The Rich Man and Lazarus: A Lesson on Money and Eternity

Take your Bibles with me and turn to Luke 16. Luke 16. We have a really heavy topic to speak about today, one that I think is of eternal significance. We're going to talk about money but we're also going to talk about the afterlife and how those two things go together. Every single person that you know has one thing in common. It doesn't matter how rich they are or how poor they are. It doesn't matter how nice their house is or if they're homeless. It doesn't matter if they drive a million-dollar Bentley or they drive a thirty-year-old Ford or they ride a bike because they can't afford a car. Every single person has one thing in common, and that is unless Jesus comes back all of us are going to die. And when we die it's not going to matter what kind of house we lived in, it's not going to matter what kind of car we drove, it's not going to matter what kind of clothes we wore or what kind of food we ate. What is gonna matter is whether you're spending eternity in heaven or spending eternity in hell. And there's probably no story in the whole Bible that illustrates that better than the story that Jesus told here in Luke chapter 16. Are you there? Let's read it together. We'll start in verse number 19 and we'll read down through the end of the chapter. > [19](#) There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: > [20](#) And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, > [21](#) And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. > [22](#) 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; > [23](#) And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. > [24](#) 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. > [25](#) 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. > [26](#) 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. > [27](#) Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: > [28](#) For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. > [29](#) Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. > [30](#) And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. > [31](#) And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. > Luke 16:19-31 (KJV) The Jewish people during the time of Christ had very different ideas about money than we do. They basically looked at money as a diagnostic tool for how you stood with God. If a person had a lot of money, if they had a nice house, if they were doing well, then it was kind of assumed that God liked them, that they were blessed, that they were doing well with God. On the other hand if a person was in a terrible state financially, if a person was a beggar, if a person was homeless, then it was sort of assumed that they were being judged by God. This is one reason why When Jesus told the disciples how difficult it would be for rich people to go to heaven, they were shocked and said, "Well, who then can be saved?" Isn't that a weird question? What does that have to do with anything? Well in their mind if the rich people who God had blessed couldn't get to Heaven, the poor people who God had judged didn't have a chance. Most of the Pharisees were fairly wealthy people and they looked down on the poor people around them. And one of the purposes of this section of scripture is to kind of break us out of that mindset and help us to see money as a different kind of diagnostic tool. You see, money can still tell us a lot about a person's heart but not in the way that the Pharisees and the Jews of Jesus' day thought it did. So to illustrate that for us, Jesus gave us this awesome story, the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Here is the Lesson that Jesus is trying to teach us today: > The way we use our money reveals the state of our heart towards God and His word, and it is the state of our heart towards God and His word that will determine where and how we spend eternity. Now I want to show you three important truths from this story today. I think they're the three most important truths that Jesus was trying to teach us. Before I give you the first of those points, let's take a closer look at this story for a second. Jesus gave an example of two people, the rich man and Lazarus. These are two people who could not have been more different. The Rich Man: we don't know his name but he lived like a king. He literally wore a king's outer garment, clothed in purple. That means he was wearing the expensive garments of royalty. His inner garment was the expensive Egyptian fine linen that only the richest people could afford. And the biggest kicker of all is that this rich man fared sumptuously every day. That means he lived and ate like it was a feast every single day. In the ears of all of the Pharisees that were listening to this story, they would have heard this guy and they would have thought, "That is a person that is blessed of God.” Then we have the other character in this story: Lazarus. This is not the same Lazarus as Lazarus of Bethany, Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. This is a different person but the name was a common name and it means "God helps me." Ironically Lazarus is a person that God does not seem to be helping. He is absolutely poor; he is sick; he has to be thrown at the gate of this rich person's house every day in the hopes that this rich person will give him something to eat. Remember in Bible times there were no social programs. There was no welfare. The way that poor people were taken care of was by the generosity of the wealthy. But this rich man was not generous. All Lazarus wanted was his leftovers. All Lazarus wanted was scraps at his table but that rich man gave those scraps to his dogs and he seemed to send the dogs after Lazarus. This rich man didn't have compassion on Lazarus. Instead the rich man seems to have treated Lazarus like a giant joke, a person to be abused, a nothing. But then they die, both the rich man and Lazarus die. The rich man no doubt had an amazing funeral filled with lots and lots of people. No expense was spared. He probably got a giant mausoleum in the town cemetery. And Lazarus was probably taken and thrown onto the town dump. Probably wasn't even given a burial at all. And so remember the Jewish people listening to this story would have looked at these two men and they would have said the rich man is a man that God has blessed. The rich man is a man that has a righteous soul and Lazarus, for whatever reason, is a man that God has cursed. He has a cursed soul. But here's where Jesus turned it on his head because Jesus said what happens after these people die. After the rich man dies, he is in hell; he is in Hades; he is in this place of torment and judgment. And after Lazarus dies he goes to Abraham's bosom. He goes to a place where he is blessed forever. Now let me quickly stop here and talk about Hades and Abraham's bosom. A lot of Bible scholars (including Warren Weirsbe, Charles Ryrie, John MacArthur, J. Dwight Pentecost, Schofield and others) believe that there is this holding place in the Bible called Hades. And Hades is separated into two parts: You have Abraham's bosom, which is where saved people go, and you have the place of judgment, which is where lost people go. And this is a holding place until the eternal home is ready. Until heaven and the lake of fire are ready. Now here is what I think the Bible teaches. I think when Jesus rose from the dead and Jesus ascended into heaven, He took all of the saved people out of Abraham's bosom and brought them into heaven with Him but He left Hades, Hell. He left that judgment part alone. And so when people die today, they don't go to Abraham's bosom like they did in Bible times. They go to either heaven or they go to Hades. They go to heaven or they go to hell. And as bad as hell is, hell is temporary because hell (Hades) is going to be thrown into the lake of fire - which is worse. But in our story, that hasn't happened yet so they still have Abraham's bosom, which is like temporary heaven, and you have hell. Lazarus, the poor man, goes to Abraham's bosom. The rich man goes to hell. And hell is no joke. Hell is really bad. It's so bad that this rich man who lived so well on the earth is calling out to Abraham. He can see Abraham, he can see Lazarus, he can see all of the wonderful things that are going on on the other side of Hades. He can see that and he calls out to them and he says, "Please, please send Lazarus to come and put some cold water and just touch it on my tongue so I can have a moment of relief." But Abraham says, "No, son, that's not how it works. There's a great gulf fixed here; we don't get to go back and forth." Then the rich man says, "Well, please send Lazarus down to talk to my brothers and warn them about how awful this place is." It's interesting: the rich man in hell becomes very evangelistic. The worst deceased atheist in hell wants people to be saved. They want no one to go where they are. So the rich man says, "Please send Lazarus to my brothers. They'll listen to him. They knew who he was. They'll know he's come back from the dead and they'll listen to him." Abraham says, "No, that's not how it works. They have the law and the prophets; they have the Bible. If they don't listen to that, they're not even going to listen to him." So that's the story. What are the three things Jesus was trying to teach us here? The first truth I believe Jesus was trying to teach us in this story is: 1. The way we use our money shows us our heart towards God and His Word. ======================================================================== In other words money is like a mirror. Money is like a microscope. Money is like an x-ray machine. Money reveals our heart. The Jews believed that money showed a person's righteousness but they just didn't think about it the right way. Now this is a consistent teaching in the scriptures. For instance the book of First John, chapter 3, says this: > [17](#) But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? > 1 John 3:17 (KJV) In other words John is saying you can look at the way a person shares; you can look at the way a person has compassion on other people and use that as a diagnostic of where their heart is in relation to God. The book of James says something similar. In the passage that talks about how we can see our faith by our works, it says this: > [15](#) If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, > [16](#) And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? > James 2:15-16 (KJV) You can read in the Old Testament and see how God wanted people in the Old Testament to be generous with the blessings that God gave. Listen to these Proverbs: > [21](#) He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he. > Proverbs 14:21 (KJV) > [17](#) He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. > Proverbs 19:17 (KJV) > [13](#) Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. > Proverbs 21:13 (KJV) The Prophets said this too: > [6](#) For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. > Hosea 6:6 (KJV) > [8](#) He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? > Micah 6:8 (KJV) God isn't interested in outward religion so much as he's interested in mercy. God wants us to show mercy towards other people. In context this is talking about giving to the poor, helping the poor. And so what Jesus is saying here, in line with all of Scripture, is that if somebody really believes in God and they really are obeying God's word, then you're going to be able to look at the way that they give. You're going to be able to look at the way that they care for the poor around them. That is a sign that their heart has truly been touched by the Lord. That is a sign that they are truly a righteous person. Before I move on from this, let me ask you this question: \*\*What does the way you spend your money reveal about your heart? \*\* You can generally look at a person's checkbook and their calendar and get a really good idea of that person's priorities. What would your checkbook say about your heart? I don't want to see it. I don't want to know what anybody in this church gives. That is between you and God but I want to tell you this: God sees it. God sees it. If you truly believe that God has blessed you with blessings you don't deserve, then you are going to turn around and bless other people. So the first lesson here is the way we use our money shows us our heart towards God and His Word. The second lesson I think Jesus was trying to teach us in this story is… 2. When we die, the thing that will matter will not be the amount of money that we have, but how we responded to God and His Word. ================================================================================================================================== I don't want you to get the idea that this passage is teaching the way to be saved is to give your money away because that's not it at all. I also don't want you to get the idea that this passage is teaching that if you're rich, you are evil and if you are poor, you are righteous. Yes the rich man ended up in hell and the poor beggar ended up in Abraham's bosom in this story but you know who else was in Abraham's bosom? Abraham and you know something about Abraham? He was fantastically wealthy. He was a very rich man. Jesus is not saying that being rich puts you in hell. That's not what he's saying here at all. He's not saying that being poor puts you in heaven. Again that's not what this is saying at all. What matters is how you respond to God and to God's Word. The rich man didn't want to send Lazarus back to his brothers so that Lazarus could tell them to give their money all away and be poor people. No he wanted to warn them to get their heart right with God. Listen folks, when we die the only thing that will matter is whether our name is found in the Lamb's Book of Life. Turn with me to Revelation chapter 20. I want you to see this: Revelation chapter twenty. We'll start reading in verse 12. > [12](#) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. > [13](#) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. > [14](#) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. > Revelation 20:12-14 (KJV) This is what I was talking about earlier about Hades, about hell, going into the lake of fire at the final judgment. This is what the Bible teaches. Everybody is going to give an account for how they live. Everybody is going to be judged according to their works. But look at verse 15. > [15](#) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. > Revelation 20:15 (KJV) Do you know what the most important thing is? The most important thing is making sure your name is in that book. Making sure that your name is in the book of life so at the final judgment you are not thrown into the lake of fire. How do you get your name in the book of life? You get your name in the Book of Life by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. By putting your faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. You get your name in the book of life by not trusting in your own works but by trusting in the works of Christ, who lived the perfect life you could not live and who died in your place. That's how you get your name in the book of life. But listen, I'm not going to sugar coat this. You have to really believe. You can't just say some magic words and live the rest of your life like God is not real. There is no magical incantation that brings you salvation. You are saved by grace through faith. You have to truly believe in God. You have to truly believe His Word. I think the rich man in Jesus' story would have been someone that said they believed the word. He calls Abraham his father. He seems to be, at least on the outside, a faithful Jewish believing person. But did he truly believe? No he was just going through the motions. Listen, someday all of us are going to die. Unless Jesus comes back, all of us are going to die. We are all going to face our Maker; we're going to face the Judge. He is going to see right through what everybody else sees. Have you truly believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? Have you responded to God and to His Word the right way? So, the first thing Jesus was teaching us here is that the way we use our money shows us our heart towards God and His Word. The second thing Jesus was teaching us here is when we die, the thing that will matter will not be the amount of money that we have, but how we responded to God and His Word. There is a third thing we need to learn here and that is that: 3. God's word is God's sufficient witness. ========================================== In the story the rich man in hell speaks to Abraham. "Father Abraham, please send Lazarus to my brothers. I have five brothers. Surely they know who Lazarus is and they'll listen to his witness." But look how Jesus ends the chapter with Abraham speaking in verse 31: > [31](#) And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. > Luke 16:31 (KJV) Moses and the prophets is a euphemism for the Bible. What Abraham is saying here, what God is saying here, is that if people will not listen to the Bible, they will not listen to anything else. And do you want the greatest proof of that? Jesus came from heaven. Jesus came and did untold miracles in the sight of the Jewish people. Jesus came and healed people. He touched blind eyes and made them see. He touched lame legs and made them walk. He touched lepers and they weren't lepers any more. And then Jesus rose from the dead! He rose from the dead and preached to people after he rose from the dead! And do you know what? They still rejected Jesus! Sometimes people say, "If I could just see it with my own eyes, then I'd believe." Well, history and the Bible tells us you wouldn't. You have the Bible; you have God's pure and perfect Word. If you won't believe that, no spectacle is going to cause you to believe. God's Word is God's sufficient witness. God doesn't need a spectacle. God doesn't need a bigger show. God doesn't need signs and wonders. People will either believe God's Word or they'll reject it. But we're not gonna improve upon it. This rich man had the Bible. He had the Bible the whole time and he didn't really believe it. He probably went to synagogue, their version of church, but he didn't really believe it. He probably had all the outward trappings of a Jewish believer but he didn't really believe it. And if you look close enough, if you looked at his checkbook, the way he spent his money, likely the way he spent his time, you could see that he didn't really believe it. In closing today, here's what I want to ask you to do: examine your heart. Do you really believe in God? Do you really believe the Bible? Do you really believe the gospel? Do you want to end up like this rich man? Do you want to end up in hell forever, begging for someone to come and just put a little bit of water on your tongue? Do you want to end up in the lake of fire? The most important thing is making sure that you are right with God, that you've believed the gospel, that your name is in the Lamb's Book of Life. If you're sitting here today and you're not sure — if you've been going through the motions like this rich man, coming to church but never really believing, looking the part but your heart isn't in it — today is the day to get that settled. Don't leave this building without knowing where you stand with God. And if your name is in that book, if you know that you know, then we have a responsibility. The rich man in hell wanted someone to go warn his brothers. Abraham said they already have what they need — they have the Word of God. And so do the people around us. We need to be sharing that gospel, sharing that Word with others, so they can believe too. Don't wait for some spectacular sign. God's Word is sufficient. Share it and let people either accept it or reject it. Let's stand together and pray.

The Rich Man and Lazarus: A Lesson on Money and Eternity

The Rich Man and Lazarus: A Lesson on Money and Eternity

More from this series

Ryan Hayden