Scripture to Read: Luke 16:19-21
Today we begin our journey through the parable of “The Rich Man and Lazarus.” We know our Lord Jesus Christ used parables as incredible teaching tools and our Lord has a lot to teach us through this parable as well. Our Lord introduces the rich man as a person who loved to dress up in the finest clothing possible. Jesus said it like this in Luke 16:19, “he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen.” Jesus also points out that the rich man lived “in splendor every day.” So, the rich man had everything this world had to offer. The rich man needed nothing as far as the world’s standard was concerned. Then in Luke 19:20-21, we are introduced to Lazarus. We know Lazarus was poor and also covered in sores. Lazarus also had to be laid at the gate of the rich man each day, so we can only assume that Lazarus was also lame (unable to walk due to an illness or injury). What Lazarus longed for were simply the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table each day. What we see here is that the rich man never even offered to help Lazarus in any way. The rich man was so incredibly caught up in his little world that he missed an opportunity to serve someone in need. All the rich man cared about was dressing in the finest clothes and filling his stomach with the finest foods. May we never lose sight of the needs around us and being used by God to meet those needs.
Challenge & Application
1. What did God teach you today about the rich man and about Lazarus?
2. What will you do to guard against being self-absorbed in order not to miss ministry opportunities God gives you each day?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!