Luke 16 Summary - 5 Minute Study

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LUKE 16 IN 5 MINUTES

WHEN:

• The events of chapter 16 were part of Jesus’ ministry on earth.

• These events took place between approximately 26-31 A.D..

CHARACTERS:

• Jesus - The Messiah and Son of God.

• Dishonest Manager - A property manager who managed his master’s money poorly.

• Rich Man - A wealthy man who died and went to “Hades”(a place reserved for the wicked).

• Lazarus - A poor man who died and was taken by the angels to “Abraham’s side” (a place reserved for the righteous).

WHERE:

• Luke does not share the exact location of these events.

• Luke 13:22 reads, “He [Jesus] went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.

OUTLINE:

• THE PARABLE OF THE DISHONEST MANAGER (16:1-13):

  • A rich man was planning to fire his manager because of his incompetence.

  • Before being fired, the manager called all of the rich man’s debtors and cut them deals to gain their favor.

  • He hoped they would be generous to him when they learned of his firing.

  • Rather than condemning the manager, the rich man commended him on his cleverness.

  • Jesus used this parable to teach His disciples about resourcefulness, using God’s blessings wisely, and the danger of falling in love with earthly wealth.

• THE PROBLEM WITH THE PHARISEES (16:14-17):

  • The Pharisees loved earthly wealth and were only concerned with looking good in the eyes of men.

  • They tried to use the Old Testament Law to make themselves look “godly” but they rejected what the Old Testament pointed towards, the Kingdom of God.

  • Jesus made it clear the Kingdom of God was coming and could not be stopped.

• TEACHING ON DIVORCE (16:18):

  • In the 1st Century, there was a debate among the Jews about when divorce was permissible.

  • Jesus told them, “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

• THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS (16:19-31):

  • Jesus told the people a story about two men, one rich (rich man) and one poor (Lazarus).

  • On earth, the rich man lived in luxury while Lazarus lay in poverty outside the gate of his house.

  • Eventually, both of them died. Lazarus’ soul was taken to Paradise while the rich man’s went to Hades.

  • The rich man wanted Lazarus to ease his pain in torment, but Abraham told him he would not.

  • The rich man then asked for Lazarus to be sent back to earth to warn his 5 brothers about Hades.

  • Abraham told him they had ”Moses and the Prophets” and that was enough.

BIG PICTURE:

• You may have heard about Paradise and Hades before. Surprisingly, the Bible doesn’t have much to say about them.

• This is one of the only passages, if not the only passage, that talks about them in any detail.

• They are pictured here as the waiting place of the soul pre-Judgement Day.

APPLICATION:

• Are we as individuals and local congregations resourceful with the money, talents, and resources God gives us?

• How much time do we spend thinking about effective ways to use our gifts?

• Do we spend more time trying to become resourceful in earthly pursuits or spiritual pursuits?