What should we learn from the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16?

What should we learn from the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16? We're going to answer that question.

Luke 16, 19 -31 contains the account of a very rich man who lived a life of extreme luxury.

Laid outside the gate of this rich man's house was an extremely poor man named Lazarus who simply hoped to eat what fell from the rich man's table.

The rich man showed Lazarus no love, sympathy, or compassion whatsoever. Eventually, they both died.

Lazarus went to heaven and the rich man went to hell. Appealing to Father Abraham in heaven, the rich man requested that Lazarus be sent to cool his tongue with a drop of water to lessen his agony in this fire.

The rich man also asked Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth to warn his brothers to repent so that they would never join him in hell.

Both requests were denied. Abraham told the rich man that if his brothers did not believe in scripture, neither would they believe a messenger, even if he came straight from heaven.

First of all, Jesus teaches that heaven and hell are both real, literal places. Sadly, many preachers shy away from the uncomfortable topics such as hell.

Some even teach universalism, the belief that everyone goes to heaven. Yet Christ spoke about hell a great deal.

The Bible is clear that every person who has ever lived will spend eternity in either heaven or hell.

Like the rich man in the story, multitudes today are complacent in their conviction that all is well with their soul and many will hear our

Savior tell them otherwise when they die. This story also illustrates that once we cross the eternal horizon, that's it.

There are no more chances. The transition to our eternal state takes place the moment we die.

When believers die, they are immediately in the conscious fellowship and joys of heaven. When unbelievers die, they are just as immediately in the conscious pain, suffering, and torment of hell.

Notice the rich man didn't ask for his brothers to pray for his release from some purgatorial middle ground.

He knew he was in hell and he knew why. That's why his requests were merely to be comforted and to have a warning sent to his brothers.

He knew there was no escape. He was eternally separated from God and Abraham made it clear to him there was no hope of ever mitigating his pain, suffering, or sorrow.

Those in hell will perfectly recollect missed opportunities and the rejection of the gospel.

Like many these days who buy into the prosperity gospel, the rich man wrongly saw his material riches as evidence of God's love and blessing.

Riches are deceitful. It is certainly not impossible for the very rich to enter heaven, but scripture is clear that it is very hard.

God loves the poor and is offended when his children neglect them. In fact, those who show mercy to the poor are in effect ministering to Christ personally.

Christians are known by the fruit that they bear. True followers of Christ will not be indifferent to the dilemma of the poor like the rich man was in this story.

Abraham's words referring to Moses and the prophets confirms that understanding the revealed word of God has the power to turn unbelief into faith.

Furthermore, knowing scripture helps us to understand that God's children, like Lazarus, can suffer while on this earth.

Suffering is one of the many tragic consequences of living in a sinful and fallen world.

The Bible says our earthly lives are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Our earthly sojourn is exceedingly brief. Perhaps the greatest lesson to learn from this story then is that when death comes knocking on our door, there is only one thing that matters, our relationship with Jesus Christ.

The truth is, if we wish to live apart from God during our time on earth, He will grant our wish for eternity as well.

That answers the question, what should we learn from the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16.

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