Koinonia Bible Studies

We continue in the series, Enormous Lessons from Small Parables.To set the stage for the parable of this lesson, I want you to think of your most valuable possession. What is your most valued possession? What is it worth in the marketplace? What is it worth to you? The two may not be the same, you know. Have you ever lost the possession?

Whether we realize it or not many of the decisions we make are often based on our values. But what are values? It is a term that gets used a lot but many of us might struggle to define it. Simply put values are our puppet masters. They are core beliefs that underpin and guide our decision making and behaviors. We are often most comfortable, content and without internal conflict when we are able to stick close to our values making the inverse true too. We can feel extremely uncomfortable and unhappy when we are not able to act according to our values. This discomfort can take many forms, from anger to anxiety, and can feel confusing if we’re not aware of where it’s coming from.

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Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.

Warren Buffett

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When we talk about items that are valuable to us, it asks us to define the standard for the value. Our values reflect what is important to us. Values are important because they mold and shape our beliefs and attitudes. Values can influence and can change our behavior.

Do you remember Precious Moments® figurines?

Precious Moments® creator Sam Butcher began drawing the teardrop-eyed children in the early 1970s as gifts for his family and friends. Sam was a man of deep personal faith. Sam and his friend Bill Biel started a small company to produce the art on a line of cards and posters. They called the company Jonathan & David and took their goods to the Christian Booksellers Association Convention in Anaheim. The crowd of bookstore owners was so enthusiastic that representatives from neighboring vendors came over to help them write orders.

[su_pullquote align=”right”]Seven Benefits of Knowing What is Valuable to You

1) Values help you define and understand your purpose.

2) Values directs your behavior in lost and difficult times.

3) Values prompt decisions.

4) Values carve your sense of identity.

5) Values increase your level of confidence.

6) Values sustain hope.

7) Values contribute to happiness and joy.[/su_pullquote]

Before long Sam was approached by the Enesco Corporation to develop a figurine based on his artwork called “Love One Another.” By the end of 1978 the first twenty-one figurines were introduced to the Christian marketplace.

In the beginning many of the figurines became a high demand item for collectors. Their limited availability, combined with their sentimental value, chased prices up the ladder. But as production increased, the same images became available in pewter, plastic and paper representations.

Today we have dozens of the figurines. Some of them are not even worth the money that we paid for them. We keep them not because of their monetary value, but because the figurines represent moments in life. Some remind us of anniversaries or birthdays, some were gifts from important family or friends, and some focus our thoughts upon a special occasion. Some of the figurines that we have were my mother’s. We inherited them after her death.

The figurines will never fund our retirement years. But the figurines remind us of what makes something valuable.

So let’s get back to our questions for this lesson. What is your most valuable possession? Is it valuable in the marketplace, or is it valuable because you have assigned it worth? How deeply would it affect you if it were lost?

Our studies have been looking at truths found in enormous lessons found in small parables. This series examines some of the lesser-known parables of Jesus. The parable of focus today contains an enormous amount of controversy. Many theologians debate whether or not the story is even a parable. The story helps us understand what are the real riches in life, while giving us a moment’s glimpse at the afterlife. You can find the parable in the gospel of Luke.

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. ²⁰ At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹ and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

²² “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴ So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

²⁵ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

²⁷ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, ²⁸ for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

²⁹ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

³⁰ “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

³¹ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Luke 16:19-31 | Different Versions

This story is different from the other parables taught by our Savior. In similar teachings, the characters remain nameless. Why would Jesus be so specific in this tale? Some speculate that it was not a hypothetical story, but was an actual, true event. Others suggest the individuals were known by the listeners. Of course, Jesus would have supreme knowledge, so either explanation might be possible.

But the immediate setting again spotlights a conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees. An earlier parable told the story of a rich man and manager who was squandering resources. Just two verses earlier, Luke provides the note that the Pharisees were present and were scoffing at the teachings of Jesus. Luke adds a commentary that the Pharisees were lovers of money (Luke 16:14 NIV).

By any standard of the Mediterranean culture, the rich man was “joyously living in splendor” (Luke 16:19 NASB). Out of habit, he dressed in purple, a product of fine linen. Purple clothes were the clothes of royalty, nobility and high social status. Purple was extremely expensive. The color was extracted from the murex shellfish, only found in portions of the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

My speculation of why the name of Lazarus is mentioned is to show that the rich man knew the poor man by name. Notice the circumstances. Lazarus is outside the gates of the rich man’s home. The beggar dreams that he can have food from the rich man’s table. Perhaps pillaging through the garbage of the rich man had provided Lazarus with occasional nourishment in the past.

The Rest of the Story

Our image of crumbs falling from the table is powerful, but it doesn’t present the magnitude of what Jesus is teaching. Bread was common and plentiful in Jesus’ day. Grain dropped in the field during harvest was to be left on the ground to be shared by the poor (Leviticus 19:9-10). Each day the rich man enjoyed luxurious and scrumptious meals. Jesus says he had the splendor of a feast every day. The custom of the time was for the mouth to be wiped with a slice of bread – the equivalent of a table napkin (compare Matthew 15:26). As the mouth was wiped, crumbs would float to the floor.

But the image doesn’t stop there. Lazarus longed for less than leftovers.

Real Riches

The lesson in the story seems to point to understanding real riches. The strong opinion of the Pharisees – and to a degree us today – contends that material things on this earth are an indication of the blessings of God. The story shows that material blessings on earth are no indication of the eternal outcome.

There are several important lessons nestled into this teaching about real riches. Jesus continually emphasized the need to care for the poor (Luke 6:20-21, Luke 4:16-19, Matthew 25:34-36, Mark 12:41-44, Luke 14:12-14). The rich man was not condemned because of his riches. His problem was what was important to him and what he did to help the poor.

Many times we dismiss seeing the poor because we do not know them. They become a generic problem that easily can be overlooked. But in this story, the rich man knew Lazarus by name. Even in the afterlife, the rich man petitioned Abraham to send Lazarus to serve him and lessen his torture (Luke 16:24 NIV). Even in punishment, the rich man expected service and preferential treatment.

What’s in a Name?

From very early on, the parable was labeled “The Parable of Dives and Lazarus.” In actuality this is not a name, but simply the Latin word for “rich man.” The word was used in the Vulgate, the Bible translated into Latin. Although the Vulgate was officially translated by Jerome in _AD382 commissioned by Pope Damasus, portions of the Scriptures in Latin were circulating in the second century. All we know of the rich man is that he appears to have had more money than he knew what to do with. We are not told of any evil or immoral ways that he amassed the wealth. Interestingly, the word feasted (Luke 16: is the same word used in the story of the prodigal son in the previous chapter (Luke 15:23, Luke 15:32).

The name Lazarus is from the Hebrew “Eleazar” which literally means “God helps.” The name itself seems to be significant. It appears that man did nothing to help poor Lazarus. God himself rights the wrongs, even though the justice may not occur in this lifetime. When Lazarus died, the angels came and “carried him to Abraham’s side” (Luke 16:22). The translations of the King James and New King James Bibles better complete the imagery by saying he was carried “to Abraham’s bosom.” The picture continues the image of the feast. Lazarus is not begging for crumbs at this table, but he is the honored guest. Remember John’s position at the table of the Last Supper (John 13:23 NIV, John 13:23 NKJV)?

Surprising Details about Real Riches in the Afterlife

There are a handful of surprising truths learned about the afterlife in this parable. Our Mediterranean Moments will consider those in more detail. Remember, eternity is not the point of the parable, but only provides a part of the setting. The purpose of the parable focuses on what we do with our riches, and upon the ultimate justice of God. Speaking to the perspective of the Pharisees, Jesus teaches that material things are not real riches, and do not indicate necessarily that God is blessing the individual.

One surprising feature provides the conclusion of our thoughts on this parable. Abraham tells the rich man at the end of the story that people don’t listen to Moses and the Prophets (the Scriptures) and will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead. His comments were true in the first century and are just as valid today. Many have completely dismissed the notion of an actual resurrection by Jesus.

Don’t feel sorry for the rich man. Instead be impassioned to make sure no one else joins him.

We are continuing in our study Enormous Lessons from Small Parables. Before we make application for today from a passage, it is important to determine if the Bible has other teaching on the subject. While an immediate context which includes the historical setting helps us determine meaning, we must remember that the best interpreter for Scripture is Scripture. The truth of the larger biblical context stands throughout the ages. One teaching of the Bible will not contradict another. What else does the Bible teach about this subject?

Let’s once again look at the parable of the laborers in the vineyard from Matthew 20:1-16.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. ² He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

³ “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ⁴ He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ ⁵ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. ⁶ About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

⁷ “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

⁸ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

⁹ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius.¹⁰ So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ¹² ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

¹³ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

¹⁶ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Few of us have the entire Bible memorized. In order to determine the larger biblical context, we will need the use of a concordance or a topical Bible. Does the Bible teach about these truths in other places? The biblestudytools.com website has several concordances available. Nave’s Topical Bible provides Scriptural references upon many popular topics. Strong’s Concordance lists most every word in the Bible. You can look to see if there are other teachings which use the same words. Of course, when a passage is found in one of the Gospels, we want to know if the same story is told in another Gospel. Do we find more information there?

Your question for this section of our study is simple yet profound.

• Does the Bible teach about these truths in other places?

The study of Enormous Lessons from Small Parables has been teaching us how to build the context for a passage of Scripture. Our final step in the process of determining a sound, biblical interpretation of the parable is to understand, “How does this speak today?” Based upon the historical setting, the lessons will be consistent with the teaching of the Bible. The exegesis of a passage allows the meaning to be in accordance with God’s message to humanity. Let’s take one final look at the passage in Matthew 20:1-16.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. ² He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

³ “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ⁴ He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ ⁵ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. ⁶ About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

⁷ “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

⁸ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

⁹ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius.¹⁰ So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ¹² ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

¹³ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

¹⁶ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

There are several tools that can assist us in determining how does this speak today. The meaning and application of a passage of Scripture is a vital part of interpretation. The first place to start is to examine the Scripture in different versions of the Bible. There are different nuances that can be brought out through translation that can strengthen understanding. Remember, a translation of the Bible is produced by scholars, theologians and linguists to examine the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek manuscripts and translate the words into the reader’s language. A paraphrase takes the reader’s language and attempts to make it more readable. Koinonia Bible Studies has concise information on versions, translations and paraphrases.

Here are several English versions of our passage of Scripture from Matthew 20:1-16 NIV

Another tool to help determine the application of a passage is the use of a commentary. The biblestudytools.com website has several commentaries that are free for usage.

Once you have used several resources, determine the answer to this question for this portion of the lesson.

• How does this speak today? What teachings in this passage of Scripture apply to today’s culture or church?

The study Enormous Lessons from Small Parables continues building the interpretation of our parable. After the immediate context of a passage is determined, the main teaching or comparison established, and the audience identified, the student of Scripture will examine the parable to notice the surprising details. While our purpose is not to get bogged down in the details, if a story is told with something unusual or startling included, it must be there for a reason.

Let’s look again at the parable in Matthew 20:1-16.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. ² He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

³ “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ⁴ He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ ⁵ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. ⁶ About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

⁷ “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

⁸ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

⁹ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius.¹⁰ So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ¹² ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

¹³ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

¹⁶ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

We continue to understand sound interpretation for parables. The context of a passage of Scripture may include some surprising details, things that you did not anticipate would be there. For your question in this portion of the study,

• Glance through the sixteen verses of the parable. What are the surprising details that stand out to you?

Our study of a handful of the parables of Jesus has begun to teach us Enormous Lessons from Small Parables. In addition to reconstructing the immediate context of a passage and the main comparison in the parable, it is important to decide, “Who is Jesus teaching?” in the parable. The more we understand about the audience, the better we will understand the content of what is being taught. Let’s look again at the text in Matthew 20:1-16

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. ² He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

³ “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ⁴ He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ ⁵ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. ⁶ About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

⁷ “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

⁸ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

⁹ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius.¹⁰ So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ¹² ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

¹³ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

¹⁶ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

In any setting in which Jesus is teaching, most of the time a part of Jesus’ audience is constant. One audience is the disciples. The twelve disciples are almost always with Jesus. At times the twelve is reduced even more to Peter, James and John, but after the calling of the Twelve, some disciples are present when Jesus is teaching.

Jesus also expects His audience to include you. Paul tells the Corinthians “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:11 NIV).

In this passage, who is present that Jesus is trying to teach? To find your answer, you will have to go back to the immediate context and examine Matthew 19:13 NIV.

Here are your questions for this portion of the study.

• Who is Jesus trying to teach in this parable?
• As future leaders of the church, what lesson(s) was Jesus trying to teach the disciples in this parable?
• Let’s make the parable very personal. Is there a circumstance or situation in your life to which the teaching of this parable would apply?