Luke 16:19-31 — One BIG Difference

READ THIS: Luke 16:19-31

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

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. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

In this story, we learn about a very rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus (not the close friend of Jesus/the one from the song). There are two big distinctions between these two men: their wealth and where they end up after they die. One ends up in heaven, carried off by Abraham and some angels, and the other is in hell, where he is tortured and no one can come down to relieve his pain. It can be very easy for us to look at this story and think that those two things are directly connected, but let's look a little bit closer!
 
The REAL difference between these two men and where they end up isn't about wealth, but what we see in verses 27-31: Lazarus received the warnings and the truth found in God's Word, and the rich man did not! Heaven or hell isn't given to us based on how much money we have, how much we suffer, or anything like that... it is dependent on whether or not we believe in who Jesus is and what He has done! As Jesus says in verse 31, He has already made it very clear who He is and what the truth is through Moses and the Prophets (and even His own life)... now, will you choose to believe it?

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Why do you think it is so hard for people like the rich and those that do not know suffering to have eternal life? What stops them from saying "yes" to Jesus?

2. If God just sent down angels to tell us all about Jesus, would we really have faith in Him? Why or why not?

TRY THIS:

If you are kind of freaking out and wondering to yourself "do I REALLY believe in Jesus..." don't worry!!! The Bible makes it super clear that there is a clear way to know if we believe. Check out what Paul says in Romans 10:9...

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

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