Luke 16
by Philip Layton
Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus
Discussion Questions
- How do you interpret the parable of the shrewd manager?
- The story of the rich man and Lazarus speaks about what to do in life. What does it say about life beyond the grave?
Share your thoughts below, or tweet about it with the #boundlessbible hashtag. Don't forget this week's Children's Challenge!
Going Deeper from 'Words of Life'
Fire may be the best way to refine and test precious metals. One prophet uses that metaphor for God purifying those who are his (Malachi 3:1-3). Another method of testing is weighing. The Lord is both the standard of righteousness and the one who measures our hearts. The weights and scales are his (Proverbs 16:11). God’s measuring equipment never loses equilibrium, so he can examine our motives, attitudes, desires perfectly – and certainly better than we can ourselves (Proverbs 16:2, 21:2).
God delights in accurate weights and abhors the use of dishonest scales (Proverbs 11:1). Those who are his representatives take note: ‘The LORD demands accurate scales and balances; he sets the standards for fairness’ (Proverbs 16:11, NLT). It isn’t a matter of confusion between types of measurement (a pound or a kilo), but of consistency and fairness within the measurements used. If we pay for a pound of fish, we expect to receive a pound of fish.
Integrity and even-handedness are essential for local or global society to exchange skills, goods, services. Overcharging and undersupplying may be thought shrewd business, but God detests any such unfair, greedy practices (20:10, 23).
As in other wisdom literature, Proverbs sees personal and social experience as one means of revelation that confirms God’s moral order and plan in practical living. Christ’s call to love our neighbours as ourselves can play out in many forms: honesty in our financial dealings, support for businesses and leaders who practise fairness, as well as candour in assessment of ourselves before God.
Above all, we’re called to love God supremely and remember that worshipping him is the starting point of wisdom.
Beverly Ivany
Tags: Luke