Episode 260: The rich man and Lazarus

Luke 16-18

The wise, dishonest steward

16 ¹ Jesus said to his disciples,

A rich man had a steward, who was accused of wasting his goods.

² So he called the steward and said to him, “What's this I hear about you? You're fired.”

³ The steward said to himself, “I can't work and I'm ashamed to beg.”

⁵ So he called his master's debtors, and said to one, “How much do you owe my master?”

⁶ The debtor said, "One hundred measures of oil."

The steward said, "Take your bill and write fifty."

⁷ To another debtor, and said, "How much do you owe?"

He said, "A hundred measures of wheat."

The steward said, "Take your bill and write eighty."

⁸ And his master commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely.

For the people of this world are wiser than the children of the light.

⁹ Make friends with unrighteous wealthy people, so that when you fail they'll provide you with an everlasting home.

¹¹ If you can't be trusted with unrighteous wealth, who will trust you with true riches?

Whatever people value is an abomination to God

¹⁴ The Pharisees heard what Jesus said, and derided him for it.

¹⁵ Jesus said to them, “You try to justify yourselves to men. But whatever people highly esteem is an abomination to God.”

The law and the prophets (were until John the Baptist)

¹⁶ The law and the prophets applied until John (the Baptist), but since then the kingdom of God is preached.

¹⁷ It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than one tittle of the law to fail.

The rich man and Lazarus

^19-20 Jesus said,

There once was a poor beggar named Lazarus, who lived at a rich man's gate.

²¹ He ate the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table and was filled with sores that the dogs licked.

²² When the beggar died, he was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. Sometime later, the rich man also died and was buried.

²³ While the rich man was being tormented in hell, he saw Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, and he cried out to him, saying,

²⁴ “Send Lazarus to dip his finger in some water to cool my tongue, for I'm being tortured in this flame.”

²⁵ Abraham said,

You had all the good things in life, while Lazarus got evil things. So now he's comforted, and you're tormented.

²⁶ Besides, there's a barrier between you that can't be passed.

^27-28 The rich man said, “Okay, but could you send Lazarus to warn my family about this place of torment?”

²⁹ Abraham said, “They have Moses and the prophets to warn them.”

³⁰ The rich man said, “They won't listen to them. But if someone came back from the dead, they'd repent.”

³¹ Abraham said, “If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they wouldn't listen to someone who came back from the dead.”

A little faith can move big trees

17 ⁵ The apostles said to Jesus, "Increase our faith."

⁶ Jesus said to them, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, ‘Pull yourself up by the roots and throw yourself into the sea’ and it'll obey you.”

You are a worthless slave

⁷ You don't say to your slaves after they finish their work, “Sit down at the table and eat.”

⁸ You say to them,

Prepare my supper and serve me. Then, after I have finished eating and drinking, you may eat.

⁹ You don't thank your slave for serving you.

¹⁰ That's how it should be for you.

When you do as you are commanded, say to yourself, "I am a worthless slave. I did what I was told to do."

Ten lepers

^11-13 As Jesus on his way to Jerusalem, ten lepers met him and said, “Master, have mercy on us.”

¹⁴ When Jesus saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they did that, they were healed.

^15-16 One, who was a Samaritan, returned, fell on his face, and thanked Jesus.

¹⁷ Jesus said, “Didn't I heal ten of you? Where are the other nine?”

Remember Lot's wife

²⁰ The Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come, and Jesus said,

It's not something you can see. ²¹ The kingdom of God is within you.

²² Then Jesus said to his disciples,

Someday you'll want to see the days of the Son of man, but you won't see it.

²⁸ It'll be like the days of Lot.

People ate, drank, bought, sold, planted, and built.

²⁹ Then, after Lot left Sodom, God killed everyone with fire and brimstone.

³⁰ It'll be like that when the Son of man is revealed.

³¹ If you're up on the roof when it happens, don't come down to get your stuff.

³² Remember Lot's wife.

³⁴ On that night, there'll be two men in one bed. One will be taken, and the other left.

³⁵ Two women will be grinding together. One will be taken, and the other left.

³⁷ Where the body is, the eagles will gather.

The avenging, lazy, unjust judge

18 ¹ Jesus told his disciples this parable:

² There was once a judge who didn't fear God or respect people.

³ A widow came to him and said, “Help me avenge my enemy.”

^4-5 The judge ignored her for a while, but then he said to himself, “Although I don't fear God or respect people, I'll help her avenge her enemy, so she'll stop bothering me.”

⁶ Jesus said to them, “Listen to the unjust judge.”

The Pharisee and the publican

⁹ Jesus also told them this parable:

¹⁰ Two men went to the temple to pray, one was a Pharisee, the other a publican.

¹¹ The Pharisee prayed like this: “Oh God, I thank you that I'm not like other men - extortioners, unjust, adulterers - or even like this publican.

¹² I fast twice a week and give tithes of everything I own.”

¹³ And the publican wouldn't even look up to heaven, but stood far away, striking his breast and saying, “Have mercy on me, a sinner.”

¹⁴ The publican was justified, not the Pharisee. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled. And those who humble themselves will be exalted.