Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20091223.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Luke: Jesus, The Son Of Man For All Mankind
Part LVII: Christ's Identity As God's Savior Seen In His Distinction Between Wealth And Righteousness
(Luke 16:14-31)
  1. Introduction
    1. Though God promised Israel material blessing if she heeded His Law (Deuteronomy 28:1-14), it is a mistake to assume that all wealthy folk are righteous, for some gain wealth by means of sinful deeds!
    2. Jesus made a distinction between wealth and righteousness in Luke 16:14-31, revealing thereby His credibility as a holy God's Savior of the world, and offering us application in our lives (as follows):
  2. Christ's Identity As God's Savior Seen In His Distinction Between Wealth And Righteousness.
    1. After overhearing Jesus' admonition to His disciples on not serving God and money (Luke 16:1, 13), the Pharisees, who were covetous, mocked Him, Luke 16:14. They saw Jesus as a poor man with poor followers, and were repulsed at a poor man teaching on wealth and God, Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 246.
    2. Jesus responded that the Pharisees justified themselves before men where God knew the true state of their hearts, for that which is esteemed by man in general is an abomination in God's viewpoint, Luke 16:15.
    3. In Luke 16:16-18, Jesus then illustrated this difference between these views of God and man (as follows):
      1. All the people in Israel had been trying to push themselves into the kingdom of God, Luke 16:16.
      2. However, from God's viewpoint, all that effort was futile, for they violated the Law, Luke 16:17-18:
        1. God's Law, that must be perfectly heeded for man to be righteous, cannot be altered: it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny part of the Law to pass away, Luke 16:17.
        2. However, that unalterable Law was being violated in Israel in Jesus' era as illustrated in the issue of divorce: (1) Jesus taught that whoever divorced his wife and wed another committed adultery, and that whoever married a divorced party committed adultery, for, in God's eyes, marriage makes a couple one flesh until death, Luke 16:18; Matt. 19:3-6; Gen. 2:23-24; Rom. 7:1-2. (2) However, the Pharisees allowed divorce and remarriage though differing over the basis for divorce, Ibid., p. 247. (3) Thus, by God's Biblical standard, the Pharisees were in deep sin and unfit to enter the kingdom!
    4. Further illustrating the contrast between man's and God's views, Jesus gave the Luke 16:19-31 parable:
      1. In their earthly lives, the rich man lived in luxury while the poor, infirmed Lazarus sat to beg at the rich man's gate and the dogs licked Lazarus' sores, Luke 16:19-21.
      2. Both men eventually died, and Lazarus went to heaven while the rich man went to hell, Lk. 16:22-23a.
      3. The roles of the two men were thus greatly reversed in death: though the rich man had lived in luxury, he was now in torment, begging that Lazarus dip the tip of his finger in water to cool his tongue, while Lazarus who had lived in misery as poor, infirmed beggar was now blessed in paradise, Lk. 16:23b-24.
      4. The rich man begged Abraham to send him Lazarus to ease his pain (Luke 16:24), but Abraham replied that the roles of the two men were reversed in eternity in God's justice, and that this role reversal was unalterable as seen in the great gulf existing between hell and heaven, Luke 16:25-26.
      5. The rich man asked Abraham to send word to his surviving brothers to warn them about hell and their wrong viewpoint (Luke 16:27-28), but Abraham said they could heed Moses and the prophets, 16:29.
      6. The rich man responded that if one returned from the dead, they would believe his word, Luke 16:30.
      7. Abraham replied in Luke 16:31 that if the rich man's relatives did not heed Moses and the prophets, neither would they heed one who rose from the dead. True to this statement, Jesus later died and rose again, and they generally still did not heed HIS view of spiritual realities , Acts 28:23-28!
Lesson: Though God promised Israel material blessings for heeding His Law, Jesus taught that to test the heart by one's wealth level is an errant test. We must heed God's written Word for such a test.

Application: (1) Since Jesus distinguished between wealth and righteousness, He is a holy God's Savior of the world, so may we believe on Him. (2) May we heed Scripture to know how to live rightly versus errantly using our level of wealth to discern our level of righteousness! (3) We must realize that God may give wealth in blessing (1 Kings 3:9-13), but since some ungodly folk gain wealthy by sin, we must rely on God's Word, not one's wealth level, to discern the heart's true level of righteousness!