He said …, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” Luke 16:31 ESV¹

Read Luke 16:14-31

Contrary to popular opinion, God doesn’t grade on a scale. If He did, none of us would get a passing grade. Think about it. How many lies must one tell to be a liar? Only one. How many times must one cheat to be a fraud? Just one time. How many times must one steal before becoming a thief? Only once. Likewise, how often must one tell the truth to be completely trustworthy? Every single time. How often does one need to be faithful to be honest? Always. How many times does one have to refrain from taking without permission to be law-abiding? Every possible time. “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it” (James 2:10).

Jesus had just gotten done teaching His disciples about being good stewards of all of the resources at their disposal. He concluded that lesson with:

“‘No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.’ The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed Him” (Luke 16:14).

A common misconception popular when Jesus walked the surface of this planet was that physical wealth was an indication of spiritual health. The Pharisees prided themselves in their ability to do what they felt was impressive to God—flawlessly keeping a vast number of religious rules and commandments. Because people believed being endowed with an abundance of riches was evidence of God’s approval, the Pharisees eagerly pursued the accumulation of money and possessions seeking to prove their righteousness.

If God were basing entrance into His Kingdom on religious performance and if riches were His gold star of approval, the Pharisees would have been first in line to enter God’s presence. But Jesus pointed out that God was looking for something the Pharisees had overlooked.

The Law Followers

“[Jesus] said to [the Pharisees], ‘You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God’” (Luke 16:15).

The religious leaders of Jesus’ time on Earth were notoriously good at following rules. They were so seemingly perfect at keeping all the commandments that they impressed everyone who witnessed their religious activity. Because they were awe-inspiring to the people around them, they assumed they were also enthralling God. But God wasn’t looking at their performance; He was looking at their hearts. They may have been able to keep the letter of the Law. Yet, in the process, they often forsook the spirit of the Law. Over and over again, as Jesus taught, He pointed out this discrepancy.

“Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others … Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean’” (Matthew 23:1-5a & 23-28).

“And in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, ‘Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation’” (Luke 20:45-47).

“[Again] The Lord said …, ‘Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness … Woe to you lawyers [also]! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering’” (Luke 11:39 & 52).

Now, it is important to remember that there is nothing wrong with the Law that God gave Moses; it is God’s expectation for His people. Though Jesus pointed out just how poorly those who considered themselves flawless in keeping the Commandments were actually doing pleasing God, He never once suggested that the Law should be discarded. In fact, later, in this very discussion recorded by Luke, Jesus declared:

“‘It is easier for Heaven and Earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void’” (Luke 16:17).

The Grace Grabbers

But Jesus did preach something that was necessary to keep the Law the way God intended. Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God was not about being religious but it was about having a relationship with God. Jesus shared that the whole Law was impossible even for the most righteous to obey. One must have the help of God to properly fulfill His commandments. People reacted to this new revelation in one of two ways.

Jesus continued,

“‘The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then, the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it’” (Luke 16:16).

The phrase translated here in Luke in the ESV as, “‘the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it,’” is the exact same phrase translated in the ESV in Matthew as,

“‘From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force’” (Matthew 11:12).

Jesus came to fulfill the Law and to provide a way for humans to keep it. But the religious of His day were not ready for this Good News and violently opposed Jesus. Here is a sampling of their reaction to the truth Jesus shared.

“The scribes and the Pharisees began to press Him hard and to provoke Him to speak about many things, lying in wait for Him, to catch Him in something He might say” (Luke 11:53b-54).

“And He was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy Him” (Luke 19:47).

“The chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put Him to death” (Luke 22:2a).

“The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing Him” (Luke 23:10).

But those who weren’t so good at keeping rules were starving for mercy. They were so delighted by the message of grace that it seemed as if they couldn’t get enough of Jesus. Again, these are just a few of the recorded incidents of the reaction of these people.

“On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on Him to hear the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and He saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, He asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the people from the boat” (Luke 5:1-3).

“Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that He was doing, they came to Him. And He told His disciples to have a boat ready for Him because of the crowd, lest they crush Him, for He had healed many so that all who had diseases pressed around Him to touch Him. (Mark 3:7-10).

“As Jesus went, the people pressed around Him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, ‘Who was it that touched Me?’ When all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the crowds surround You and are pressing in on You!’” (Luke 8:42-45).

Though it may seem like a great many people desired to follow Jesus, most of those in crowds that repeatedly thronged around Jesus were merely swept up by the emotion connected to the miracles and the revolutionary news Jesus shared. Many who had walked with Jesus, dined with Him, listened as He taught, or were the recipients of one of His miracles, were the same ones who feverishly joined with those who demanded Jesus be put to death.

“But they all cried out together, ‘Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas’—a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, but they kept shouting, ‘Crucify, crucify Him!’ A third time he said to them, ‘Why? What evil has He done? I have found in Him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release Him.’ But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that He should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. So, Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will” (Luke 23:18-25).

Both Responses are Wrong

In emphasizing the extreme and differing reactions to His message, Jesus taught that neither violently opposing His Kingdom nor forcing one’s way into it was correct.

Now, it is absolutely true that salvation is dependent on grace.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

But it is equally true that good deeds have an important place in the Kingdom.

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So, also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:14-17).

If being right with God consisted only of partaking of His grace, the streets of Heaven would be lined with people who had grabbed up for themselves the gift of God but had no desire for God Himself. Being a citizen of the Kingdom of God isn’t dependent on what you do or what you believe. One’s place in Heaven depends on one’s relationship with God. Being right with God is all about the heart.

Law and Grace Cannot Be Separated

To illustrate this truth and to show how preposterous both of these attitudes toward Him and His message were, Jesus used as an example that which would have been common knowledge in that day. Jesus specified:

 “‘Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery’” (Luke 16:18).

Now, this verse has often been taken out of context and applied to specific circumstances concerning marital relationships. But in this situation, Jesus’ comment had nothing to do with divorce and remarriage. It had everything to do with the relationship between works and grace.

Don’t get me wrong; divorce has never been part of God’s plan. Marriages between the followers of the One True God are supposed to consistently proclaim the Gospel. The love a God-fearing man has for his wife should be a picture of the love The Savior has for His Bride. And the respect a believing wife has for her husband should be an illustration of the kind of reverence followers of God have for their Lord.

Though times have changed, God has not; God still hates divorce (see Malachi 2:16). But, by using this example, Jesus taught that both extremes concerning the Law and grace are wrong. Divorcing mercy from keeping the Commandments is wicked. And marrying oneself to grace while separating oneself from righteousness is equally immoral.

A Parable to Prove the Point

At this point in the conversation, Jesus was addressing the Pharisees. Since their fatal flaw was that of obeying the rules while disregarding the reason for such commands, Jesus told a story to emphasize the eternal ramifications of this error. In the process, He also dashed the idea that wealth was proof of God’s favor on a particular person.

“‘There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember that you. in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in like manner, bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you, a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.” And he said, “Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” But Abraham said, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.” And he said, “No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead”’” (Luke 16:19-31).

The rich man who was adorned in attire fit for a king and who lived in lavish luxury was a picture of the Pharisees who were successful at keeping rules and, therefore, excused their hoarding of riches. They had the means to be merciful but refused to give even small portions of what they had accumulated to those who were less fortunate. Primarily, they did not realize that their ability to obey the commandments and acquire wealth was from God and that it should be used for His purposes. Instead, they pridefully assumed it was in their own power that they did these things. That is why their consciences were not pricked and they remained unmoved when presented with the suffering of others.

The sick and starving Lazarus, who was too weak to walk on his own or to even shoo away the dogs who licked his seeping wounds, who, because of his dire condition, had been reduced to begging, was an illustration of all the sin-sick, grace-starved, weak-willed, Satan-tormented sinners who surrounded the self-righteous, ultra-rich Pharisees. Because of circumstances usually out of the control of these Lazaruses, they were unable to provide for themselves that which the Pharisees easily had at their disposal. But it was those, like the Lazarus of this parable, (whose very name means, God Helps), who realized their spiritual poverty and laid themselves before the Lord, begging for His help, that received greater riches than the Pharisees ever dreamed of possessing.

As the parable continued, each of these characters died. Lazarus, whose spiritual deficiency drove him to reach out and take the help the Lord provided, was carried by angels into Paradise where he joined others, like Abraham, who had “believed the LORD and He credited to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). Whereas, the rich man, who had trusted in his own provision for righteousness, was removed from light and life and found himself in the torments of Hell.

Far too late, the previously rich man realized the extreme poverty of his spiritual condition. The confidence he once had in his own morality was shattered. The superiority he had assumed over those like Lazarus was now clearly seen as inferiority. In his excruciating distress, he called out for mercy hoping that he to whom he had shown no compassion would be allowed to momentarily alleviate some of his sufferings. But this request was impossible to fulfill. His eternal suffering was the consequence of the gross miscalculation he made during his lifetime and he would have to endure it.

It was then that the one who had been so physically privileged in his life turned his focus outward, perhaps for the very first time. He had five brothers who were lavishly living under the lie in which he had so completely absorbed himself during his time on Earth. He begged for Lazarus, who had in his trouble-filled lifetime, managed to discover and accept the truth, to be sent to warn the erring brothers of the devastating consequences of living in such a self-centered manner. Likewise, that request was also denied.

But the gracious and loving God had not left the rich man’s brothers or anyone like them, including the Pharisees to whom Jesus directed this parable, without a witness. In the words of Abraham, from the parable,

“‘“They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them”’” (Luke 16:29).

The Pharisees knew the Scriptures; they had even memorized large portions of it. They were familiar with the words of God.

“‘Bring no more vain offerings; …they have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them … learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause’” (Isaiah 1:13a, 14b & 17).

“‘For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings’” (Hosea 6:6).

“‘[God] has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God’” (Micah 6:8).

Yet, when it came to the opportunities to bless others, to seek justice for the underprivileged, to show mercy, and to walk in humility, the Pharisees consistently chose the sacrifice of following rules. Contrary to the impassioned plea of the formally rich man in Jesus’ parable:

“‘If someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent’” (Luke 16:30).

“[Because] ‘If they [did] not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither [would] they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead’” (Luke 16:31).

Shortly after Jesus told this parable of chastisement to the Pharisees in His audience, Jesus did raise a man named Lazarus from the dead. (See John 11:1-44). Instead of repenting of their sin and seeking the truth found in Jesus’ parable,

“[They] made plans to put Lazarus to death … because on account of him, many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus” (John 12:10-11).

And, not long after that, when Jesus Himself rose from the dead, the Pharisees and other religious leaders, with hardened hearts, denied this extraordinary event, paid off those who had witnessed the resurrection, and tried to cover up the miracle by spreading a rumor.

“Some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place [concerning Jesus’ resurrection]. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, ‘Tell people, “His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.” And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.’ So [the soldiers] took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day” (Matthew 28:11-15).

What About You?

Where do you stand on this continuum? Are you violently opposing Jesus and His message by assuming that adhering to your self-ordained requirements makes you a shoo-in for God’s Kingdom? Don’t assume because you consider yourself better than the next guy or think your good outweighs your bad that God will be obligated to open wide the gates of Heaven for your entry. Take the words of this parable seriously.

Or are you forcing your way into God’s grace, thinking that makes you right with God while ignoring His plea for a mutual love relationship? Don’t assume that because at one time in your life you repeated a prayer, which has resulted in no evidence of a changed life, you have a free ticket to Paradise. Take into consideration the whole counsel of Scripture and remember Jesus’ words:

“‘Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven. On that day many will say to Me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?” And then will I declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness”’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Don’t wait until it is too late. Ask God to reveal where you err. Allow Him to get you on the right track. Now is the time to prepare for eternity.

 

¹ Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.