Sermon Tone Analysis

Text: Luke 16:19-31

Theme: The passage before us is a hard saying because it is the antitheses of what most of the world believes is normal.

Date: 01/30/2022 File name: Hard_Sayings_09.wpd

ID Number:

For many modern Christian theologians the doctrine of hell is seen, at the worst — as odious, and at the least — as embarrassing.

Even Pope Francis around Easter of last year came out and denied the existence of a literal hell, that God doesn’t send people to hell, and that hell is a human invention.

The official Vatican response was, “Well, he really didn’t mean that.”

The doctrine of hell is uncomfortable for many believeres.

Even some of the great Evangelical Bible scholars and theologians of our era are hard-pressed to understand hell.

R C. Sproul was once asked which biblical doctrine he struggled with most.

He replied: “Hell.”

The passage before us is a hard saying because it is the antitheses of what most of the world believes is normal.

The Jews believed that having the good things of life — especially wealth — was an indication of God’s favor on your life.

The more wealth the greater God’s blessings.

Conversely, poverty and/or physical maladies — the bad things of life — were considered an indication of God’s disfavor on your life, and perhaps even judgment.

So when, in his story, the rich man goes to hell, and the poor man goes to paradise, Jesus is reversing and challenging the commonly held theological sentiments of his day.

What everyone knew to be true was not necessarily true.

When Jesus said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God.

In fact a camel can get through the eye of a needle easier than a rich man can get into heaven!”

(Mark 10:23-25).

And the Apostles were flabbergasted at this because, they too, had bought into the common theological assumptions of their day.

The outline tonight is simple:

Two Persons

Two Places

Two Prayers

Two Lessons

I. THE TWO PERSONS (16:19–21)

1. the contrast between the lives of these two men is stark and Jesus intends for it to be that way

2. the reversals from their earthly lives to their eternal lives is equally shocking

A. THE RICH MAN

““There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.”

(Luke 16:19, ESV)

1. over the centuries the rich man has been named

a. in the Latin Bible produced by Jerome, he uses the name Dives because that’s the Latin word for rich ... sometimes you’ll hear preachers refer to Dives and Lazarus

b. but in the Jesus’ story this is just an anonymous rich man

2. his lifestyle is opulent — if Robin Leach was still filming Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous this man might have been featured

a. he is a rich man

1) we know from 1st century archeological digs that the rich of that day enjoyed luxury and amenities just like the rich of any era

ILLUS.

First century Rabbi Tarfon defined wealth as “100 vineyards, 100 fields and 100 servants.”

The practical Rabbi Yosi defined a rich person a “whoever has a toilet near his table.”

2) in Jerusalem the homes of the wealthy were incredibly spacious and were decorated with mosaics and water fountains

3) sizable homes have been found at Bethsaida; one near the Sea of Galilee was complete with a wine cellar

4) the homes of the rural rich had spacious grounds on which were often found an olive press, grape press, and a family tomb

b. he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen

1) that he was dressed in purple means that his outer garment had been dyed with Tyrian purple dye which was extracted from sea snails

a) because it was very labor intensive to produce, was a vibrant purple and did not fade the dye was extremely expensive, and only the rich could afford it

ILLUS.

A year ago this month (Jan.

2021) archaeologists digging in Israel found a piece of purple cloth dating to the era of King David.

After 2,000 years it was still a bright purple.

b) in antiquity, purple attire was associated with the nobility, with priests, and of course with royalty indicating that not only was this man rich, but probably important and powerful

2) his inner garment, a knee-length tunic, was made of fine linen made of expensive Egyptian cotton

c. he feasted sumptuously every day

1) in an era when most people lived hand-to-mouth with the very poor not always sure where their next meal was coming from, this man had more than enough to eat — indicated by the fact that food frequently fell from the rich man’s table

3. Jesus paints the picture of a man living in dazzling splendor day in, day out

ILLUS.

Just last week Forbes magazine put out it’s annual list of the world’s billionaires.

Just so you know there are 2,755 of them.

However, only a handful — 10 to be exact — currently have $100 billion or more in net worth each.

Elon Musk, the co-founder and CEO of Tesla, is the richest person in the world with a $269 billion net worth.

Behind Musk is the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, with an estimated net worth of $187 billion.

Just for grins I did the math ... Musk’s and Bezos’ combined wealth would fund the Federal Government spending for only 25 days.

a. now, let me quickly say, that wealth is, in and of itself, not evil and many who have it will spend eternity in God’s kingdom

ILLUS.

Job and Abraham, David and Solomon, Joseph of Arimathea, and the disciple Barnabas were all wealthy men, and I have not doubt that all of them are part of that great crowd of witnesses spoken of in the Book of Hebrews.

B. THE BEGGAR (16:20–21)

“And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table.

Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.”

(Luke 16:20–21, ESV)

1. his name is given to us — it’s Lazarus — meaning "God has helped"

a. the name Jesus chooses for the poor man of his story is oxymoronic since it is clear from the narrative that God has obviously not helped this man (according to the common theology of the day) or he wouldn’t be in the state he is

2. his lifestyle is destitute with three issues standing out

a. his predicament

1) he is probably lame (or very sick or very feeble) since we are told he was laid at the rich man’s gate

2) physical disability was one of the chief reasons for poverty in the ancient world, and all these folks could do was beg, depending on the kindness of others

b. his pain

1) he is full of sores — it’s a word meaning entirely covered with and may well have conjured up pictures of Job in the minds of his listeners as he sits in ashes scraping the pus and dead skin off his body with a broken piece of pottery

2) he is so weak and so enfeebled that he can’t even shush away the dogs that come and lick his sores

c. his poverty

1) he is daily laid at the rich man’s gate and he covets the scraps that fall from the rich man’s table

3. here is a very, very poor man, one in need of everything

a. in the culture of that day the poor man possessed no hope; the rich man possessed all hope

C. THE JUDGMENT

“The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side.

The rich man also died and was buried,” (Luke 16:22, ESV)

1. Jesus is blunt ... the poor man died, but the rich man also died

a. unless you’re one of those believers fortunate enough to be alive when Jesus returns in glory ... ALL MEN WILL DIE

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27, ESV)

2. just as Jesus contrasted their lives, even their deaths are starkly contrasted

a. Lazarus is probably left unburied ... in fact his body is probably disposed of in the Valley of Hinnom which marked the western and southern edges of Jerusalem and was the city’s garbage dump where unclaimed body’s were unceremoniously dumped with the rest of the city’s refuse ... there were no grave cloths, no anointing, no mourners at Lazarus’ death ... that his dead body was left exposed to the elements was the worst degradation that could happen to a Jew

b. the rich man is buried ... his body would have been carefully wrapped in fine linen with ointments and spices applied to his body ... family would have mourned his passing ... friends would have carried his body to the family’s private tomb ... words of praise for his life and accomplishments would have been shared

3. now comes the plot twist

II.

THE TWO PLACES (16:22–23)

“The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side.

The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.”

(Luke 16:22–23, ESV)

1. if Jesus would have concluded the story with the rich man died and went to paradise, while the poor man died and went to hell everyone would have wisely stroked their beards and thought, “Yes ... yes.

That’s how it should be”