KINGDOM LIVING

DecisionLuke 16:19-31

The PARABLE of DIVES and LAZARUS

IS IT A PARABLE? (a story, a fable, made up, not true?) - names of main characters - details (heaven and hell)

NO: some Roman Catholic theologians

YES: Martin Luther, Tom Wright, Joachim Jeremias, C.H. Dodd, Andrew Hargreaves

THE MESSAGE OF A PARABLE:

- usually one more important than any other

- usually given at the end

“Go and do likewise!”

“There is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents!”

“You cannot serve both God and Money”

“When the Son of Man comes will he find faith?”

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you …”

THE REASON FOR A PARABLE:

- when, where and why Jesus told it

- usually given at the beginning

“And who is my neighbour?”

“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!”

“The Pharisees loved money …”

The disciples should always pray and not give up.

“How many times shall I forgive my brother?”

THE MESSAGE OF THIS PARABLE:

“ … if they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets they won’t be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”

(31)

THE REASON FOR THIS PARABLE: the importance (permanence) of the Law

(“It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the law.”)

(17)

“This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them!!!” (15:2)

LISTEN!!!“Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the LORD is one.”

(Deuteronomy 6:4, Mark 12:29)

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Luke 14:34, Revelation 1-3)

“We must pay more careful attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away …

for how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:1,3)

Is hearing more important than seeing?

Thomas: “ … blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed!”

The Pharisees and Sadducees: “A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”

Abraham: “ - believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3)

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed” (Romans 4:18)

THE WORD EXPLAINS THE SIGN

‘In Hell …’ ‘At Abraham’s side’

‘In luxury’ ‘At his gate’

“Do this to remember me”

drunk!

filled with new wine!

they’ve had too much!

irresponsible!

filled with the Holy Spirit

“Listen carefully to what I say!”

‘spoken by the prophet Joel’

“Let me explain!”

disgusting!

failure

punishment

rejection

guilt

curse

victory

innocenceblessing

peace

acceptance

“He is not here …”

‘They still did not understand …’

‘Jesus had to rise from the dead!’

THE WORD EXPLAINS THE SIGN

THE SIGN CONFIRMS THE WORD

Indifference to God’s word was revealed by

Indifference to God’s children

‘If anyone says “I love God”, yet hates his brother, he is a liar!’ 1 John 4:19

“If a person cannot show compassion, says Jesus, with the Old Testament in his hand and Lazarus on his doorstep, nothing - neither a visitant from the other world nor a revelation of the horrors of hell - will teach him otherwise.”

A.M.Hunter

He simply isn’t listening!

What would it take to make him listen?

What did it take to make the rich man listen?