Waverly Church of Christ

How it is possible to love God and not help a brother or sister when they are in need. James questions the authenticity of a person’s faith who does nothing to help a brother or sister in physical need. Luke began this chapter with a parable which Jesus told about an unrighteous steward in order to teach His listeners about how they should use their wealth. He then proceeded to tell us what Jesus had to say to those Pharisees who were “lovers of money” (v. 14) as a result of their ridicule toward Him.
Now, Jesus tells another parable — this one is about “a rich man” (v. 19). In our Bibles it is labeled “The Rich Man and Lazarus” but the bulk of the parable focuses upon the “rich man,” how he fares in this life and the life to come and the requests he makes because of his plight there. Jesus tells the parable to address the abuse of money, especially by those who are wealthy. Let’s look at what Jesus seeks to teach us.