Which Man Are You?

The Gospel of Luke 2  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  36:06
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Opening Prayer
Intro: What do you think of when you consider death? Do you even slow down in life long enough to ask what happens when this is over?
When you lie on your bed and ponder life’s end and what’s comes after, do you try to suppress the thought? Do you tremble in fear? Or do you let the notion of passing from this life rest on you like a warm blanket of hope, comfort, and assurance? That’s the response of those who belong to Jesus by faith, whose confidence is God’s mercy, whose life is wrapped up in depending on God and serving him.
Context: In this section of Luke’s Gospel, where Jesus has set his face toward what he must ultimately accomplish in Jerusalem (9:53), Luke gives much attention to Jesus instructing his disciples in preparation for their future ministry, and there is a significant amount of confrontation with the Jewish leadership for their hypocritical religiosity.
After the parables that display God’s initiative in salvation (seeking the lost—lost sheep, lost coin), and the famous and memorable parable of the Forgiving Father (who holds nothing against the prodigal son, but welcomes the repentant and returning humble one with compassion and celebration), and that same parable condemns the attitude of the older brother who behaves like the self-righteous (but actually disobedient) religious establishment. After the parable of the dishonest but shrewd manager, where Jesus teaches what truly generous and faithful stewardship looks like. And having just rebuked the Pharisees for loving money and not actually keeping the law…
Jesus now tells another parable. - Recall that a parable is a story or saying that illustrates a truth... using comparison, hyperbole, or simile. A short moral story with a symbolic meaning. A simple story designed to communicate a spiritual truth, religious principle, or moral lesson; or it can even be as brief as a figure of speech in which truth is illustrated by a comparison or example drawn from everyday experiences. (Parables make up as much as 35% of Jesus recorded sayings in the NT - Baker Bible Encyclopedia.)
In this parable, the Rich Man represents the self-sufficient and the self-righteous; the poor man represents the person who understand his plight and depends wholly on God’s mercy.
The parable therefore is condemnation to the hardened heart, and instruction to the one who sincerely seeks to believe and obey God.
Luke 16:19–31 ESV
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”
The parable is one of contrast… and reversal.
It is...

A Tale of Two Men (vv. 19-21)

-The rich man is clothed in purple and fine linen (purple was a dye hard to come by, likely obtained from a shellfish, so it’s high expense would mean that only the wealthiest could afford it. Even his undergarments are fine linen. In other words, clothing fit for a king.
-And he celebrated opulently everyday - this is made to sound like he has regular feasting parties, happily living the high life (on a daily basis), which sets up the contrast with the earthly situation of the second man.
-20a, the poor man in the parable is uniquely given a name, Lazarus- In all of Jesus’ parables, why does only this one have a name? In Hebrew, the name Lazarus is Eleazar, and means “God has helped.” - I believe that is the significance. (I don’t think we should assume this story is an actual historical event, rather than being hypothetical as all parables are, as best we can tell.)
-20b-21a, Lazarus (the man living in utter destitution) we learn is covered in sores and starving- although it wouldn’t have been enough to keep him alive, he would have loved even the scraps, even went fell from the table of the rich man onto the floor… but not even the scraps, the crumbs were ever offered to him. *We feed our pets better than some people get to eat—people created in the image of God.
-21b, Adding to the graphic picture of his plight, unclean wild dogs would come and lick the man’s sores, causing discomfort, and revealing in this comparison just how he is viewed by the rich and religious alike. Nobody cares for him.
-The real indictment against the rich man, and which comes at the beginning of v. 20 in our translation, is that Lazarus is literally “at the gate” of the rich man- right on his doorstep, right under his nose!
(Consider the rich man’s responsibility here in through the lens of Jesus’ parable.) No other grave sin is mentioned. He had lived a life only for himself. He does nothing to help a man in need right under his nose. That is his sin.
The Bible repeatedly warns that the danger of the rich is to live for the things of this world and to miss what matters more—eternity. And Jesus continues to put the self-righteous and hypocritical religious leaders in this same camp.
Now the scene transitions from this life into the next, from the current realm of material living on earth to the realm where our spirits live on after death, where spiritual realities of the former life become the permanent realities of the afterlife.

When the Death Bell Tolls (vv. 22-23)

-the poor man died, as we all do- but what humanity throughout history has considered to be the great leveler (death) is in fact the beginning of eternity - but death does permanently change everything… and for many will result in a great reversal from the way they lived their earthly lives.
-Lazarus received no burial (like the rich man, 22b) - In their culture it was such a great dishonor to receive no burial.
-but he was carried by the Angels to Abraham’s side (literally bosom) - meaning one of the places of highest honor, to get to dine right next to the great patriarch of Israel
-We’ve been praying for three (or four) mothers in our congregation who seem to be near death’s door—but to walk through that door is to step into eternity (and Dwight’s mom has in fact left this earth and entered into God’s presence).
What a comfort to us, to know that our loved ones, who are in Christ by faith, are immediately welcomed into the presence of God. Through our sadness, we express joy to God, not only because we of like faith will see them again, but particularly to know that that saint is at perfect rest and peace, feasting and rejoicing like nothing they could ever have experienced in this life.
-Now the rich man also dies, but the door of eternity ushers him into Hades - ***
-where he is in torment (a state of great suffering and distress) - physical distress without escape or remediation; mental anguish of opportunity lost in life
-he lifted up his eyes to see Abraham and Lazarus far off -I believe this for the purpose of propelling forward the drama of the parable, and not to be assumed as normative for what precisely occurs in the afterlife.
What follows is An Agonizing Conversation (vv. 24-31)

The (Formerly) Rich Man Pleads For Relief (vv. 24-26)

I say formerly bc the roles have become entirely reversed. Which one proved to be the truly rich man?
-The worldly rich man addresses Father Abraham - by physical descent, this man is a Jew
But Luke has already recorded John the Baptist warning the Jews:
Luke 3:8 ESV
Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
The NT proclaims with a megaphone: If direct familial kinship to Jesus isn’t good enough by itself, neither will you be saved by connection to religion or religious people, to any person or ethnicity.
Galatians 3:7 ESV
Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.
Faith requires personal fear of a holy God, personal admission of depravity and inability, personal acceptance of Jesus as God’s only means of paying our penalty and granting us his righteousness.
As of today, right now, this minute: Which man are you?
-(Back to v. 24) have mercy on me; send Lazarus to ease the torture of my unquenchable thirst
-Abraham’s Answer: You had a chance. This fate is irreversible. The chasm between you and us is fixed. -just as the purple die on your clothing cannot be put back in the bottle, neither can the choice of living for self in the previous life now be undone.
Let’s be clear. Is the man condemned for being rich? Is he condemned for a minor slip of insensitivity one time when he could have been caring? No, his life consistently betrayed a callous heart.
Do you claim to have the new life of Jesus coursing through your spiritual veins, but then lack his compassion for the hurting in this world? It must not be so; it cannot be so. Pursue in Bible the heart of Jesus, pray in the Spirit for the heart of Jesus… and you will find that you will be filled with compassion for the plight of men and women and children who are hurting, and many who are eternally separated still from the God who made them in his image and loves them with the love of a Creator. And there are some with whom you will show mercy and share Jesus whom God has sight his sights on with everlasting favor who will come to him in faith when you obediently declare to them the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Have mercy bc God is merciful, while there is still time. Proclaim Christ bc he has claimed you as his own and commanded you to do so.
Since the fate is irreversible and without relief...

The (Formerly) Rich Man Pleads For His Family (vv. 27-31)

…those still on earth
-send Lazarus back to warn my five brothers (27-28) -even now condescending toward Lazarus
Answer: God’s revelation is clear enough (29-31)
-they have Moses and the Prophets - Jesus just recently explained:
Luke 16:16 ESV
“The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.
Jesus: I am the fulfillment of OT prophecy concerning the Messiah, standing before you at this very moment. And yet you seek to discredit me rather than believe.
Why don’t the self-sufficient and self-righteous hear the law and prophets? bc of their hardness of heart.
Ephesians 4:18 ESV
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
-So neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead (30-31) -sending Lazarus back won’t persuade them if they won’t listen to God’s Word.
And there’s a second, explosive layer to this statement, making it so poignant and powerful that it makes every mic drop that ever happened sound like the mere drop of a pin. - even “if someone should rise from the dead”
Luke’s listeners, as do you, already know something of the story of Jesus… Luke is clarifying and giving vivid detail and support for what Theophilus (and others have) heard. This Jesus is who he claimed to be. This Jesus allowed himself to be killed for the sins of others. This Jesus then rose again in power (on the third day… Sunday) to conquer sin and death. Few believed in him; many refused.
Luke knows the power of this final statement from Jesus to his audience: Jesus will rise from the dead, and the rich and self-righteous will yet refuse him.

Eternal Destiny’s Dividing Line Is Jesus

As it relates to the parable and all of history: Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection is the great bolt of lightning at a moment in earthly history, and its thunder rumbles over all space and time. It ripples backward and forward, into eternity. If they won’t listen to God’s word, neither will they believe if God himself should come to earth, die for the sin of others, and rise again to prove his power and authority.
That bridge that was missed in this life leads to an unbridgeable chasm in the next. The proof ignored in this life—the evidence that pointed us so clearly to Jesus, the only mediator between God and man—becomes the seal of our judgment.
If we refuse the prophetic testimony of God’s holy Word pointing to the Messiah; if we scoff at the historical bodily resurrection of Jesus the Christ—Lord of heaven and earth who lived a perfect life, declared his presence with authority by miracles and public proclamation, who died to the pay the penalty for sin, rose again on the third day, and is seated once more in on the right of Majesty in heaven; if we refuse to repent and believe in Jesus, then we will live forever in the next life with the literal physical and mental anguish of eternal torment on the wrong side of the chasm.
This very message today in your hearing will only be further condemnation if you refuse Jesus.
(Summary) Those who are rich and religious leads lives of self-sufficiency and self-righteousness. It looks good and feels good to the world. The one who thought he had everything entered eternity with nothing. But the one who knew he had nothing, committed himself to the mercy of God, to find that that admission of need and desperate dependence on God is exactly the faith God seeks.
Where does that leave us today?

The Time is Now

Christian...
…to make a change
In terms of earthly finances in this life, what should our perspective be? What should our daily practice be?
1 Timothy 6:6–10 ESV
But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
If you cannot freely give your money and be just as content without it, even experiencing joy in having given, then you are loving money and material too much. … If you think that you would be more happy, more joyful, if you only had a bit more. That’s the devil’s lie. God promises to be enough…, and he promises to provide. He will give what you need, he can be trusted to determine that need, and he can be trusted to see you through suffering and teach you to love him and depend on him more.
Nobody can serve both masters, Jesus said. You either love God, or you love money. Do not allow the purity of your love for God to be polluted with love for material things.
But in the providence of God, some of us will definitely have more than others.
1 Timothy 6:17–19 ESV
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
In other words, it isn’t automatically a sin to have greater wealth and even enjoying good things. But your heart is the heart of the matter. Second, instead of primarily amassing more things and comforts for yourself, look for ways to help others in need.
James 1:27 ESV
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Money, like everything that we are and have—including time, and energy, and ability—must be spent in service to God.
Finally, I want to speak to those for whom this is falling on your ears in a new way for the first time.
The Time Is Now
…to respond in faith
When you stand before God at the final judgment, what will your money buy you then? Earthly recognition and pedigree? What will any so-called religiosity and rightness of your own do for you then?
In Jesus’ parable of the rich fool in Luke 12...
Luke 12:16–21 ESV
And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Is there any payment, physical or spiritual, that you can bring to buy your way into God’s presence? - No, but the God of heaven offers the perfect propitiation and resurrection power of the Son as perfectly sufficient. By faith in Jesus, God exchanges our sin for Christ’s righteousness.
2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Until we become the poor man in this tale, fully dependent on God’s mercy, we are all in the category of the rich man and the religious elite whom Jesus so vehemently condemns.
So we must realize and accept by faith that it is God, by the work of Jesus, who transforms us into a position of acceptance and restoration to God.
John 3:16 ESV
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Do not delay. Today is the day to repent and believe, to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.
PRAY
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