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Sunday’s Knowledge Nugget #005

The Rich Man & Lazarus
(Part 2 of 3)

Today, we look closely at verses 24 through 26 in Luke Chapter 16. There are some word studies that require investigation so that we fully understand these graphic verses. If you missed last week’s Sunday’s Knowledge Nugget #004, take the time to go back and read it. This “knowledge nugget” will pick up where that left off.

In verse 24, the rich man begs Father Abraham to have pity on him. The rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus:

“to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.”
Luke 16:24b (NIV)

We know that Hades is hot. So much so that the rich man is “dying” of thirst. Verse 24 is full of contrast. Originally, it was Lazarus that was seeking out the Rich Man for relief from hunger. Now it is the Rich Man seeking out Lazarus for relief from thirst. Originally, all that Lazarus wants are the crumbs that fall from the Rich Man’s table. Now, all that the Rich Man wants is the tip of Lazarus’ finger to be dipped in water for that one drop of water to cool his tongue.

Reading verse 25:

“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.”
Luke 16:25 (NIV)

It is fitting that Abraham addresses the rich man as “son” because he is indeed a descendant of Abraham. The rich man probably was remembering his upbringing which includes teachings on holy living and Jewish law. Next, Abraham says to “remember” which is what those in Hades will do every day. They will remember what could have been if they had done things differently. Abraham reminds the rich man that he has received good things while Lazarus received bad things while they were both alive. Now, after death, it is the other way around. The rich man will have plenty of time to remember. How foolish of the rich man to waste a lifetime on material wealth without the love of God and now to spend eternity remembering what could have been. His lifetime of flamboyant living is a mere minuscule fraction of a picosecond of time, i.e. infinitesimally small amount of time, compared to the time he will now spend in torment — ETERNITY. And all he can do is remember, remember, remember…

And the last verse that we will cover today is verse 26:

“And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.”
Luke 16:26 (NIV)

In the King James Version, the word “chasm” is translated “gulf” whereas the original Greek word is “chásma” which means impassable interval. With the addition of the word “fixed,” we understand that the separation of Heaven and Hades will never be passable. Not that anybody in Heaven would want to visit Hades nor could anyone in Hades escape to Heaven. Once death departs us from this world, the next life is for eternity. Reflect on that for a few minutes. Who are you more like; the Rich Man or Lazarus? Do you think God is trying to tell you something?

If you feel a need to talk with Pastor Dave about your future, please don’t hesitate to use the Contact Us form. Your eternal life very much depends on the choices you make now in this life as this story illustrates. Some scripture that you may wish to read are John 3:1-21 and Romans 10:8-13.

Next week we will finish this story by reading verses 27 through 31. You don’t want to miss that one! See you then…

That will be a wrap for today. You all have been great. I especially appreciate the eMails from folks that either let me know how this ministry has helped them or sent me ideas on content that I could publish. With that, I leave you by speaking this blessing over you:

“I pray that the Lord
will bless and protect you,
and that he will show you mercy
and kindness.
May the Lord be good to you
and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26 (CEV)

Pastor Dave

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Finding Real Humility

What should humility look like? Is it admitting you’re a helpless/hopeless sinner, no better than the next guy? Is it conceding that you’re not as good as so-and-so? Is it telling people that you are limited in your abilities and understanding? I don’t think so. Rather than thinking “meanly” of yourself, I have come to believe that real humility is simply not thinking of yourself at all. Most would probably consider the opposite of humility to be pride, or thinking highly (and much) of oneself.

Of course everyone values humility in other people. It’s such a charming quality! But oh how hard it is to practice it ourselves. (We have our rights and dignity to maintain, after all.) And I suspect many who seem to find the ability to display humility probably end up falling into the trap of pridefully calling attention to it. Dr. Warren Wiersbe wrote in Be Joyful (p. 58), “humility is that grace that, when you know you have it, you have lost it.”

Interestingly, and seemingly contradictory, the most humble man of all time also happened to be the greatest man of all time. His attitude is described by the apostle Paul in chapter 2 of his letter to the Philippians:

“5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.”
Philippians 2:5-7 (NIV)

This verse tells us about Someone of divine pedigree and unparalleled privilege (his true nature), who set all of his greatness aside in order to voluntarily take on a very different nature, that of a servant, a person of little to no privilege. He had to set aside his rights in order to accomplish this. (But do I really have to set aside my “rights”?) He made himself nothing. Jesus didn’t think badly about himself, he simply didn’t think of himself at all. (“Nothing“ is not bad, it’s simply… nothing!)

Paul the apostle had a similar attitude:

“I am not in the least inferior to the ‘super-apostles,’
even though I am nothing.”
2 Corinthians 12:11b (NIV)

The word “humiliation” also comes from the root: humil –. We would probably say that Jesus’ entire earthly experience was one great 33-year long humiliation, capped by an excruciatingly humiliating criminal’s death. Yet Jesus likely never felt humiliated, because the entire focus of his mind was somewhere other than himself. How about that?!

So for me to live according to Jesus’ example means finding the ability to make myself nothing (not bad, just nothing), and to give up my “rights”. I don’t expect that ability to develop in me fully overnight, but rather gradually over time as my relationship with the Lord grows. As I exercise humility, others might see humiliation. But if it’s real humility that I’ve found, I will likely not feel humiliation, only the joy of seeing the Father’s will accomplished in and by me!

~ Mike

[Originally published: 12 August 2007 at 11:29 pm]

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Sunday’s Knowledge Nugget #004

The Rich Man & Lazarus
(Part 1 of 3)

Today I want to look at the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus as we read in Luke 16:19-31. But I am going to do the lesson in multiple parts. In the first part, we will read up through verse 23. I will cover the remaining parts, verses 24 through 31, over the next two weeks. 

Let’s read the first section and discuss the verses as we read them. In some versions of the Bible, the Rich Man is given the name “Dives” which is Latin for “rich man.” Also, Lazarus is not the same Lazarus that Jesus raised from the dead (see John 11:43-44). It is also believed that this is not a parable but rather a factual account. Scholars believe this is true because Jesus never uses a given name in His parables for the characters as He did Lazarus here.

In verses 19 and 20, we see that Lazarus is a poor man stricken with sores; open and ulcerated wounds that were oozing bodily fluids that the dogs were licking. Now Lazarus longed to eat even the crumbs that fell from the Rich Man’s table. The rich man lived the life of the upper class living a flamboyant lifestyle and dressed in the finest clothes.

In verse 22, both men die. Angels carry Lazarus to Abraham’s side or bosom (depending on your translation) and the rich man is buried. From the Talmud, the Jewish documents that establish Jewish theology and religious law, we know that Abraham’s bosom is where the righteous dead await vindication before the final judgement. In verse 23, we learn that the rich man was in Hades or hell (depending on your translation) and suffering great distress. He was able to see Abraham and Lazarus although they were far away.

It should be noted in the original Greek manuscripts, that the word translated “hell” in the King James Version is actually hádê which is obviously Hades. You see, Hades is where the wicked dead await final judgement before being tossed into the lake of fire (see Revelation 19:20 and Revelation 20:10-15) or hell. Hell is the final place of torment for those whose name was not found in the Book of Life.

To recap and reading from the Amplified Bible, we have thus far:

“19 There was a certain rich man who [habitually] clothed himself in purple and fine linen and reveled and feasted and made merry in splendor every day.
20 And at his gate there was [carelessly] dropped down and left a certain utterly destitute man named Lazarus, [reduced to begging alms and] covered with [ulcerated] sores.
21 He [eagerly] desired to be satisfied with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover, the dogs even came and licked his sores.
22 And it occurred that the man [reduced to] begging died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 And in Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom.”
Luke 16:19-23 (AMP)

Next Sunday, we will look closely at verses 24 through 26. There are some word studies that need investigation so that we fully understand these graphic verses. You will not want to miss next week’s Sunday’s Knowledge Nugget #005.

That will be a wrap for today. You all have been great. I especially appreciate the eMails from folks that either let me know how this ministry has helped them or sent me ideas on content that I could publish. With that, I leave you by speaking this blessing over you:

“I pray that the Lord
will bless and protect you,
and that he will show you mercy
and kindness.
May the Lord be good to you
and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26 (CEV)

Pastor Dave

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