Luke: Does Your Heart Need Healing

“How do You Pray?”

Luke 16:19-31

2-26-2023

Justin Scarberry

Message Notes

Luke 16:19-31 NASB

¹⁹ “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, enjoying himself in splendor every day. ²⁰ And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, ²¹ and longing to be fed from the scraps which fell from the rich man’s table; not only that, the dogs also were coming and licking his sores. ²² Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s arms; and the rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And in Hades he raised his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his arms. ²⁴ And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so that those who want to go over from here to you will not be able, nor will any people cross over from there to us.’ ²⁷ And he said, ‘Then I request of you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— ²⁸ for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not come to this place of torment as well.’ ²⁹ But Abraham *said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Abraham’s arms=Abraham’s bosom=A place of comfort

2 Main Interpretations

1. A parable about having money as an idol

2. A real life story from Jesus about what happens when you don’t turn from an idol.

Hades (NT)=The grave=Sheol (OT)=a place for the dead before Jesus’ sacrifice was made on the cross.

Jesus Teaching on the afterlife:

1. There is an eternal comfort in Heaven

2. There is eternal agony in hell

3. Once you are in there is no way to get to the other

The pharisees as well as most Jews erroneously felt that because of their lineage to Abraham they were saved.  They felt that their monetary blessings in this life was proof of their salvation

Jesus teaches us that the things the world loves have no value in eternity.

God allows pain and suffering in this life as in the case of Lazarus.  Why?  Because there is so much more waiting for us after this life.

2 Timothy 3:12

¹² Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus will be persecuted

Matthew 16:24-25 NIV

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

This life, in comparison to eternity, is extremely short.

Where did Jesus go when He died on the cross?

Two compartments in Hades- Side of comfort and a side of torment.

What happens when we die?

There are only 2 options:

For the Believer:
2 Corinthians 5:6-8

6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight— 8 but we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

For the non believer:

Isaiah 5:14NLT

The grave is licking its lips in anticipation,
opening its mouth wide.
The great and the lowly
and all the drunken mob will be swallowed up

Which option have you chosen?

1.Read Luke 16:19-31

     a. Considering that many Jewish people in the time of Jesus believed that they were eternally saved because of their bloodline to Abraham, where do you think this idea came from?

     b. Is there anything in the OT that might have caused them to think that way?

    c. Are there people today who think they are saved by some other means than a personal relationship with Jesus?

    f. What are some of the ways?

2. Is heaven forever?

     a. Is hell forever?

     b. Does God send anyone to either destination?

3. What does it mean in verse 29 that “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.”

4. Are there things that we give a lot of value to in this life that have no value eternally?

     a. What are some things that do have eternal value?

5. Read Matthew 16:24-25

     a. what does it mean to “take up their cross and follow me”?

     b. Can we follow without taking up the cross?  Why or why not?

6. Does God allow hardship, health problems and poverty? Why do you think he does or does not?

7. Matthew 19:24 says that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the Kingdom of God”.

     a. What is meant by that statement from Jesus?

8. What does Heaven mean to you? What does eternity mean to you?  What do you look forward to about an eternity in Heaven?

9. What does God want His children to do before we go to heaven? Would you say you spend very little, some or most of your time focusing on what God wants you to do?

For self-reflection, between you and God, what are some things that God has asked you to do but you’ve been reluctant to start?

10. Will you pray this week that God will re-open the door and would give you the strength to do His will?