Tag Archives: hell

Luke 16: A Lesson In Economics

 

Luke Chapter 16

Luke chapter 16 gives us Jesus’ teaching about economics. Verses 1-13 are about the unjust steward. Verses 14-18 are about the sin of covetousness. Verses 19-31 are about the inequity between the rich man and Lazarus.

The Shrewd Unjust Steward

In the story of the unjust steward, when he had been caught at wasting his lord’s goods, went to the lord’s debtors and offered them a compromise on what they owed. His scheme was to make them indebted to himself so that when he got fired, they would take him in. Well, the lord became aware of his cheating and “commended him” for his shrewdness. But Jesus said that this kind of shrewdness would land you into the “everlasting habitations” with those who dealt in unrighteous mammon, verse 9.  Compromise does not work.

The Everlasting Habitations

Was Jesus recommending such “shrewd” business deals? No. In the following story of Lazarus and the rich man, we see that this rich man was received into the everlasting habitation of hell, verses 22-23. Both the rich man and Lazarus died, but their eternal destiny was reversed from their earthly conditions.

The Hopelessness of Hell

The rich man, in hell, prayed that someone be sent to his brothers who were still alive to warn them not to come there. However, the answer to him was that they already had their warning in the Scriptures, that is, Moses and the prophets. In hell, the rich man thought that surely if one returned to life and warned his brothers, they would repent. But no, Jesus said, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead,” verse 31.

This was proven true when Lazarus had been raised from the dead, but yet the Chief Priests failed to believe, John 12:9-10.