
God’s dealing with humankind and with
Israel.
Moral Character Of The Prophet
False prophets were characterized by their
low morality and unethical conduct. They
were drunkards (Isaiah 28:7), adulterous
(Jeremiah 23:14), treacherous (Zeph. 3:4),
liars (Micah 2:11), and opportunists (Micah
3:11).
In contrast, true prophets were morally
uncompromising and above reproach. Christ
refers to this test: “Every good tree bringeth
forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth
forth evil fruit...By their fruits ye shall know
them” (Matthew 7:17-20).
16:17
It is easier for heaven and earth to
disappear than for the least stroke
of a pen to drop out of the Law.
"But it is easier for heaven and
earth to pass away than for one
stroke of a letter of the Law to
fail.
And it is easier for heaven and earth
to pass, than one tittle of the law to
fail.
Love’s unfailing:
 Promise
 Supply
 Faithfulness
 Compassion
 Word
 Strength
 Presence
DOT REB translation of Greek term “little
horn” (Matthew 5:18; compare Luke 16:17),
rendered in various ways in English
translations (e.g. tittle, KJV; stroke of a letter
or pen, NASV, NRSV, NIV). The dot is
generally held to be a mark distinguishing
similarly shaped letters, either the raised dot
distinguishing sin from shin or else the
hooks used to distinguish others (e.g., beth
and kaph). Others suggest the letter waw is
intended. Iota, translated “jot” or “smallest
letter” is the smallest Greek vowel and is
generally taken to represent the smallest
Hebrew letter, yodh. Jesus thus contended
that is was easier for heaven and earth to
pass away than for the smallest detail of the
law to be set aside. Matthew’s qualification
“until all is accomplished” is perhaps a
reference to the saving work of Christ as the
fulfillment of all Scripture.
Unfailing:
 Word
 Promise
 Supply
 Faithfulness
 Compassions
 Strength
 Presence
inside information
guarantee, contract
provision, means
truthfulness, morals
considerations
tenacity, stamina
conduct, visibility
Our Daily Bread
A cartoon in Christianity Today portrayed
Moses atop Mount Sinai holding the stone
tablets containing the Ten Commandments.
Looking heavenward, he says to God, “They
tend to lose interest rather quickly. Could I
have a one-liner instead?” In a sense, God
did give “one-liners.”
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GOSPEL OF LUKE
Chapter 16
His 10 laws are clear and pointed:
 Love the only true God.
 Don’t make an image of God.
 Hallow His Name.
 Keep His day holy.
 Honor your parents.
 Don’t murder.
 Don’t commit adultery.
 Don’t steal.
 Don’t lie.
 Don’t covet.
These laws express God’s holy nature, and
we function best as His image-bearers when
we obey them. Sinners don’t love interest in
God’s laws because they are complex, but
because they have an aversion to obeying
them. The Hebrew word for law is “Torah,”
which refers to the kind of instruction loving
parents give their children so they will be
happy. And when we trust Jesus as Savior,
His Spirit gives us the desire to obey. God’s
commandments work for our highest good.
They are the law side of love.
God gave ten commandments,
Not ten suggestions.
16:18
"Anyone who divorces his wife and
marries another woman commits
adultery, and the man who marries
a divorced woman commits
adultery.
"Everyone who divorces his wife
and marries another commits
adultery; and he who marries one
who is divorced from a husband
commits adultery.
Whosoever putteth away his wife,
and marrieth another, committeth
adultery: and whosoever marrieth
her that is put away from her
husband committeth adultery.
16:18 Most religious leaders of Jesus’ day
permitted a man to divorce his wife for
nearly any reason. Jesus’ teaching about
divorce went beyond Moses’ (Deut. 24:1-4).
Stricter than any of the then-current schools
of thought, Jesus’ teachings shocked his
hearers (see Matthew 19:10) just as they
shake today’s readers. Jesus says in no
uncertain terms that marriage is a lifetime
commitment. To leave your spouse for
another person may be legal, but it is
adultery in God’s eyes. As you think about
marriage, remember that God intends it to
be a permanent commitment.
The Wicked Bible
In 1623, Baker and Lukas published a Bible
in England since called “The Wicked Bible,”
because the little word “not” was omitted in
the seventh commandment: “Thou shalt not
commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14) The
printers were heavily fined by the High
Commission and the whole edition
destroyed.
Open It
01.
What attitudes does our culture have
toward divorce?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
02. How does our society view adultery?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
03.
What messages do the media
communicate to us about the issues of
adultery and divorce?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Explore It
What two eras did John the Baptist’s
ministry divide? (16:16)
___________________________________
___________________________________
04.
12
GOSPEL OF LUKE
Chapter 16
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
05.
What changed after the ministry of
John the Baptist? (16:16)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
06. What was being preached? (16:16)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Who was “forcing his way” into the
kingdom of God? (16:16)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
07.
08.
What is easier than for the least stroke
of a pen to drop out of the Law?
(16:17)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
09.
Why did Jesus emphasize the
importance of the Law? (16:17)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
10.
What relation does the section on
divorce have to the previous verses
about the Law? (16:18)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
11.
What two conditions constitute
adultery? (16:18)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
12.
How does Jesus view divorce?
(16:18)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
How has Jesus’ life changed the
importance of the Law? (16:16-18)
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
13.
Get It
14.
What responsibility do you have to
obey God’s Law?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
15.
What difference does it make that
Jesus’ ministry was a perfect
fulfillment of the Law and the
Prophets?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
13
GOSPEL OF LUKE
Chapter 16
___________________________________
___________________________________
How are people’s responses to the
good news different today than in
Jesus’ time?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
16.
17.
What should be our attitude toward
divorce?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
law, what can you do to increase your
commitment to the spirit of the law?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Apply It
22.
What can you do this week to renew
your obedience to the commands of
Jesus in your everyday life?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
23.
18.
How do you think Jesus would want
you to treat Christians who are
divorced?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
What could you do to help a person
who
is
experiencing
marriage
difficulties?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
16:19
19.
In what ways has our obedience to
the commands of Christ resembled
the hypocrisy of the Pharisees?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
20.
What attitude should we have toward
God’s Law today?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
21.
If you have been hypocritical in your
strict adherence to the letter of the
"There was a rich man who was
dressed in purple and fine linen and
lived in luxury every day.
"Now there was a certain rich
man, and he habitually dressed in
purple and fine linen, gaily living
in splendor every day.
There was a certain rich man, which
was clothed in purple and fine linen,
and fared sumptuously every day:
16:19-31 The Pharisees considered wealth
to be a proof of a person’s righteousness.
Jesus startled them with this story where a
diseased beggar is rewarded and a rich man
is punished. The rich man did not go to hell
because of his wealth but because he was
selfish, refusing to feed Lazarus, take him in,
or care for him. The rich man was
hardhearted in spite of his great blessings.
The amount of money we have is not as
important as the way we use it. What is your
14
GOSPEL OF LUKE
Chapter 16
attitude
toward
your
money
and
possessions? Do you hoard them selfishly,
or do you use them to help others?
TODAY IN THE WORD
The Wall Street Journal reported last year
on a new program at the veterinary school of
a large Midwestern university. Called
""Peace of Mind,"" the program allows
people to arrange for the future care of their
pets after the death of their owners. The
university guarantees to provide first-rate
medical care for ""Fido"" and ""Fluff"" for the
rest of their lives, along with careful
placement in good, loving homes. In return,
a minimum contribution of $25ꯠ per pet to
the university is suggested, although the
school says that figure is flexible.
If only some people would take their eternal
destiny that seriously! The story of the rich
man and Lazarus is a lesson in the perils of
ignoring eternity until it is too late. In relating
this story, Jesus also gave us a very
sobering and intimate glimpse into heaven
and hell.
This account is often called a parable, but it
does not fit the normal parable style. It may
be better to think of Lazarus and the rich
man as actual people Jesus knew. One
sobering thing to note here is that the rich
man is not portrayed as especially evil or
greedy or blasphemous. He just never got
around to dealing with his need for salvation.
Once in hell, however, he became
evangelistic (vv. 27-28). But the stark truth is
here before us: men and women are lost
outside of Jesus Christ (v. 31). The word
translated ""hell"" in verse 23 is not the
eternal lake of fire. Instead, it is the word
""Hades,"" the New Testament equivalent of
the Hebrew word ""Sheol."" Both words
often refer to the grave. Here the picture is
of an intermediate state between death and
the resurrection.
In other words, Luke 16 answers the
question of what happens to unbelievers
when they die. God has not yet resurrected
the unsaved dead for judgment (Rev. 20:1115), yet the rich man was in conscious
torment in the flames and very much aware
of events and people on earth.
Doctrine of the Last Things:
 Intermediate state
 Resurrection of the body
 Israel’s future
 Judgment and rewards
 Great white throne
 Heaven
 Hell
Conquer Enemies Using Luxuries
When Cyrus had received an account that
the Lydians had revolted from him, he told
Croesus that he had almost determined to
make them all slaves.
Croesus begged him to pardon them. “But,”
he added, “that they may no more rebel or
be troublesome to you, command them to
lay aside their arms, to wear long vests and
buskins, that is, to vie with each other in the
elegance and richness of their dress. Order
them to sing and play on the harp; let them
drink and debauch; and you will soon see
their spirits broken, and themselves
changed from men to women, so that they
will no more rebel, or give you any
uneasiness.”
And what followed proved the advice
correct.
TODAY IN THE WORD
An old legend recounts the day Satan called
together three aides to formulate a plan that
would halt the advance of the gospel. The
first demon suggested trying to convince
people that there is no God, but Satan knew
that would not work. The second demon
suggested convincing people that God does
not care about right and wrong. Again,
Satan knew that plan would not be effective.
But the third demon proposed, Let people go
on thinking there is a God, and that He
cares about right and wrong. But we will
keep whispering in their ears, There is no
hurry. There is no hurry. Satan was
delighted, and the plan was adopted...issues
of sin, judgment, and eternity, there are
probably ten people who simply haven
gotten around to dealing with these issues
15
GOSPEL OF LUKE
Chapter 16
it’ll deal with the matter of their souls some
day, when the right time comes along. They
say for now, there's no hurry, because they’ll
always have time for stuff like religion later
on. second chance teachings which suggest
that death is not the deciding point for
eternity. Others are heartened by accounts
of so-called near-death experiences, in
which people of all religious stripes report
finding nothing but goodness and light
waiting for them at the end of the trail. truth
declared in today's verse. In a vivid and
disturbing story, Jesus peeled back the
corners of heaven and hell to reveal the
truth about eternity: no second chance for
salvation, only paradise for the saved and
suffering for the lost. in hell, he became
fervently evangelistic, begging Abraham to
send Lazarus to warn his five brothers (v.
27-28). This man finally got his salvation
theology straight, although it was eternally
too late for him. This is why we must urge
people to come to Christ today. We want to
give you some ideas you can use in your
witnessing
when
you
run
into
a
procrastinator. Verses such as Proverbs
27:1 and James 4:14 make the point that
none of us knows what tomorrow will bring.
seriousness with which God views it. Verses
such as Ezekiel 18:4 and Romans 6:23
show the deadly nature of sin. Why not add
these notes to your witnessing notebook
today?
16:20
At his gate was laid a beggar named
Lazarus, covered with sores
"And a certain poor man named
Lazarus was laid at his gate,
covered with sores,
And there was a certain beggar
named Lazarus, which was laid at
his gate, full of sores,
16:20 This Lazarus should not be confused
with the Lazarus whom Jesus raised from
the dead in John 11.
Gates:





Strait gate
Wide gate
City gate
Luxuriant gate
Beautiful gate
of salvation
of sin
of sorrow
of sadness
of need



Closed gate
Iron gate
Knocked gate
of opportunity
of deliverance
of gladness
LAZARUS (Lahz’ uh ruhs) Personal name
meaning “One whom God helps.”
One of the principal characters in a parable
Jesus told to warn the selfish rich that justice
eventually will be done. Poor Lazarus sat
outside the mansion of the nameless rich
man to receive whatever food might fall from
the banquet table (Luke 16:19-31). Because
of his poverty, he lived in poor health, also.
In death the roles of the two were reversed,
with Lazarus residing comfortably in heaven
and the rich man being tormented in hell.
The rich man asked that Lazarus be allowed
to relieve his thirst. This is refused because
of the gulf fixed between heaven and hell. A
second appeal came for Lazarus to go and
warn the rich man’s family so that they might
not join him in hell. This was refused
because they have had adequate warning
already.
16:21
and longing to eat what fell from the
rich man's table. Even the dogs
came and licked his sores.
and longing to be fed with the
crumbs which were falling from
the rich man's table; besides,
even the dogs were coming and
licking his sores.
And desiring to be fed with the
crumbs which fell from the rich
man's table: moreover the dogs
came and licked his sores.
DOG Dogs served as watchdogs for herds
(Isaiah 56:10; Job 30:1) and for the dwelling
(Exodus 11:7). Some were trained for
hunting (Psalm 22:17; Psalm 22:21), but
some ran stray in the streets (Exodus 22:30;
1 Kings 14:11). Metaphorically, “dog” was a
term of contempt (1 Samuel 17:43) and selfabasement (1 Samuel 24:15). “Dog” may
refer to a male cult prostitute (Deut. 23:19),
though the exact meaning of “dog’s wages”
is disputed. The prophet insulted the priests
by saying their sacrifices were no better than
breaking a dog’s neck and sacrificing the
dog (Isaiah 66:3). This means sacrifices is
16
GOSPEL OF LUKE
Chapter 16
not needed in the new age and that the
priests had neglected their first task, that of
determining God’s will.
Jesus used dogs to teach people to be
discriminating in whom they chose to teach
(Matthew 7:6). Paul insulted his Judaizing
opponents, calling them dogs (Phil. 3:2;
compare 2 Peter 2:22; Rev. 22:15).
16:22
"The time came when the beggar
died and the angels carried him to
Abraham's side. The rich man also
died and was buried.
"Now it came about that the poor
man died and he was carried
away by the angels to Abraham's
bosom; and the rich man also
died and was buried.
And it came to pass, that the beggar
died, and was carried by the angels
into Abraham's bosom: the rich
man also died, and was buried;
Sermon Note
Beggars often waited along the roads near
cities, because that was where they were
able to contact the most people. Usually
disabled in some way, beggars were unable
to earn a living. Medical help was not
available for their problems, and people
tended to ignore their obligation to care for
the needy (Leviticus 25:35-38). Thus
beggars had little hope of escaping their
degrading way of life. But this blind beggar
took hope in the Messiah. He shamelessly
cried out for Jesus’ attention, and Jesus said
that his faith allowed him to see. No matter
how desperate your situation may seem, if
you call out to Jesus in faith, he will help
you.
ABRAHAM’S BOSOM was the place to
which the poor man Lazarus was carried by
the angels when he died. The Roman
custom of reclining at meals was common
among the Jews. Such positioning placed
one in the bosom of the neighboring person.
To be next to the host, that is to recline in
the bosom of the host, was considered the
highest honor. Thus, to be in Abraham’s
bosom was to be in a position of honor. In
Luke 16:22-23, Abraham’s bosom is
pictured as a place of blessedness and
honor. The poor man was comforted after
death by being given the place of closest
fellowship with the father of the whole
Hebrew nation.
16:23
In hell, where he was in torment, he
looked up and saw Abraham far
away, with Lazarus by his side.
"And in Hades he lifted up his
eyes, being in torment, and saw
Abraham far away, and Lazarus in
his bosom.
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being
in torments, and seeth Abraham
afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Sermon Note
The three Greek words often translated
“hell” are Hades, Gehenna, and tartaroo.
Hades was the name of the Greek god of
the underworld and the name of the
underworld itself. The Septuagint—the
earliest Greek translation of the Old
Testament—used Hades to translate the
Hebrew word Sheol. Whereas in the Old
Testament, the distinction in the fates of the
righteous and the wicked was not always
clear, in the New Testament Hades refers to
a place of torment opposed to heaven as the
place of Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:23;
Acts 2:27; Acts 2:31). In Matthew 16:18
Hades is not simply a place of the dead but
represents the power of the underworld.
Jesus said the gates of Hades would not
prevail against His church.
Gehenna is the Greek form of two Hebrew
words ge hinnom meaning “valley of
Hinnom.” The term originally referred to a
ravine on the south side of Jerusalem where
pagan deities were worshiped (2 Kings
23:10; Jeremiah 7:32; 2 Chron. 28:3; 2
Chron. 33:6). It became a garbage dump
and a place of abomination where fire
burned continuously (2 Kings 23:10;
compare Matthew 18:9; Mark 9:43; Mark
9:45; Mark 9:47; James 3:6). Gehenna
became synonymous with “a place of
burning.”
One time the Greek word tartaroo “cast into
hell” appears in the New Testament (2 Peter
17
GOSPEL OF LUKE
Chapter 16
2:4). The word appears in classical Greek to
refer to a subterranean region, doleful and
dark, regarded by the ancient Greeks as the
abode of the wicked dead. It was thought of
as a place of punishment. In the sole use of
the word in the New Testament it refers to
the place of punishment for rebellious
angels.
The Options
Being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his
eyes. —Luke 16:23
Last time I checked, nobody likes having
problems-problems with money, problems
with cars, problems with computers,
problems with people, problems with health.
We would all prefer a life with as few
difficulties as possible.
So, if you were to offer people the choice
between (1) a future totally free of problems,
sorrow, tears, and pain, and (2) a future full
of pain, suffering, regret, and anguish-they
would choose option one, right?
Jesus died on the cross to give us
opportunity to experience that option. If we
repent of our sins and trust Him as our
Savior, He has promised us a life of
fellowship with God in a place the Bible calls
heaven. A place with no problems. A place
where there are no more tears.
People living in a problem-filled world ought
to be standing in line to grab that offer.
Unfortunately, many haven't heard the good
news; others have refused to trust Christ.
When people die without Jesus, it's too late
to take the offer, and they go to a place of
torment the Bible calls hell.
Do you hate trouble and pain? Turn to Jesus
and accept His offer of forgiveness. Your
problems in this world won't disappear, but
you'll reserve a home in heaven-a place of
eternal joy and peace with God
You must accept God's Son today
if you want to live in heaven's sunshine
tomorrow.
16:24
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.'
"And he cried out and said,
'Father Abraham, have mercy on
me, and send Lazarus, that he
may dip the tip of his finger in
water and cool off my tongue; for
I am in agony in this flame.'
And he cried and said, Father
Abraham, have mercy on me, and
send Lazarus, that he may dip the
tip of his finger in water, and cool
my tongue; for I am tormented in
this flame.
C.H. Spurgeon
It was not a metaphorical tongue, and it was
not a metaphorical flame. It was not
metaphorical water that he wanted. Real,
positive, actual flames tormented the body
of that rich man in hell. Wicked man, those
very hands of yours that now grasp the wine
cup shall grasp the cup of your damnation.
The eyes that look on the spectacles of lust,
it is no figure, sir, those same eyes shall see
murderous spectacles of misery. The same
head which has often here throbbed with
headache shall there beat with pains you
have not yet felt. Your heart for which you
care so little shall become an emporium of
miseries, where demons shall empty the
scalding boilers of woe. It is not a fiction!
Sermon Note
 Ask in his name
 Ask according to his will
 Ask in faith
Good Points About Hell
We’ve been a little unfair about hell. We’ve
talked all about how bad it is, but there are
some good points about it.
1. There won’t be any hypocrites in
hell. A lot of people stay out of
church for this reason, but there
won’t be any there. There, all souls
will act just alike. (All hypocrites
here go there, but they won’t be
hypocrites anymore.)
2. There will not be any churches in
hell. All the people who cuss the
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church, get mad when invited to
attend, even hate the church, will
never be bothered again.
3. There will be no preaching. Those
who hate words like salvation, born
again, repentance, joy, and Jesus
will be free from ever hearing them
again.
4. There will be no more Christians
witnessing, no more religious
programs to listen to, no Bible.
5. But to those who think that “religion”
is “social” let me point out this: you
fight noise pollution, but it’s nothing
compared to the “weeping and
wailing” of hell! Overpopulation?
Man, you don’t know anything.
Isaiah 5:14 says hell had to enlarge
itself to take care of the crowds.
Hell must be pretty bad for Jesus to come
and die to keep us out of it!
Hindrances
 Insincerity
(falseness, artificiality, hypocrisy)
 Willfulness
(self-will, obstinacy, stubbornness)
 Selfishness
(egotism, self-interest, self-center)
 Impatience
(impetuousness, rashness, haste)
 Unbelief
(paganism, heathenism, misbelieve)
16:25
"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.
"But Abraham said, 'Child,
remember that during your life
you received your good things,
and likewise Lazarus bad things;
but now he is being comforted
here, and you are in agony.
But Abraham said, Son, remember
that thou in thy lifetime receivedst
thy good things, and likewise
Lazarus evil things: but now he is
comforted, and thou art tormented.
COMFORT, COMFORTABLE










16:26
Is your faith getting too comfortable?
Lot couldn’t let go of his.
Doing God’s will doesn’t guarantee
a comfortable life.
Sensitivity in how you comfort
others.
Ways to comfort those in pain.
Sacrificing yours to show love for
another.
Isaiah shifts his focus to.
May come through adversity.
In knowing God keeps his promises.
Holy Spirit comforted disciples.
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.'
'And besides all this, between us
and you there is a great chasm
fixed, in order that those who
wish to come over from here to
you may not be able, and that
none may cross over from there
to us.'
And beside all this, between us and
you there is a great gulf fixed: so
that they which would pass from
hence to you cannot; neither can
they pass to us, that would come
from thence.
GULF Term used by the KJV and REB for
the gorge or pit separating the rich man’s
place of torment from Lazarus’ place of
comfort in the presence of Abraham (Luke
16:26).
Sinners cannot:
 Reverse what God says
 Find God by themselves
 Supply what is lacking
 Please God
 Enter the Kingdom of God
 Be where Christ is
 Pass through the gulf
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16:27
"He answered, 'Then I beg you,
father, send Lazarus to my father's
house,
"And he said, 'Then I beg you,
Father, that you send him to my
father's house-Then he said, I pray thee therefore,
father, that thou wouldest send him
to my father's house:
C.H. Spurgeon
Was not the rich man afraid to see them
there, because their recriminations would
increase his misery? It will be a horrible
thing for a man who has been a debauched
villain to confront his victims whom his lusts
dragged down to hell! How will he quail as
he hears them lay their damnation at his
door!
16:28
for I have five brothers. Let him
warn them, so that they will not also
come to this place of
torment.'
for I have five brothers-- that he
may warn them, lest they also
come to this place of torment.'
For I have five brethren; that he may
testify unto them, lest they also
come into this place of torment.
BROTHERS, JESUS Jesus grew up in a
normal family with parents and brothers.
Jesus’ Nazareth critics listed them in Mark
6:3 as James, Joses, Juda, and Simon.
Their names appear again in the parallel
passage of Matthew 13:55, except Joseph is
used as the alternate spelling of Joses (see
NAS). His brothers may have been among
the friends in Mark 3:21 who thought Jesus
was “beside himself”; ten verses later Mark
3:31 “his brethren and his mother” tried to
get His attention while He was teaching in a
house. Furthermore, John 7:5 reports that
“neither did his brethren believe in him.”
After the resurrection, however, they
changed their minds and joined the disciples
in times of prayer (Acts 1:14). The risen
Christ appeared to one of them, James, and
he became the leader of the church in
Jerusalem (Acts 12:17; 1 Cor. 15:7).
Nevertheless, some writings in the early
centuries raised questions about the
brothers to protect their developing doctrine
of Mary’s perpetual virginity. One of them,
often called the Gospel of James, tells the
life story of Mary, using much fanciful
material. It claims that Jesus’ brothers were
the sons of Joseph by an earlier marriage.
This is the view of the Greek Orthodox
Church.
Later a famous scholar, Jerome, argued that
Jesus’ brothers were really his cousins
because their mother was Mary of Cleophas
and the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus
(see John 19:25). This is the view of the
Roman Catholic Church, but Protestant
scholars prefer the traditional view of the
Gospels. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary.
Mary and Joseph then had four sons in the
way all humans normally do.
16:29
"Abraham replied, 'They have
Moses and the Prophets; let them
listen to them.'
"But Abraham said, 'They have
Moses and the Prophets; let them
hear them.'
Abraham saith unto him, They have
Moses and the prophets; let them
hear them.
16:29-31 The rich man thought that his five
brothers would surely believe a messenger
who had been raised from the dead. But
Jesus said that if they did not believe Moses
and the prophets, who spoke constantly of
the duty to care for the poor, not even a
resurrection would convince them. Notice
the irony in Jesus’ statement; on his way to
Jerusalem to die, he was fully aware that
even when he had risen from the dead, most
of the religious leaders would not accept
him. They were set in their ways, and
neither Scripture nor God’s Son himself
would shake them loose.
Abraham’s Object Of Worship
The Jews have a legend that when Abraham
started on his journeys he saw the stars in
the heavens and said, “I will worship the
stars.” But before long the stars set. Then
Abraham saw the constellations—the
Pleiades and the rest of them—and he said,
“I will worship the constellations.” But the
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Chapter 16
constellations also set. Then Abraham saw
the moon sailing high in the heavens and he
said, “I will worship the moon.” But the moon
also vanished when her season was over.
Then Abraham saw the sun in all his
majesty, coming out of his chamber like a
bridegroom and rejoicing as a strong man to
run a race. But when the day was spent, he
saw the sun sink on the western horizon.
Stars, constellations, moon, and sun—all
were unworthy of his worship, for all had set
and all had disappeared. Then Abraham
said, “I will worship God, for he abides
forever.” (cf. Genesis 12:1)
Why Moses Called By God
The following beautiful tradition about Moses
is handed down to posterity: He led the flock
of his father-in-law (cf. Exodus 3:1).
One day while he was contemplating his
flock in the desert, he saw a lamb leave the
herd, and run further and further away. The
tender shepherd not only followed it with his
eyes, but went after it. The lamb quickened
his step, hopped over hill, sprang over
ditches, hastening through valley and plain;
the shepherd unweariedly followed its track.
At last the lamb stopped by a spring at
which it eagerly quenched its thirst. Moses
hastened to the spot, looked sadly at the
drinking lamb, and said:
“It was thirst, then, my poor beast, which
tormented thee, and drove thee from me,
and I didn’t understand; now thou are faint
and weary from the long, hard way, thy
powers are exhausted; how then couldst
thou return to thy comrades?”
After the lamb had quenched his thirst and
seemed undecided what course to take
Moses lifted it to his shoulder, and, bending
under the heavy burden, strode back to the
flock. Then he heard the voice of God calling
to him, saying:
“Thou hast a tender heart for my creatures,
thou are a kind, gentle shepherd to the
flocks of man—thou art now called to feed
the flocks of God.”
16:30
" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but
if someone from the dead goes to
them, they will repent.'
"But he said, 'No, Father
Abraham, but if someone goes to
them from the dead, they will
repent!'
And he said, Nay, father Abraham:
but if one went unto them from the
dead, they will repent.
5 Stages In Facing Death
Several years ago a profound and dramatic
research project began in Chicago’s Billings
Hospital. It was a seminar on death, in which
psychiatrists, chaplains, nurses, and medical
doctors studied the ultimate human crisis of
facing death.
Basic findings is that the very ill proceed
through five emotional stages on their way
to death—
The first stage is denial. Here the patient is
unwilling to accept his fate and the nature of
his predicament.
When physical indications make denial no
longer possible the patient moves into the
second stage, that of anger. He becomes
angry for no apparent reason with his
doctor, his friends, his family, and the
nurses.
Following this comes the stage of
bargaining. Dr. Ross explained here the
patient bargains to stave off the inevitable by
promising to “live for God,” go to church,
give his body to medical science, or some
other futile means. Yet, the bargaining is
little more than a temporary respite in the
progress toward dying.
The fourth and most difficult stage is that of
increasing depression. The patient finally
realizes what is happening to him and enters
a time when he is actually grieving for his
own demise. It is a trying time for both
patient and loved ones.
However, Dr. Ross says, this is followed by
the fifth and final stage, and that is
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acceptance. Then, even though the smallest
glimmer of hope will remain, he is ready to
die.
An interesting note of this study was that if
the patient is interrupted in any phase of this
circle of suffering, he merely prolongs his
agony. Therefore, Dr. Ross suggests
ministers and doctors should understand
these basic cycles; and rather than merely
trying to cheer up the terminally ill, minister
to their particular needs at that particular
time.
16:31
"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.' "
"But he said to him, 'If they do
not listen to Moses and the
Prophets, neither will they be
persuaded if someone rises from
the dead.' "
And he said unto him, If they hear
not Moses and the prophets, neither
will they be persuaded, though one
rose from the dead.
C.H. Spurgeon
Though one should rise from the grave with
all the scars of his torments upon him, with
his hair crisp by the hot fire of vengeance,
his body scorched in the flames, though he
should tell you with a tear at every word and
a groan as a stop at very sentence and a
deep sigh on every syllable how horribly he
feels, how damnably he is tormented, still
you would not repent.
Do not say in your heart, “I never will believe
there is a hell unless one should come from
it.” If one should come from it then you
would not believe at all. You would say, “If
one person came from hell, then another
may, and I may myself.”
Modern Reincarnation?
When Egyptians mummified their pharaohs
and priests thousands of years ago, they did
so believing that the dead would reincarnate
in all their splendor. Now comes Dr. Elof
Carlson, a zoologist at the University of
California, who believes that expectation will
be at least partially fulfilled in another
century or two.
Dr. Carlson says the process will be
reconstitution instead of reincarnation.
Geneticists will be able to copy the genetic
codes or gene patterns in the dried tissue of
mummified bodies and place this in fertilized
egg cells. The egg cells will grow into
physical copies of the mummies, except for
their memories and emotions.
However, Dr. Carlson says this can be done
only with mummies. The bodies of persons
cremated or buried cannot be reconstituted
because their cells will have been
destroyed.
Open It
01.
What do you imagine heaven and hell
will be like?
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02.
What do your friends and coworkers
imagine heaven and hell will be like?
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Explore It
03.
How did Jesus describe the rich man
in the story? (16:19)
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04.
What does the story tell us about
Lazarus? (16:20)
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GOSPEL OF LUKE
Chapter 16
___________________________________
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05.
What role did angels play in this
story? (16:22)
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06.
Where did the angels take Lazarus?
(16:22)
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What difference did the rich man’s
wealth make in his eternal destiny?
(16:22-23)
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07.
08.
What does this parable reveal about
heaven and hell? (16:22-31)
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09.
What did the rich man see from his
place in hell? (16:23)
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10.
How did Abraham respond to the
request of the rich man? (16:25)
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11.
What was the other reason why
Lazarus could not help the rich man?
(16:26)
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12.
Why did the rich man want Lazarus to
go to his father’s house on earth?
(16:27-28)
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13.
Why did Abraham say that Moses and
the Prophets should be enough for the
rich man’s brothers? (16:29, 31)
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14.
What did the rich man think was
necessary to convince his brothers to
believe? (16:30)
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Get It
15.
If Christians believe in the reality of
hell, what do you think stops them
from sharing their faith with others?
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GOSPEL OF LUKE
Chapter 16
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16.
What do you think prevents people
from accepting the gospel of Jesus
Christ?
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17.
How does this story affect your
understanding of the afterlife?
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18.
What have you learned from this
parable about the eternal value of
material possessions?
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19.
What things do you think have eternal
value?
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21.
How would this Scripture passage
encourage Christians who are sick,
poor, or disadvantaged?
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22.
How can we gain confidence in our
eternal security?
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23.
Why does God not always provide
miracles to help people believe in
Him?
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24.
How has this parable changed your
attitude
toward
witnessing
to
unbelievers?
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Apply It
25.
20.
What could you do to be less
concerned with earthly things and
more devoted to things that have
eternal significance?
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In the next few days, how can you
demonstrate your thankfulness to the
Lord for His provision of eternal life?
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26.
How many people like Lazarus do you
know who could benefit from your
compassion today?
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25