READ: Luke 16:19-31
PRAY: Find a Small Catechism and read Luther’s comments on Confession (http://www.bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php#confession). Pray a prayer of confession to God. Read God’s promises through Baptism (as in Mark 16:16) to hear again God’s assurance of forgiveness.
DO: Watch the movie The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005, PG). Notice the parallels between Francis’ initial treatment and Lazarus in the Bible story. Might there be anyone like this in your community / social circles? Keep an eye out for anyone and ways that you might include him/her.
**** Or ****
Try not spending any money for a day (or longer). Is it hard? Are you spending your money the way God wants you to?
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Think of a time that either you or a friend faced a radical life change. Where was God?
Why are you a Lutheran? How does Lutheran theology (the way Lutherans talk about God) shape your life? Your relationships? Your response to this story?
(Hint: Common key words in Lutheran Theology are “grace”, “law/gospel”, and “saint/sinner”)
For more on what Lutherans believe visit...
http://www.elca.org/What-We-Believe.aspx
What does the word “Stewardship” mean? (Look it up, even if you think you know) What does it mean that God has called us to be “good stewards”?
What does God want us to do for Him right now?
Preparing for Bible Study this evening I've been researching more on what would have been a common first century Jewish belief about life after death...
This is a hard thing to know for sure, both because Judaism has changed since the first century, and because modern Judaism does not offer one standard belief on the topic.
However, for more information on Jewish beliefs about life after death, visit:
http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/beliefs/afterlife.htm
Parable of the Rich Man & Lazarus
Luke 16:19-31
Big Idea: God promises a reversal of our worldly values.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Beliefs about Life After Death in First Century Judaism
Jewish Scripture (the Old Testament) is focused much more on duties in this life than on what will happen in the next life. Because of this, there’s never been a clear consensus in Judaism about what happens to a person after death; however, in first century Judaism, the idea that death was not the end had gained a popular following. The Rabbis and Pharisees taught that there was a “Resurrection” on the “Last Day” (Daniel 12:2). In contrast, the Sadducees maintained that there was no Resurrection (Mark 12:18-23).
What this Resurrection meant, however, varied greatly. In Judaism, there is a belief in a Judgment Day, on which one’s place or share in the “World to Come” will be decided. For the righteous, the final destination is believed to be the Garden of Eden (Paradise). Many Jewish teachings state that all or most of the children of Israel will have a share in this “World to Come”. As such, the idea of a place of punishment is less developed. For some, it is termed Gehenna (often translated as Hades, Sheol, or Hell) and equated with an actual place where pagans used to sacrifice children as burnt offerings (2 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 7:31). This place of torment and flames was beginning to be used in opposition to the idea of paradise by New Testament times (cf. Boring, The People’s New Testament Commentary, p. 244). However, Gehenna was originally understood simply as the dwelling place of all the dead (perhaps where they are to await the final judgment) as was the concept of Hades in Greek theology. There may have been some sense that the righteous were taken to their ancestors and a place of comfort in Gehenna, while the unrighteous suffered torture while they awaited the final judgment (Wikipedia).
The Poor and the Wealthy in Luke’s Gospel Account
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus speaks of divine reversal. From the first chapter of Luke’s account, Mary’s song (1:46-55) and Simeon’s prophesy (2:34-35) make plain the place of social and economic reversal as a part of God’s justice. The exchange between Abraham and the Rich Man in Luke 16:24-25 illustrate the magnitude of this reversal in terms of the meaning and promise of being a “child” of Abraham (cf. 3:7-9).
This parable is a part of a larger section of teaching in Luke’s Gospel account, in which the responsible use of money and property are addressed. This theme is carried throughout the entire 16th chapter, beginning and ending with parables about a “rich man” and addressed to “lovers of money” (16:14). Historically, the Pharisees were not an overly greedy group of people; however, they are used as a group here to serve as a foil for the way of life in God’s Kingdom. The Pharisees, lovers of money, worry about gaining wealth in this world, and what people in this world will think of them. Jesus and his disciples, who serve God, worry about gaining treasure in the world to come and what God will think of them. Thus, Jesus’ calling represents a reversal from traditional values & actions.
Lazarus Rising from the Dead
Lazarus is the only character in any of Jesus’ parables who is given a name. It’s a form of the Greek name Eleazer, which means “God has mercy”. The rich man’s request and Abraham’s response regarding raising Lazarus from the dead would have been heard with a clear warning for early Christians who’ve heard the proclamation that Christ was raised from the dead. Interestingly, this name appears also in John’s Gospel account, as one whom Jesus does raise from the dead (John 11:1-45).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
British scholar C.H. Dodd defines parables in this way: “At its simplest the parable is a metaphor or simile drawn from nature or common life, arresting the hearer by its vividness or strangeness, and leaving the mind in sufficient doubt about its precise application to tease it into active thought.”
How has this parable been used to describe life after death?
Remembering that it is a “parable” and not a “documentary source,” what is added / subtracted from this understanding of life after death? (See also 1 Cor 15:2-4, 12-58; 1 Th 4:13-18; Luke 23:43 for additional revelations about life after death).
What is God revealing to us in this parable?
As a parable, this account is limited in revealing what happens to us after death. Instead, it is helpful to look for more practical and immediate applications.
What worldly contrasts exist in this parable? What stands between the two men?
What worldly contrasts exist in our lives? What stands between us and each other?
What does it mean to be “rich” and “poor”? How do you understand yourself?
How does the parable of the Dishonest Manager (Luke 16:1-13) speak to our callings as ones who are to live out God’s reversal in this world, as we wait for the world to come?
When reading Scripture, we benefit not only from the direct revelation of Jesus’ life and teachings, but also from the revelation and interpretation that God gave to the disciples, Gospel writers, and Early Church.
How did early Christians respond to this parable (cf. Acts 2:43-47; 4:32-37; 11:3, 12; Revelation 21:12; 22:24-27)?
How had God’s Kingdom (and reversal) already begun for 1st century Christians?
How has it already begun for us? How is God calling us to live this reversal in our lives now?
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