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Gospel Luke Bible Study #43
Luke 16:19-31 The Rich Man and Lazarus
1. What was your response to Jesus’ teaching last week? 16:9,13
What was the Pharisees’ response? 16:14 Jesus went further with this parable.
2. In this world
How did a rich man live everyday? 16:19 Is it wrong to spend his own money as he wanted?
=in purple and find linen and lived in luxury every day.
=nothing wrong
How did the beggar Lazarus live? 16:20, 21
=covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.
Even the dogs came and licked his sores
=full of suffering
Did the rich man see Lazarus at the gate?
=he knew Lazarus
What did he do to help another suffering human being?
=he didn’t do anything
Why did the dogs lick his sores?
=pity
Compared with the hearts of the dogs, what kind of heart did the rich man have?
=
What is God’s heart toward the poor? Lev.25, Prov.14:21, 19:17, 21:13
=Proverbs 14:21 It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy
=Proverbs 19:17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done
=Proverbs 21:13 Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered
3. Lazarus died. After death where did he arrive? 16:22,23
=to Abraham’s side
What might he have felt finding himself beside Abraham?
=blessing
The rich man died. After death where did he arrive? 16:23
=In Hades
What might he have felt finding himself in hell?
=shock, unbelievable
=Hades-waiting place
=Gehenna-punishment place
What is death?
=Death is not the end
=Death is the beginning of another world
=Through death
=beggar-death-heavenly man
=rich man-death-hell man
4. In hell
What problem did the hell man have? 16:24
=cool my tongue
Whom did he see when he looked up? 16:23
=Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side
What did he beg Abraham? 16:24
=dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire
What shows that he still was acting like a boss? 16:24
=
Why couldn’t Abraham help the hell man?
Lazarus’ past life in the world: he cherished hope in heaven. He was holding true hope
His past life in the world: he didn’t care about God’s words and needy people, pleasure seeking life.
No investment for future eternity
A great chasm
When does a man have a chance of repentance?
=in this world before our death
5. For his brothers
Whom did he worry about? 16:27
=He answered, then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so
That they will not also come to this place of torment.
What message did he want to send to his brothers? 16:28
=don’t come here
What did he beg Abraham to do for his brothers? 16:27
=send Lazarus to my family
What did Abraham answer? 16:29
=They have Moses and the Prophets
What is ‘listening to Moses and the Prophets’?
=The Bible
What is God’s design for men to know about eternal world after death?
=written words in Bible
What kind of persons were his brothers? 16:30
=they need to go to the bible study
=they have never go to the bible study
What must his brothers do not to go to hell? 16:30b
=his brothers need to repent
=this word comes from rich man’s mouth
Why is a message from a dead person not effective to those who reject the word? 16:31
=If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead
6. Who is your neighbor who is hungry, sick, and dying? Who is truly blessed?
=rich man vs beggar