Mar . 19, 2021 THE PARABLES OF JESUS Learning from His teaching Iron Pillars Youth Ministry The Rich Man and Lazarus ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Rich Man and Lazarus: ___ Verse of the Year “In the bible I do not believe there is a story more stirring or more disturbing than that ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ of the rich man and Lazarus.” -James Montgomery Boyce Romans 15:4 ___ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ “For everything that was written Luke 16:19-31 in the past was written to teach us, “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury so that through endurance and the 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 encouragement of the Scriptures we sores. might have hope.” 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 Hades, where he was in 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 In the world, Not of it cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “The function of Christians who are 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good engaging the culture is to live their things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in lives to bring attention to Christ. agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, Also, we have been given the task to so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from be a living example of how to have there to us.’ an authentic relationship with God. 27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five By living for Christ in a world that brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ lives apart from Him, Christians 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ provide a concrete model for finding 30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will meaning in life and peace with God.” 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.’” The Parables ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Digging Deeper: The Seed & Soil The Builders 1. Recap the parable. What happened to the poor man when he died? The rich man? The Good Samaritan 2. This parable is sometimes called “The Great Reversal”. What does that mean? Why The Two Sons would it be called a “reversal”? It’s called The Great Reversal because the rich man really ends up being spiritually poor, The Shrewd Manager while the poor man is actually rich spiritually. It shows that physical condition does not The Wedding Banquet indicate spiritual reality—you don’t have “look” blessed by God on earth to be spiritually rich. Suffering is not an indication of not being saved. The Rich Fool The Lost Sheep 3. Why did the rich man think he was going to heaven? Do people now sometimes think they are going to heaven for the wrong reasons? What are some of those reasons? The Lamps He thought he was going to heaven because he was rich, because he “looked” like he was in “If anyone would come after Me, he God’s favor. The Pharisees had a similar attitude. People now think like this, too—they think must deny himself and take up his what they say, do, or have makes them spiritually rich. But only Jesus does that. cross daily. For whoever wants to 4. Why was it wrong for the rich man to ask to have Lazarus go back to earth to warn save his life will lose it, but whoever his family? What does this say about the sufficiency of scripture? Should people ask for loses his life for Me will save it.” “signs” so that they can believe in God? Luke 9:23-24 The rich man was saying that God didn’t do enough to show the way to heaven. He was insinuating that scripture wasn’t enough—but we know that scripture IS sufficient in showing us the way to heaven through Jesus. We don’t need signs; we have Jesus and the gospel truth as made clear through scripture. 5. How do we become spiritually “rich”? What is the way to heaven? Jesus. [1] .