Luke 16 - Introduction

Lessons From The Rich Man Luke Sixteen

A steward wasted his master's goods. He may have been careless in his duties or he might have simply made mistakes. The steward thought about his future. He was not able to do manual labor and he did not want to beg. He put forth a plan to have a future for himself. He called his master's debtors and discounted what they owed. He felt that they would be very grateful and would later help him. Jesus praised this steward for his actions. He was thinking about the future; that is something most people do not do. Christians must show deep concern when they think about the work of the Lord and about their own eternal life. Be responsible. If you have not been responsible with someone else's property, no one will trust you with true wealth. Let us be responsible so that God can then trust us to help meet the spiritual needs of other people. Can God trust you with true riches? You cannot be the servant of both God and money.

The Pharisees loved money so they laughed at Jesus. They believed that wealth was a reward for goodness. The Pharisees put on a good religious show but they were corrupt inside. They loved money more than they loved God. We also read, "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it." A new period of Bible history began with the death of Jesus. Some wanted to enter the kingdom and pressed into it. They were very different from the Pharisees. Jesus told them that the Law would be fulfilled to the smallest detail. Jesus used the illustration of marriage to show the Pharisees that they should respect God's Law and not just make their own laws as they had done about divorce.

The story of the rich man and Lazarus is a most sobering lesson. Looking from an earthy mind you would think the rich man had everything. He wore the most expensive cloths and enjoyed great luxury every day. In contrast the beggar named Lazarus had nothing but earthly misery. He was in deep poverty and covered with sores. He begged for crumbs to eat. On life's other side their roles were reversed. The rich man was tormented and Lazarus was blessed. The rich man realized that he should have served God but it was too late. He did not feel he had received sufficient warning so he wanted to be sure his brothers were properly taught about eternity. Sadly, they were already rejecting the teachings that they had. There is life after death and we must prepare for it.